Beer Style: Belgian and French Farmhouse Ales
Includes both saison and bière de garde recipes.
Bière de Garde
by the numbers OG:1.060–1.080 (14.7–19.3 °P) FG:1.008–1.016 (2–4.1 °P) SRM:6–19 IBU:18–28 ABV:6–8.5% It was well over a decade ago and I was still perfecting my brewing of the entire Beer Judge Certification
Saison
by the numbers OG: 1.048–1.065 (11.9–15.8 °P) FG: 1.002–1.012 (0.5–3.1 °P) SRM: 5–14 IBU: 20–35 ABV: 5–7% Sometimes I think defining saison is a lot like defining pornography: I know it when
Nu Zuland Saison
Michael Tonsmeire provides one of his favorite saison recipes *One of the two Brettanomyces strains I used in this beer was obtained from homebrewer Jason Rodriguez, who isolated it from a bottle of Brasserie Cantillon. Jason termed the strain CB2. Read about it at: http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2012/08/bottle-conditioning-with-brett-belgian.html. It has some similarities to the strains listed in the recipe.”
Brewery Ommegang Hennepin clone
Hennepin is Brewery Ommegang’s flagship Belgian-style golden ale. Brewed with coriander, ginger root, and bitter orange peel, this beer is full-bodied, hoppy, and crisp.
Mikes Best Saison
Part wit bier, part saison…we’ll call it a spiced saison. No matter how you want to classify it, it’s a recipe inspired by the Belgians.
Brasserie à Vapeur’s Saison de Pipaix clone
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.
Saison for All Seasons
Learn about the Old-World roots of this farmhouse ale.
Cabin Fever Saison
Saison is French for "season." It is the name originally given to Pale Ales brewed in the French part of Belgium. Here is a great recipe to brew in late winter to enjoy after spring yard work is complete.
Two Brothers Brewing Co. Domaine DuPage clone
This French country ale won a gold medal at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, as well as many medals in other competitions. It is amber in color, with a toasty, sweet caramel taste that is balanced by a slight hoppiness.
Gettin’ Down Wit a Kiss O’ Hops (Wheat Beer)
A low-ABV farmhouse beer style beer, meant for consumption after a long, hot day toiling in the fields. The turbid mash and unmalted grains help provide grainy character while the yeast is the main driver. Adding some a mild Brett yeast can be a fun twist. Brewers can substitute in flaked grains if berries are hard to come by.
Amber Waves of Wheat (Wheat Beer)
If you’re looking for an experimental brewing technique, turbid mashing is a fun one to experiment with. This recipe provides outlines to brew up a low-ABV, Belgian-inspired, turbid-mashed beer. Get your stuykmanden ready!
Saison
From old Belgian farmhouses to new North American breweries, brewers everywhere are rediscovering the charms of this hoppy, spicy beer for all seasons, Plus: two great saison recipes.
