Aleumination Batch #3

[Ray Grace]

I feel like it's time to start talking about what Aleumination batch #3 is going to be, I know I'm anxious to get going on something. Any ideas? Since we've recently passed the "unofficial" start of summer my thoughts tend towards easy drinking, thirst quenching ales. How about a saison? Plenty of opportunities for experimentation, accessible to the novice, and very tolerant of summer temperatures during fermentation. Just my opening thoughts. Let us know what you think? Other ideas?

[Rob DeNunzio]

That sounds great, Preston. Go for it.

[Useless Brewing]

I like Ray's idea, since the only requirement for this is a Wheat grain addition. It could fall into any of these styles: [quote Ray Grace]all-American wheat, a wit , a hefeweizen, or a highly-hopped brett-fermented saison.[/quote] I think everyone should post what they plan to brew in hopes that we cover all the different styles. Granted everything is up for manipulation or interpretation.

I'm not sure what I will brew. I was thinking a Saison or a Witbier for this one. My Witbier AG base recipe (1.040) for a Witbier will be 3.5# pilsner, and 3.5# Torrified Wheat. An extract version would be 2.75# pale liquid extract, and 2.75# Wheat Liquid Extract.
I was also thinking a Saison (1.048) with some Star Anise and some lactic acid in the Secondary along with a nice EKG Dry hop. 1# Honey, 6# Pilsner, 1.25# Vienna, 1# Wheat, .5# Crystal 10L, and a smidgen of Chocolate. Lots of EKG, and maybe some peppercorns! Sorry guys, but I don't have an PM version. I will see what BeerSmith can do for you.

This one will be hard to choose!!! Both sound very appealing! I love a nice mild Wit in the summer (Simplicity at its best) but I may do the Saison just for the challenge of it. Both are very tasty beer's, and I think you would enjoy either.

If you want the full recipe send me a message and I would be happy to send them to you.

If someone can come up with a hefe or an American wheat that would cover all of them.

Cheers
Preston

[Shawn, the Beer Philosopher]

I'm stuck on the saison too ... still contemplating the particulars though.

[Ray Grace]

Personally I think I'm going to go with a saison brewed with edible flowers, lavender maybe depending on what I can find. I'll post a recipe later.

[Ray Grace]

Ok here is the Saison recipe I've been knocking around with for a while

Recipe: Saison de flores
Style: 16C-Belgian And French Ale-Saison

Recipe Overview

Wort Volume Before Boil: 6.08 US gals
Wort Volume After Boil: 5.28 US gals
Volume Transferred: 5.28 US gals
Water Added: 0.00 US gals
Volume At Pitching: 5.28 US gals
Final Batch Volume: 5.02 US gals
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.010 SG
Expected OG: 1.048 SG
Expected FG: 1.010 SG
Expected ABV: 5.1 %
Expected ABW: 4.0 %
Expected IBU (using Daniels): 23.0
Expected Color: 7.1 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 79.6 %
Mash Efficiency: 65.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins
Fermentation Temperature: 64 degF

Fermentables
US 2-Row Malt 2lb 0oz (26.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
Belgian Caramel Munich Malt 60 8.00 oz (6.7 %) In Mash/Steeped
Extract - Wheat Liquid Malt Extract 4lb 0oz (53.3 %) Start Of Boil
Sugar - White Sugar/Sucrose 1lb 0oz (13.3 %) Start Of Boil

Hops
German Tettnang (4.5 % alpha) 1.00 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 60 Min From End
German Tettnang (4.5 % alpha) 0.50 oz Loose Pellet Hops used 20 Min From End

Other Ingredients
Whirlfloc Tablet 1.00 oz used In Boil
Seeds of Paradise 0.50 oz used In Fermenter

Yeast: White Labs WLP565-Belgian Saison I

Mash Schedule
Mash Type: Extract with Mini-mash
Schedule Name:Single Step Infusion (66C/151F)
Step: Rest at 151 degF for 60 mins

Recipe Notes
1 oz edible flowers added at knockout

For those extract brewers out there you could easily substitute an extra pound of LME in place of the 2-row and come relatively close in gravity. Also, I'm planning on using edible flowers as the aroma component, you could easily substitute any nice aroma hop instead.

If I do decide to brew this I'll probably try the white labs platinum saison yeast, I think it is available in July/August.

Ray

[Rob DeNunzio]

I'm gonna do a mash up (get it?) of this recipe along with my standard saison recipe and the 'Lil Opal clone in this month's BYO and post it when it's ready... (On top of that, planning on doing this one all-organic just for kicks.)

[Rob DeNunzio]

And here it is... And it bears absolutely no resemblance to any of the recipes I mentioned above. Oh well.

It turned out to be quite the hodgepodge of a grain bill, but I'm telling myself that it's true to the historical nature of saisons to consist of a variety of farm grains and little else. My interest in making it an all-organic recipe led me to order everything through Santa Cruz's Seven Bridges co-op, where, as it turns out, they were having their summer sale, amongst which they're offering up a sampler pack of their malts. Long story short, I pretty much threw every sample malt that fit the "saison" image with complete disregard to proportion and weight, and set the other grains aside for our next experiment (Belgian milk stout, anyone?).

4.40 lbs. Generic LME - Light
1.00 lbs. Pilsener
1.00 lbs. White Wheat
1.00 lbs. Wheat Malt
1.00 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
1.00 lbs. Pale Malt (2-row) America
1.00 lbs. Pale Malt (2-row) Great Britain
1.00 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat

60 min 1.00 oz. Opal
30 min 1.00 oz. Tettnanger Tettnang
10 min 1.00 oz. Opal
0 min 1.00 oz. Tettnanger Tettnang

WLP565 Belgian Saison I

Sophisticated it is not. But hey, it made for an OG of 1.058 and looks and smells great. Having brewed it on Saturday, it's supposed to hit 90 today, so I'm letting it rise with the ambient temperature and hope to get some nice spice from the yeast. It'll sit on a little oak in the secondary until the gravity stops dropping. We shall see! (I obviously don't suggest replicating this recipe unless you just happen to have all these ingredients sitting around...)

[Shawn, the Beer Philosopher]

Sounds wonderful to me, Rob. Bring on those esters!

[Ray Grace]

Brewed my version on Saturday, changed the US 2-row to Belgian pale malt. Spiced with dried lavender and fresh sage. Can't wait to see how this turns out.

[Rob DeNunzio]

Fresh sage? Very nice!

[Ray Grace]

The wife's idea, I'm looking forward to it.

[Rob DeNunzio]

Put her on payroll and save me a bottle.

Ours is in the slow burn phase, gravity verrrrrrrrrrrry slowly going down. Before we head out of town, I'm hoping it'll be low enough to put it somewhere cooler to condition for a little while. Looking forward to this one, for sure!