If you enjoy beers that are rich, golden and complex, this is the saison for you! The taste of this traditional, thick farmhouse ale is lifted with a bit of honey and freshly minced thyme added at the end of the boil.
It is difficult to taste the herbal notes of this brew if you sample it at bottling, but don’t worry—after two or three weeks in the bottle, the thyme comes shining through!
1½ gal (5.7 L) water
4 oz (115 g) caramel 80L malt
1 lb (455 g) light dried malt extract
6 g El Dorado hops pellets, divided
2 oz (55 g) Candi sugar
2 tbsp (5 g) fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 tbsp (40 g) honey
½ packet (2.5 g) Belgian saison yeast
1. Gather your ingredients and sanitize your equipment. You’ll need a 2-gallon (7.5-L) stockpot, a thermometer, a grain bag, a long spoon, a racking cane or siphon tube, a 2-gallon (7.5-L) brew bucket, a gallon (3.8-L) carboy and a bung and airlock.
2. Heat the water in the stockpot until it reaches 150 to 160°F (65 to 71°C). Pour the caramel malt grains into the grain bag, tie a loose knot at the top and steep them in the pot for 20 minutes, while keeping the temperature between 150 and 160°F (65 to 71°C). Remove the grain bag and let it drain back into the pot while you prepare for the next steps.
3. Bring your wort to a gentle, rolling boil. Add the dried malt extract and stir until the wort returns to a gentle boil. Add half of the hops and let those boil for 45 minutes. Add the Candi sugar and boil for 5 minutes. Add the remaining hops and boil another 5 minutes. Finally, stir in the thyme and honey. Near the end of the last 5 minutes of boiling, fill a sink with ice water. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and place the whole pot in the ice water in the sink. Let the wort cool until it is near 70°F (21°C).
4. Use the racking cane to siphon the wort into the bucket, avoiding the trub on the bottom of the brew pot. Sprinkle the yeast into the wort and stir it. Put on the bucket lid, add the airlock, label your brew and store it in an area around 64 to 72°F (18 to 22°C) out of direct sunlight for 4 to 6 days.
5. Carefully transfer the beer into the jug, again avoiding the lees at the bottom of the bucket. Return the jug to the dark, warm place and wait for 2 weeks. Bottle when ready.