By Diane Catanzaro and Chris Jones

Hampton Roads Brewing &Tasting Society

Can there be a perfect beer that appeals to bona fide beer geeks as well as those who profess to not even like beer (yet)? If this beer exists, saison is a likely contender. Golden-hued, saison dances effervescently on the palate, yet has a dry complexity that makes it versatile for every occasion, from pairing with food to sipping on a warm summer day. In fact, saison was originally brewed in rural Belgium to quench the thirst of farmhands, albeit at a much lower ABV than your typical saison today. Another reason to homebrew this style is because there are relatively few saisons on the market today. A recent visit to a big-box beer retailer unearthed only one saison in stock. If you are lucky, your local craft brewer makes one occasionally, but it’s unlikely to be a core or flagship beer. The classic benchmarks of the style are brewed by the Dupont Brewery in Tourpes, Belgium. Delicious, but they can be on the pricy side. Brewing your own is a great way to enjoy this style and save some coin! Another benefit of saison for a summer brew is that it can generally ferment at a warmer ‘room temperature’ than most beers. Warmer temperatures bring out the distinct character of the saison yeast.

This is a homebrew recipe for saison that we’ve brewed several times with delicious results. It is an extract brew, which saves time and simplifies the brewing process compared to all-grain techniques. You can add the spices mentioned, or not. Feel free to experiment with kaffir lime, sweet orange peel, or lemongrass to adapt this recipe to your taste.

Batch size = 5 gallons    OG: 1.055     FG: 1.00      ABV: 6 – 6.5% 

Steep in your hot brew water for 30 minutes in a muslin or nylon steeping bag at 155F and remove prior to boil:

• .75 lb flaked oats
• .50 lb 10 or 20 Lovibond crystal malt
• .50 lb crushed wheat malt

Bring the hot water to a boil and add:

• 5 lbs extra light dried malt extract (add, stirring, before you reach boil to avoid scorching pan)
• 1 oz Styrian Goldings, Kent Goldings, or Tettnang hops (at boil, with 60 minutes left in the boil)

Then, later in the 60-minute boil:

• 1 TB dried bitter orange peel (add when about 30 minutes left in the boil)
• 1 TB dried lemon peel (optional, add when 30 minutes left in the boil)
• .5 to 1 oz of any of the above hops, or Saaz hops (add when 15-20 minutes left in the boil)
• 1 tsp crushed coriander (optional, add when 5 minutes left in the boil)
• .5 tsp ginger powder (optional, add when 5 minutes left in the boil)
• .5 oz any of the above hops (add with 1 minute left in the boil

Cool to 65-68 degrees and pitch a saison yeast:

Lallemand Belle Saison, White Labs WLP565, or Wyeast 3724 are recommended.