Session Saison

Session Saison

Courtesy of Grain and Grape
Melbourne, Australia

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.047   FG = 1.008
IBU = 30   SRM = 3.5   ABV = 5.1%

Saison is a style that many homebrewers jump to in the summer months due to the yeast’s tolerance of a warmer fermentation. Brewers yet to arrange temperature-control for their fermenters can still brew a saison and have it come out reasonably well. Many commercial examples of the style weigh in at around 7%+ ABV, which can make for heavy going in the heat of summer. Already a dry, thirst-quenching style, this saison is brewed to a much more sessionable ABV so you can drink a couple on a hot summer day without wiping yourself out.

Ingredients
6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Pilsner liquid malt extract
1 lb. (450 g) wheat malt
2.8 oz. (80 g) Caravienne malt
0.6 lb. (270 g) dextrose sugar
4.5 AAU Hallertau hops (60 min.) (0.88 oz./25 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
5.5 AAU Styrian Golding hops (30 min.) (0.88 oz./25 g at 5.5% alpha acids)
4 AAU Styrian Goldings (5 min.) (0.73 oz./20 g at 5.5% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3724 (Belgian Saison) or White Labs WLP565 (Saison Ale) or Safale BE-134 yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by step

Start with 5 gallons (19 L) brewing water in your pot. Steep the crushed grains in a muslin bag as the water heats up to 170 °F (77 °C). Remove the grain bag, allowing the liquid to drip back into the pot. Remove from heat and stir in all the malt extract and dextrose. Turn heat back on once all the extract is dissolved and bring wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated.

At the end of the boil, cool wort and ferment at around 77 °F (25 °C). If you do not have temperature control, any fermentation temperature between the yeast’s recommended 70–95 °F (21–35 °C) should work. When fermentation is complete, bottle or keg as usual.