Beets by Drie Saison
Beets impart the flavor of fresh soil and a fantastic magenta color to beer. Beets were my answer to rescue a Brett saison with objectionable sulfur. I hoped the renewed fermentation from the sugar in the beets would drive off the volatile aromatics while the aromatics would complement the spicy and earthy wild yeast character. I peeled and shredded three beets on a box grater and racked five gallons (19 L) of beer onto it for an extended secondary. It worked!
Beets by Drie Saison
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.043 FG = 1.001
IBU = 22 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.5%
Ingredients
8.75 lbs. (4 kg) Weyermann Barke Pilsner malt
6 AAU Saphir hops (65 min.) (2 oz./57 g at 3% alpha acids)
3 medium beets (post-fermentation)
1⁄2 Whirlfloc tablet (5 min.)
1⁄2 tsp. yeast nutrient (5 min.)
Bootleg Biology BBXMAD1 (Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend)
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step-By-Step
Mash at 152 °F (67 °C) for 30 minutes. Collect wort and boil for 65 minutes, adding hops as scheduled. Cool to 72 °F (22 °C) and transfer wort to a fermenter. Aerate and pitch (if suggested blend isn’t available use a saison strain and fruity Brettanomyces of your choice).
Maintain fermentation temperature around 72 °F (22 °C) until fermentation slows, and then warm to 80 °F (27 °C) to ensure complete attenuation. Add 14 oz. (400 g) of shredded beets. Age until it reaches your desired flavor and gravity readings are stable month-over-month. Package aiming for 2.7 volume of CO2.
Extract Option: Replace malt with 5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) of Pilsner liquid malt extract or 4.75 lbs. (2.15 kg) Pilsner dried malt extract. Skip directly to the boil and follow the all-grain version.
