Hippie Farm

Hippie Farm

Courtesy of Great Fermentations
Indianapolis, Indiana

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.054  FG = 1.009
IBU = 40  SRM = 5  ABV = 5.8%

Hippie Farm is a light and refreshing saison that marries the flavors of a simple, traditional farmhouse-style saison with hints of lemon and lavender. We start with a golden straw-colored barley base and add wheat to give it a little extra body, head retention, and wheat flavor. The beer is then lovingly hopped with Northern Brewer and Spalt hops to get a nice, soft hop bitterness and aroma. Late additions of both dried lemon peel and lavender flowers give this beer citrus and floral characteristics that meld perfectly with the base beer. As if this weren’t enough, a saison yeast produces spicy notes and fruity esters that make this beer truly unique. The yeast characteristics can be changed by choosing a different yeast strain and manipulating fermentation temperatures and pitching rates. The finished product is a farmhouse saison that is well-balanced and easy to drink, pint after pint. Not too high in alcohol, the elements of grain, hops, water, and yeast blend in harmony with the floral and citrus contributions of lemon and lavender. Drink a few of these and you will feel like you are right at home on the Hippie Farm.

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) white wheat malt
9 AAU Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 9% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Spalt hops (15 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1 tsp. Irish moss (20 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) lemon peel (15 min.)
0.04 oz. (1 g) lavender flowers (5 min.)
Wyeast 3711 (French Saison), Imperial Yeast B64 (Napoleon), Imperial Yeast B56 (Rustic), or Danstar Belle Saison yeast.
3⁄4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Crush grains and then fill kettle with approximately 6.5 gallons (25 L) water for a volume of 5 gallons (19 L) post-boil. Heat to 160 °F (71 °C). Place crushed white wheat malt in a muslin bag and add to kettle. Allow to soak in 150–155 °F (66–68 °C) water for 30 minutes. Remove bag, and allow remaining water in grains to drain into kettle. Do not squeeze the grains. While stirring, add malt extracts until fully dissolved. Turn the heat on and bring wort to a boil. Add hops and Irish moss as directed.

At end of boil, chill wort as quickly as possible to 60–70 °F (16–21 °C).

Siphon or pour cooled wort into fermenter leaving as much sediment behind as possible. Top off to 5.25 gallons (20 L), aerate wort, pitch yeast, and attach airlock. If using a yeast starter, pitch entire contents of yeast starter into wort. Move fermenter to a dark place with a steady temperature of 66–74 °F (19–23 °C). When fermentation is complete, bottle or keg as usual.