Recipe

Brasserie à Vapeur’s Saison de Pipaix clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.007  
IBU = 21  SRM = 11  ABV = 6%

Vapeur’s saison is orange/amber, darker than most saisons. It is also more heavily spiced than other saisons. A slight tartness, relatively low ABV (as Belgian beers go) and dry finish keep the beer eminently quaffable. 

Ingredients
7.0 lbs. (3.2 kg) Belgian Pilsener malt
2.25 lbs. (1.0 kg) Vienna malt
2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich malt
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) amber malt (35 °L)
4.5 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 4.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 4.75% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) ginger root (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) black pepper (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) sweet orange peel (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) star anise (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Curaçao orange peel (15 mins)
White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison I) or Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale) yeast (2–4 qt./2–4 L yeast starter)
0.75 cup (150 g) corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step 
Mash in grains at 113 °F (45 °C) and hold for 15 minutes. Increase temperature to 131 °F (55 °C) and hold for 30 minutes. Raise to 143 °F (62 °C) and hold for 45 minutes. Raise temperature again to 161 °F (72 °C) and hold for 15 minutes. Recirculate until clear and sparge with 176 °F (80 °C) water. Boil for 60 minutes adding the first addition of hops. With 15 minutes left in the boil, add the remaining hops and spices. Cool the wort to 68 ºF (20 °C). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C), then rack to secondary and drop temperature down to about 55 °F (13 °C). Condition for 1 week and then bottle or keg. Bottle condition for two weeks.

Brasserie à Vapeur’s Saison de Pipaix clone

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.007
IBU = 21  SRM = 11  ABV = 6%

Ingredients
5.0 lbs. (2.3 kg) light liquid malt extract (such as Weyermann  Bavarian Pilsner malt extract)
2.25 lbs. (1.0 kg) Vienna malt
2.0 lbs. (0.91 kg) Munich malt
0.25 lb. (0.11 kg) amber malt (35 °L)
4.5 AAU Hallertauer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g of 4.5% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU East Kent Goldings hops (15 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g of 4.8% alpha acids)
0.25 oz. (7 g) ginger root (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) black pepper (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) sweet orange peel (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) star anise (15 mins)
0.25 oz. (7 g) Curaçao orange peel (15 mins)
White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison I) or Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale) yeast (2–4 qt./2–4 L yeast starter)
0.75 cup (150 g) corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step
Steep milled grains in 2.0 gallons (7.6 L) of water at 152 ºF (67 ºC) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 1.0 gallon (3.8 L) of hot water. Add the malt extracts and boil for 60 minutes. Add the hops and spices at the times indicated in the ingredient list. Cool wort and transfer to fermenter.  Top off with cold water to 5.0 gallons (19 L). Aerate wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68 ºF (20 °C) until fermentation is complete. Transfer to a carboy, and drop temperature down to about 55 °F (13 °C). Allow the beer to condition for 1 week and then bottle or keg. Allow the beer to carbonate and age for two weeks before sampling.

Issue: March-April 2012

Vapeur’s saison is orange/amber, darker than most saisons. It is also more heavily spiced than other saisons. A slight tartness, relatively low ABV (as Belgian beers go) and dry finish keep the beer eminently quaffable.