Farmhouse/Saison (WLP568 Saison Blend + Wyeast Brett L.)

'Tis the season for saisons, or at least it is quickly approaching. However, the traditional season for brewing saisons was the past few months. Gordon Strong explained it best in a BYO issue last June:

"Most beer geeks know that saison is a refreshing beer style associated with Wallonia, the French-speaking agricultural region of southern Belgium, and that the word literally means "season" in French. However, I'd bet that many of those same people don't understand what "season" means in this context. It doesn't mean different beers for each season, as one might suspect. It refers to a kind of beer that was brewed "in season" (i.e., during the cold winter and early spring, December through March, an idle time at most farms) and then kept as a provision (stock) ale for consumption during the active farming season (May through September)."

Signs of Spring

The recent warm weather in the Willamette Valley and the crack of spring has everyone running to the kettles to get those summer beers ready. I think I jumped the gun a bit, with my current tap list consisting of a German Pilsner, Bavarian Hefeweissebier, and a hard cider. I did brew a saison last a few weeks ago but pitched a vial of ECY20 Bug Country into it, there won't be much to report there for some time. Other batches I brewed this winter are all sitting on fruit or brett or something else all funked up, and will hopefully be able to report on some of these before the next quarter of school starts.

I am not a big fan of brewing stronger versions of saisons, as the trend with American brewers seems to be. I feel most beers you are going to have on draft should be more sesssionable. Hence, this version came in at a modest 1.050 original gravity, which might actually attenuate to stronger than I would like. For this brew I went with a pretty standard saison grist, 85% Pils, 5% Wheat Malt, 5% Munich and 5% Flaked Oats (for mouth feel). This was a split 10 gallon batch, with both halves getting WLP568 and one half getting a pitch of WY Brettanomyces lambicus (with plans to condition it on merlot skins). The water is high in sulfates, with  a 2.1 chloride to sulfate ratio. I also have been trying something new this brew and the last (a wit bier), with adding a tablespoon of flour towards the end of the boil for some starch haze. I am one of those really annoying people who has the problem of their home brew becoming too clear! I really enjoy the rustic appearance of a hazy saison
.....

The brew day's grist

Farmhouse/Saison (brewed 3/20/14)

Size: 10.5 gal
Boil: 13.5 gal (90 minutes)
Yeast: WLP568 2 liter starte + 1 quart starter of WY Brett L.
OG: 1.050
IBUs: 30-40 (see note below)

Grist
16 lbs. Belgian Pils
1 lb. NW Munich (8-10L)
1 lb. Flaked Oats
1 lb. Wheat Malt

Water (in ppm)
Ca: 94.5          Cl: 67.6
Mg: 2.0           SO4: 143.3
Na: 27.6          Ratio: 2.1

-Treated all water with 0.025 grams/gallon of potassium metabisulfite for chloramines.
-Acidified sparge water with citric acid.
-Added 14 grams gypsum an 8 gram calcium chloride to the mash.

Mash
-Mashed at 154F for 60 minutes at 1.6 quarts/lb. Single infusion, single batch sparge with 170F water.
-Mash pH = 5.44.

Boil
-Added a pinch of Goldings at FWH to facilitate boiling.
1 oz. Sorachi Ace (14.7%) @ 60 minutes ----> 25.9 IBUs
1.5 oz. Sorachi Ace @ 10 minutes -----> 14.1 IBUs
      *Sorachi was kept in freezer but is pretty older, estimated IBUs in the 30-40 range
1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour @ 10 minutes (for starch haze)
1/2 oz. each Amarillo, Crystal and Willamette @ Flame out

Post-boil/Notes
-Chilled with plate chiller to 66.5F, pitched at same temp.
-Aerated 60 seconds each 5 gallons with pure O2.
-OG: 1.050. Initial pH = 5.22.
-Set chamber to 68 F (will start raising temp tomorrow).