Epic Brewing Co.’s Utah Sage Saison clone

Epic Brewing Co.’s Utah Sage Saison clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.010
IBU = 39 SRM = 5 ABV = 6.2%

Ingredients
5.25 lbs. (2.4 kg) Pilsner malt
5.25 lbs. (2.4 kg) Maris Otter pale ale malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) wheat malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) rye malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked barley
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) rice hulls
5.5 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 11% alpha acids)
10 AAU Chinook hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 10% alpha acids)
10 AAU Chinook hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 10% alpha acids)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh sage (5 min.)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh rosemary (5 min.)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh thyme (5 min.)
White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison) or Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) or Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains, then mix (along with rice hulls) with 4 gallons (15.1 L) of 162 °F (72 °C) strike water to reach a mash temperature of 151 °F (66 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until your runnings are clear, and begin sparge. Sparge the grains with 3.4 gallons (13 L) water and top up as necessary to obtain 6.25 gallons (24 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops and herbs according to the ingredient list. Add kettle fining if desired. After the boil and whirlpool, chill the wort to about 70 °F (21 °C), then pitch yeast.

Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 80 °F (27 °C). You can hold this temperature for ten days or until the completion of primary fermentation, whichever is later. Then, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), and bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.9 volumes.

Epic Brewing Co.’s Utah Sage Saison clone

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.061 FG = 1.010
IBU = 39 SRM = 5 ABV = 6.2%

Ingredients
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract
3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) pale liquid malt extract
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) wheat malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) rye malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) flaked barley
5.5 AAU Centennial hops (60 min.)(0.5 oz./14 g at 11% alpha acids)
10 AAU Chinook hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28g at 10% alpha acids)
10 AAU Chinook hops (0 min.) (1 oz./28g at 10% alpha acids)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh sage (5 min.)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh rosemary (5 min.)
0.2 oz. (6 g) fresh thyme (5 min.)
White Labs WLP565 (Belgian Saison) or Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) or Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
Bring 5.0 gallons (18.9 L) of water to approximately 165 °F (74 °C) and hold there, steeping the specialty malts in grain bags for 15 minutes. Remove the grain bags, and let drain fully, allowing the dripping to return to the pot. Off heat, add both liquid malt extracts while stirring, and stir until completely dissolved. Bring wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops and fresh, whole herbs according to the ingredient list. After the boil and whirlpool, chill the wort to slightly below fermentation temperature, about 70 °F (21 °C). Pitch yeast.

Once fermentation commences, allow beer to free rise up to 80 °F (27 °C) for ten days or until the completion of fermentation, whichever is later. Then, reduce temperature to 32 °F (0 °C), and bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 2.9 volumes.

Tips for success:
Fresh herbs are essential in this recipe. It’s not impossible to make with dried herbs, but the resulting beer will never have the same bright, clean aromas! If you do need to use dried herbs, cut the amounts by about 1⁄2 to try to match intensity.

While there is a dry yeast substitute, it is not going to produce the same beer as the liquid strains. But if the liquid strains are not available, the dry yeast can still produce a very unique and amazing beer. It’s also worth noting that the liquid yeast strains have a tendency to stall out about halfway through fermentation, if not allowed to free rise. If that should happen to you, hold at fermentation temperature (or try to increase slightly) for an additional 10-14 days, and you should see a re-start and completion! If not, consider pitching a clean ale yeast or the recommended dry saison yeast to finish up the job.