Abolitionist Ale Works
Dear Replicator, Shenandoah Saison from Abolitionist Ale Works is one of the most interesting saisons I’ve had in a while. They’re obviously doing something a little different here. Think you could share any special tips for brewing something like it?
William Simak
Richmond, Virginia
For Mike Vance, Co-Owner and Director of Brewing at Abolitionist Ale Works in Charles Town, West Virginia, the path from passionate homebrewer to professional brewer wasn’t about leaving his homebrewing roots behind — it was about embracing them. At Abolitionist, Vance approaches brewing with the same experimental spirit and resourcefulness that characterized his early days conjuring sour barrel-aged beers in a friend’s basement.
“A few of my homebrew friends got me into brewing funky and barrel-aged beers,” Vance says. “We had about eight wine and Bourbon barrels aging in my buddy’s basement between just four homebrewers. During that time I got comfortable with brewing mixed culture styles and throwing Brettanomyces into everything to see what sort of flavors it could create.”
Abolitionist Ale Works was founded in June 2017 by Mike alongside his brother Josh Vance. “I wanted to put West Virginia beers on the map since most locals would have to travel to Maryland or Virginia for good brews,” Vance says. The brothers decided to open with a focus on farmhouse ales and barrel-aged beers. Initially, the brewery offered only one IPA, feeling that the IPA market was already saturated. Nowadays they do offer a variety of IPAs, though their barrel-aged and sour portfolio is still as strong as it ever was.
“When I moved back home to start Abolitionist, I did a lot of stressing on how to brew exactly like the pros do with a small budget and very limited space,” Vance says. “So I told myself I was gonna brew like I’ve always homebrewed. Let it go and put it in God’s hands. It was a lot of work, but being able to stay creative and brew how I wanted was great motivation. So I consider myself a professional homebrewer.”
Shenandoah Saison, which has been a mainstay on the menu since the brewery opened, is an embodiment of this philosophy — a beer demonstrating that, sometimes, the simplest approach yields the best results.
Of course, if you ask ten brewers to define what exactly a saison is, you’ll likely get eleven different answers. For Vance, the key to understanding these enigmatic ales lies in approaching farmhouse brewing as a methodology rather than a strict style.
“It’s been said that a saison is a farmhouse ale, but not every farmhouse ale is a saison.” This open-ended philosophy, Vance believes, should give brewers the freedom and flexibility to experiment while still respecting traditional techniques.
Vance’s approach to brewing Shenandoah Saison breaks several conventional brewing rules — and for him, that’s precisely the point. He employs a no-boil process and open fermentation, techniques that might make some brewers nervous but contribute to the beer’s unique character. Open fermentation can promote the formation of fruity esters desirable for styles like saison.
“I recommend throwing away the airlocks,” he says, explaining that he simply uses foil to cover his fermenters. “I ditched the airlocks a few years into homebrewing and never regretted it.”
For homebrewers looking to craft their own saison, Vance suggests focusing on a few key elements. For the grain bill, he believes brewers should lean towards a higher percentage of Munich malt and go easy on flaked grains. This helps create what Vance describes as a “more rustic” character, producing a lower-ABV beer that drinks more like a traditional farmhouse ale than a Belgian tripel.
For hops, Shenandoah Saison utilizes a blend of Old and New World varieties. His current version of the beer combines traditional Czech Saaz with modern Mandarina Bavaria hops. “Less is sometimes more,” he says as he explains that he’s moved away from dry hopping this beer in favor of simplicity.
Vance uses the BSI S-26 (Farmhouse Ale) strain for fermentation. Patience is a necessity, he says, and Shenandoah Saison sits in primary fermentation for at least six weeks to ensure complete attenuation. In addition, Vance regularly saves and repitches his saison strain, a practice that can help develop a consistent house character over time.
Temperature also plays a crucial role in developing the beer’s character. Vance knocks out the wort at around 85 °F (29 °C) and ferments in the 90s °F (mid-30s °C) when possible.
As for the eternal conundrum of what a saison actually is? According to Vance, that’s up to your palate to interpret. “Everyone should have their own interpretation, and it’s refreshing tasting different interpretations,” he says. “They are beers given the time to develop flavors that tell a different story with every sip, with soul that can’t be put in a box.”
Abolitionist Ale Works’ Shenandoah Saison clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.049 FG = 1.006
IBU = 22 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
7.6 lbs. (3.4 kg) Pilsner malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Munich malt (10 °L)
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked wheat
2 oz. (57 g) Czech Saaz hops (at 190 °F/88 °C)
2 oz. (57 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops (at 190 °F/88 °C)
BSI S-26 Farmhouse Ale, Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale), Omega OYL-042 (Belgian Saison II), or Imperial B56 (Rustic) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
*Note Brewing Science Institute (BSI) yeasts are not sold in homebrew sizes, but it is what Abolitionist uses. If you can’t get your hands on it, the other strains should be suitable alternatives.
Step by Step
Mash in with 2.75 gallons (10.4 L) of 162 °F (72 °C) strike water to achieve a rest temperature of 150 °F (65.5 °C). Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes.
Sparge with water at 170 °F (77 °C) and collect about 5 gallons (19 L) of wort. This is a no-boil recipe, so no need to account for boil-off. Once 5 gallons (19 L) of wort has been collected, heat wort to 190 °F (88 °C) before adding 2 oz. (57 g) Czech Saaz hops and 2 oz. (57 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops. Stir the wort vigorously to create a whirlpool and then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Chill wort to approximately 85 °F (29 °C) and pitch yeast. Ferment warm, at around 92 °F (33 °C). Abolitionist recommends covering the fermenter with foil instead of using an airlock. Allow to ferment for up to six weeks to ensure complete attenuation.
Package and carbonate to 2.5–3 volumes of CO2.
Abolitionist Ale Works’ Shenandoah Saison clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.049 FG = 1.006
IBU = 22 SRM = 4 ABV = 5.6%
Ingredients
4 lbs (1.8 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract
14 oz. (400 g) Munich dried malt extract
9 oz. (255 g) wheat dried malt extract
2 oz. (57 g) Czech Saaz hops (at 190 °F/88 °C)
2 oz. (57 g) Mandarina Bavaria hops (at 190 °F/88 °C)
BSI S-26 Farmhouse Ale, Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale), Omega OYL-042 (Belgian Saison II), or Imperial B56 (Rustic) yeast
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Heat 5 gallons (19 L) of water in your brew pot up to 190 °F (88 °C). Turn off heat and stir in the malt extracts and all of the hops. Stir the wort vigorously to create a whirlpool and then cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Chill wort to approximately 85 °F (29 °C) and pitch yeast. Ferment warm, at around 92 °F (33 °C). Abolitionist recommends covering the fermenter with foil instead of using an airlock. Allow to ferment for up to six weeks to ensure complete attenuation.
Package and carbonate to 2.5–3 volumes of CO2.
