Wicked Weed Brewing Co.’s Reticent Saison clone

Wicked Weed Brewing Co.’s Reticent Saison clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.052 FG = 1.007
IBU = 26 SRM = 4 ABV = 6%

Wicked Weed may be best known for its sour and hop-forward beers, but they also brew a wide variety of saisons. Reticent has a complex malt bill to build lots of character underneath the yeast-driven aroma.

Ingredients
5.5 lb. (2.5 kg) Pilsner malt
3.125 lb. (1.41 kg) 2-row pale malt
10 oz. (0.28 kg) wheat malt
10 oz. (0.28 kg) rye malt
10 oz. (0.28 kg) flaked oats
4 oz. (0.11 kg) acidulated malt
3.3 oz. (85 g) honey malt
6.3 AAU Warrior pellet hops (60 mins.) (0.4 oz./11 g at 15.8% alpha acids)
0.6 oz. (17 g) Tettnang pellet hops (0 mins.)
0.8 oz. (23 g) Mosiac pellet hops (0 mins.)
0.6 oz. (17 g) US Saaz pellet hops (0 mins.)
1/2 tsp. Irish moss (30 mins.)
1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient (15 mins.)
White Labs WLP566 (Belgian Saison II) or Wyeast 3711 (French Saison) yeast
1 cup (200 g) dextrose (if bottling)

Step by step
Mash the grains at 151°F (66°C) with 3.5 gallons (13 L) of water for 60 minutes. Mash out, vorlauf, and then slowly sparge at 175°F (77°C) to collect approximately 6 gallons (23 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops as instructed. Cool the wort to 68°F (20°C). Pitch the yeast, then keep the beer at 68°F (20°C) for 48 hours before letting it free rise until fermentation is complete. Condition for 2 weeks and then bottle or keg.

Extract with grains option:
Replace the Pilsner and 2-row pale malt in the recipe with 3.3 pounds (1.5 kg) Muntons extra light unhopped liquid malt extract, 22 ounces (0.62 kg) light dried malt extract, and 1 pound (0.45 kg) 2-row pale malt. Steep the crushed grains in 2.5 gallons (9.5 L) of water at 151°F (66°C) for 30 minutes. Remove the grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (2 L) of hot water. Add the malt extract and boil 60 minutes. Add the hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as specified. Increase Warrior pellet hops at 60 minutes to 7.9 AAU (0.5 ounces/14 g at 15.8 percent alpha acids) to compensate for a smaller boil volume. When done, add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top off with filtered water up to 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.