Inspiration
This is my Left Fields Farmhouse Saison Series. The idea behind this series is to explore saison yeast strains (along with mixed fermentation), brewing techniques, malt composition and water profiles. This is my third use of this yeast, 3726, and I love it. I've found my last two batches with it to be a little too banana and bubble-gum forward, so I've opted for lower fermentation temperatures this round. The other big change in this batch is the use of Buckwheat. Hill Farmstead did a collaboration brew with Blaugies, called Le Sarrasin, which sounds delicious. Since 3726 is rumored to be Blaugies' house strain, I knew I would have to give this yeast another shot. Tasting notes below.
The Recipe
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 3.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Efficiency: 44% (brew house)
* This was brutal, definitely a stuck ass sparge with terrible extraction from the buckwheat
Clean Version:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.17%
IBU (tinseth): 41.08
SRM (morey): 5.41
Brettified Version:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.004
ABV (standard): 6.3%
Fermentables
8.6 lb - American - Pilsner (69.9%)
3.7 lb - American - Buckwheat Malt - Gluten Free (30.1%)
Hops
2 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 22.98
0.75 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 12.38
0.75 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 3.58
0.5 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.14
1 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 0 min
0.75 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 0 min
Mash Guidelines
1) Temp: 148 F, Time: 45 min
2) Temp: 153 F, Time: 20 min
Yeast
Wyeast - Farmhouse Ale 3726
Water
Ca2: 36
Mg2: 0
Na: 0
Cl: 0
SO4: 86
HCO3: 0
Brewed on January 15th
Start 66-68 F
From Day 2 to 4, raise to 75 F
Day 9 - 13, decrease to 60 F
January 28th, Bottled remaining, pulled 1 gallon and added dregs from a bottle of Four Wind's Edna (and slurry from another Brett aged batch of beer I've been sitting on for around 9 months - consisting of dregs from Logsdon's Seizon Bretta). More on that beer to come in the future.
Batch Size: 3.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7 gallons
Efficiency: 44% (brew house)
* This was brutal, definitely a stuck ass sparge with terrible extraction from the buckwheat
Clean Version:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.012
ABV (standard): 5.17%
IBU (tinseth): 41.08
SRM (morey): 5.41
Brettified Version:
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.004
ABV (standard): 6.3%
Fermentables
8.6 lb - American - Pilsner (69.9%)
3.7 lb - American - Buckwheat Malt - Gluten Free (30.1%)
Hops
2 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 22.98
0.75 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 12.38
0.75 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 3.58
0.5 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 5 min, IBU: 2.14
1 oz - Domestic Hallertau, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.9, Use: Boil for 0 min
0.75 oz - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 0 min
Mash Guidelines
1) Temp: 148 F, Time: 45 min
2) Temp: 153 F, Time: 20 min
Yeast
Wyeast - Farmhouse Ale 3726
Water
Ca2: 36
Mg2: 0
Na: 0
Cl: 0
SO4: 86
HCO3: 0
Brewed on January 15th
Start 66-68 F
From Day 2 to 4, raise to 75 F
Day 9 - 13, decrease to 60 F
January 28th, Bottled remaining, pulled 1 gallon and added dregs from a bottle of Four Wind's Edna (and slurry from another Brett aged batch of beer I've been sitting on for around 9 months - consisting of dregs from Logsdon's Seizon Bretta). More on that beer to come in the future.
Notes
March 4th: Currently drinking my second last *clean, non-brett* bottle of this beer, and damn is it good. The appearance is a straw-like colour with a thin white head that persists. The aroma is quite fruity, and spicy (from a mix between Saaz and the yeast). The flavour works well, with a sharp like mouthfeel towards the back, that is a mix between the high carbonation level in this and something else in the flavour, which I can't quite pinpoint. It's a pilsner-like flavour that's hard to describe. The Buckwheat in this beer is no longer present like it was, and only adds a very slight richness, oiliness and roundness to the beer that I really quite like. The rest of the malt is nice and light-grainy. I'm not sure I love it though. Classic Vienna, Munich, Wheat or Rye malts are more my preference.
April 19th: *Brett Version* at bottling. Beautiful. So much vibrancy to this beer. It has strong flavours of hay, pineapple, mango, melon and just ripe fruit. Unreal. There's a dryness to it as well that makes this probably the perfect summer day beer. Too bad I only have 9 335ml bottles! There's also a nice pilsner like maltiness/ the buckwheat maintains a great deal of body in this beer that my last saison aged with this brett blend was lacking. I really understand why Le Sarrasin was so popular. Buckwheat + Saison + Brett = Stunning, perfectly fruity yet dry summer beer. Can't wait for this to mature and to carbonate. Notes to come.
June 27th: Drinking last brettified bottled, and damn has this become a nice beer - potentially one of the best I've made. The beer pours a straw - medium yellow with some degree of haze from the yeast sediment. Head retention is far better than I could have hoped for, maintaining a strong lacing. As far as appearance goes in saisons, this is about exactly where I like them to be. The nose is melon, hay, pineapple, light graininess. The carbonation is perfect, adding a slight pop/ effervescence to the beer. The flavour is again pineapple, melon with a gentle brett funkiness coming through that has notes of hay and adds a slightly rounder depth and complexity to the beer. The oiliness of the Buckwheat is still present, but has become far more cohesive with the other flavours/ components of the beer. A really refreshing beer on this really hot afternoon of brewing another beer. Who would have thought all those months ago when I was brewing this beer with a headlamp on in the dark in the middle of winter that it would end up being such a refreshing beer today. If I were to change anything, it would be to make the beer slightly more tart (maybe acid malt, blending, lactic acid), to deal with ph in the mash more closely and that's all I can think of at the moment. All right, I'm going to enjoy this beer now instead of judging it! Photographed above.
March 4th: Currently drinking my second last *clean, non-brett* bottle of this beer, and damn is it good. The appearance is a straw-like colour with a thin white head that persists. The aroma is quite fruity, and spicy (from a mix between Saaz and the yeast). The flavour works well, with a sharp like mouthfeel towards the back, that is a mix between the high carbonation level in this and something else in the flavour, which I can't quite pinpoint. It's a pilsner-like flavour that's hard to describe. The Buckwheat in this beer is no longer present like it was, and only adds a very slight richness, oiliness and roundness to the beer that I really quite like. The rest of the malt is nice and light-grainy. I'm not sure I love it though. Classic Vienna, Munich, Wheat or Rye malts are more my preference.
April 19th: *Brett Version* at bottling. Beautiful. So much vibrancy to this beer. It has strong flavours of hay, pineapple, mango, melon and just ripe fruit. Unreal. There's a dryness to it as well that makes this probably the perfect summer day beer. Too bad I only have 9 335ml bottles! There's also a nice pilsner like maltiness/ the buckwheat maintains a great deal of body in this beer that my last saison aged with this brett blend was lacking. I really understand why Le Sarrasin was so popular. Buckwheat + Saison + Brett = Stunning, perfectly fruity yet dry summer beer. Can't wait for this to mature and to carbonate. Notes to come.
June 27th: Drinking last brettified bottled, and damn has this become a nice beer - potentially one of the best I've made. The beer pours a straw - medium yellow with some degree of haze from the yeast sediment. Head retention is far better than I could have hoped for, maintaining a strong lacing. As far as appearance goes in saisons, this is about exactly where I like them to be. The nose is melon, hay, pineapple, light graininess. The carbonation is perfect, adding a slight pop/ effervescence to the beer. The flavour is again pineapple, melon with a gentle brett funkiness coming through that has notes of hay and adds a slightly rounder depth and complexity to the beer. The oiliness of the Buckwheat is still present, but has become far more cohesive with the other flavours/ components of the beer. A really refreshing beer on this really hot afternoon of brewing another beer. Who would have thought all those months ago when I was brewing this beer with a headlamp on in the dark in the middle of winter that it would end up being such a refreshing beer today. If I were to change anything, it would be to make the beer slightly more tart (maybe acid malt, blending, lactic acid), to deal with ph in the mash more closely and that's all I can think of at the moment. All right, I'm going to enjoy this beer now instead of judging it! Photographed above.