IDEA
The concept of this beer was to create an extra light Saison, which still have some of that spicy taste. To achieve this, I used a Farmhouse strain yeast and a wide variety of fermentables (at least for such a low abv beer).
Recipe
When putting together this recipe I wanted to achieve a few things:
High crushability
Light Saison like taste
Clear and crisp body
To achieve these goals, I used a 25 minutes long protein rest and base malts with distinctive taste profiles.
Stats:
Est. OG: 1.036
Est. FG: 1.008
ABV 3.7%
Color: 2.4 SRM
IBU: 15.4
Est. Brewhouse Efficiency: 85%
Boil-Time: 75 minutes
Water Profile: Antwerp, Belgium
| Name | Temperature (Metric) | Temperature (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protein Rest | 51C | 123.8F | 25 | |||||||
| Mash In | 67C | 152.6F | 60 | |||||||
| Mash Out | 75.6C | 168.08F | 10 | |||||||
| Boil | 100C | 212F | 75 |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Percentage | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flaked Oats | 0.4 kg | 0.88 lb | 12.9% | |||||||
| Weyermann Rye Malt | 0.4 kg | 0.88 lb | 12.9% | |||||||
| Weyermann Pale Wheat | 0.4 kg | 0.88 lb | 12.9% | |||||||
| Weyermann Pilsner Malt | 1.6 kg | 3.53 lb | 51.6% | |||||||
| Rice Hulls | 0.3 kg | 0.66 lb | 9.7% |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | IBU | Alpha Acid | Time (minute) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallertau Magnum | 8.5g | 0.30 oz | 39.3 | 12.5% | 60 |
| Name | Producer | Type | Style | Dry Alternatives | Liquid Alternatives | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farmster (YF-502) | Yeastflow | Liquid | Farmhouse Ale | - | 3726 Farmhouse Ale |
| Strike Water (Metric) | Strike Water (US) | Sparge Water (Metric) | Sparge Water (US) | Ca | Mg | Na | SO4 | Cl | HCO3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11L | 2.91 gal | 17.11L | 4.52 gal | 74.8ppm | - | 29.8 ppm | 90.4 ppm | 65.6 ppm | 78.7 ppm |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast Nutrient | 2g | 0.07 oz | 15 | |||||||
| Supermoss | 4g | 0.14 oz | 15 | |||||||
| L-Ascorbic Acid | 3g | 0.11 oz | 60 |
Brewday
I already collected the RO water yesterday, so I only needed to crush the malts to begin the brewday.
After that I heated up the mash water, then added the crushed malts to the malt tube, while stirring to avoid clumps and dry spots. It looked dry, but because of the water below the malt tube and the recirculating pump, this is not an issue.
After 15 minutes of mashing, I measured the PH of the wort. The PH of the wort was 5.85, so I added 6.2ml of 80% lactic acid.
After the correction, the PH went below the recommended range to 5.09.
The pre-boil gravity was 1.029 instead of 1.030. I tend to not correct such minor differences, so I went ahead with the wort I had (sadly I forgot to take a picture of the refractometer readings).
At 60 minutes I added the bittering additions, then proceeded with the boil. At 15 I added the adjuncts. After the boil was done I cooled down the wort, then took a OG reading, which shows a value of 1.032, which is below the predicted 1.036.
The fermentation went well, and within 8 days the beer reached its final gravity. The temperature was a bit on the cold side of the recommended range 19.6C (67.64F) - 21.3C (73.94F), with an average of 20.4C (70.52F).
Please note that the gravity readings by my iSpindel are used for the tracking of the fermentation and should not be taken as specific gravity.
After the fermentation finished, I took a final gravity reading which showed the value 1.006, two points below the expected 1.008. After that I racked the beer into a corny keg and force carbonated it for three days.
Tasting
First week: The beer had a subtle citrusy character, a light grainy taste from the wheat malts and oat flakes with some sweetness. At the end there was a hint of spiciness from the rye malt.
Later on: With more time, there was no real change in the beer's flavor. The rye (as I expected) showed more spiciness and body, but nothing distracting.
Conclusion
I think this brew achieved all the three goals that were set. It came out as a crushable summer drink with enough flavor to enjoy. I will definitely brew this beer again, maybe with some dry hops.