Rye Saison

Rye Saison, All-Grain

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.008
IBU = 31  SRM = 5  ABV = 6.3%

Ingredients

9 lbs. 11 oz. (4.4 kg) US 6-row malt
1 lb. 11 oz (765 g) flaked rye
9 oz. (0.26 kg) Turbinado sugar
7.3 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (0.56 oz./16 g of 13% alpha acids)
2.2 AAU Amarillo® hops (15 min.)(0.25 oz./7 g of 8.9% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g of 9.5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Centennial hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale) yeast (1-qt./1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Two or three days before brew day, make the yeast starter, aerating the wort thoroughly (preferably with oxygen) before pitching the yeast. On brew day, mash in the malt and rye at 149 °F (65 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Raise the mash temperature to 170 °F (77 °C), hold for 5 minutes then recirculate. Run off the wort and sparge with water hot enough to keep the grain bed around 170 °F (77 °C). Collect 6.5 gallons (25 L) of wort. (Check that final runnings do not drop below SG 1.010.)

Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated in the ingredients list. Add the sugar at the end of the boil, stirring to dissolve. Chill the wort, transfer it to a fermenter and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 85 °F (29 °C). Bottle condition. Variation: Substitute flaked wheat for rye; substitute Styrian Goldings for Amarillo® and Centennial.

Rye Saison, Partial Mash

(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.008
IBU = 31  SRM = 5  ABV = 6.5%

Ingredients

2 lb. 3 oz. (1 kg) US 6-row malt
1 lb 11 oz. (0.77 kg) flaked rye
1.25 lbs. (0.57 kg) light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract
9 oz. (0.26 kg) Turbinado sugar
7.3 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (0.56 oz./16 g of 13% alpha acids)
2.2 AAU Amarillo® hops (15 min.)(0.25 oz./7 g of 8.9% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g of 9.5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Centennial hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale) yeast (1-qt./1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Mash the grains at 149 °F (65 °C) in 6 qts. (5.6 L) of water. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Collect 2.25 gallons (8.5 L) of wort. Add water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Stir in the dried malt extract and boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Add liquid malt extract and sugar in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer it to a fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch yeast. Ferment at 85 °F (29 °C). Bottle condition.

Rye Saison, Extract

(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.057  FG = 1.008
IBU = 40  SRM = 5  ABV = 6.5%

Ingredients

1 lb. (0.45 kg) liquid rye malt extract
2.25 lbs. (1 kg) light dried malt extract
3.3 lbs. (1.5 kg) light liquid malt extract
9 oz. (0.26 kg) Turbinado sugar
7.3 AAU Nugget hops (60 min.) (0.56 oz./16 g of 13% alpha acids)
2.2 AAU Amarillo® hops (15 min.)(0.25 oz./7 g of 8.9% alpha acids)
2.4 AAU Centennial hops (15 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g of 9.5% alpha acids)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Amarillo® hops (0 min.)
0.5 oz. (14 g) Centennial hops (0 min.)
Wyeast 3726 (Farmhouse Ale) yeast (1-qt./1-L yeast starter)
1 cup corn sugar (for priming)

Step by Step

Add the dried malt extract and sugar to enough water to make at least 3 gallons (11 L) of wort. Boil wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at times indicated. Keep some boiling water handy and do not let the boil volume dip below 3 gallons (11 L). Add the liquid malt extract in the final 15 minutes of the boil. Chill the wort, transfer to fermenter and top up to 5 gallons (19 L). Aerate the wort and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 85 °F (29 °C). Bottle condition. Variation: You may use liquid wheat malt extract in place of rye.

Tips for Success: To hit the standard CO2 level for a typical Belgian beer (about 8 grams per liter), this recipe recommends one cup of sugar, which is a bit more than the typical 3⁄4 cup suggested by most homebrew experts in many recipes. Traditional Belgian yeast requires higher temperatures to condition efficiently, and most Belgian breweries have “warm rooms” for bottle conditioning that hold the temperature constant throughout the conditioning period. You can do this at home by bottle conditioning in a spot that is consistently around 78 °F (25 °C), which is above room temperature.