Wheat, saison & sour
Wheat, weizen, wit: when malted it makes beer smooth and refreshing; unmalted wheat is sharper. Saison is a light and sparkling Franco-Belgian farmhouse ale that takes on added flavours perfectly, while sours use different yeasts and bacteria to result in a recognisable tart taste.
◁ Bruery Terreux
Orange County, California, USA
BERET
RASPBERRY IMPERIAL SOUR WITBIER
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 9%
OG 1.076 | FG 1.010
There’s a group of craft beer lovers who don’t just buy it and drink the stuff. They buy it, cellar it, trade it, age it and show it off (then hopefully drink it too). In the world of rare beer collecting, one brewery’s name comes up again and again: The Bruery (this Terreux side brand was created for sours in 2015). There’s emphatically no IPA – founder Patrick Rue’s team specialise in barrel-aged, sour, experimental, rested-on-fruit styles, plus revivals and completely original creations. Many of these beers blossom after a long dark rest on wood; Beret, however, can be fermented on steel (or a neutral wine barrel, or a demijohn/carboy) and enjoyed fresh (although it too will pick up complexity over time). The base is a smooth Belgian wit with minimal hopping, but the Lacto bacteria and Brett yeast take it to a new level. The Brett will get stuck into any malt sugars left over (and sugar from the raspberries), all the while producing its trademark spicy, fruity, farmy flavours. Brewer Andrew Bell recommends using sturdy bottles capable of withstanding a lot of CO2 (you should aim to carb to around 2.75 volumes).
GRAIN
Weyermann pilsner malt, 3.4kg/7lbs 8oz (60%)
Great Western unmalted wheat, 2.27kg/5lbs (40%)
MASH
67C/152F for 60 mins
HOPS
(60 minute boil)
German Magnum 15.2% AA, 6g/0.21oz, first wort hops
YEAST
White Labs WLP400 Belgian Wit Ale or Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier
Your favourite Lactobacillus brevis (12 days into fermentation)
Your favourite Brettanomyces bruxellensis, 1,000,000 cells per ml (12 days into fermentation)
FERMENT
18C/65F, then allow to free rise; full fermentation and souring will take around 2 months
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Crushed coriander, 12g/0.4oz, boil for 10 mins
Bitter orange peel, 12g/0.4oz, boil for 10 mins
Yeast nutrient and Whirlfloc, boil for 10 mins
Raspberry purée, 726g/1lb 9.6oz, or whole raspberries, 826g/13.1oz, 12 days into primary
Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, New York, USA
The story of the Brooklyn Brewery is so fascinating it deserves its own book. Luckily it has one. Beer School: Bottling Success at the Brooklyn Brewery is full of anecdotes and details, facts and figures, history and legend behind the Williamsburg enterprise, which is still as cool as a freshly cracked cold one after almost 30 years on the scene. Brooklyn is truly craft beer royalty: it was founded in 1988 by an ex-Middle East correspondent and keen homebrewer (Steve Hindy) and a banker (Tom Potter), and the unquestionably iconic emblem was created by Milton Glaser, designer of the I ♥ NY logo. Since 1994 the output has been under the stewardship of brewmaster Garrett Oliver, who’s become something of an authority in the world of craft brewing. Brooklyn has built a reputation with its non-traditional advertising and its no-compromise beers, including the the harmoniously balanced East IPA, the made-for-outdoor-drinking Summer Ale and the world-famous Brooklyn Lager, which has been surprising, intriguing and converting major-label beer drinkers since 1988 with its Vienna-style malty richness.
◁ Brooklyn Brewery
Brooklyn, New York, USA
SORACHI ACE
US-HOPPED SAISON
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 7.2%
OG 1.062 | FG 1.008
A relatively recent addition to the Brooklyn gang is Sorachi Ace, a classic Belgian farmhouse ale with a New York accent. Traditionally, saisons were made for hardworking agricultural workers in the countryside of the Wallonia region, with a fairly tight selection of ingredients – European malts and grains, low-alpha acid noble hops – but they’re great fun to brew because they can cosy up with all sorts of other hops and flavourings. This twenty-first-century reimagining uses only one hop, the Northwestern-by-way-of-Japan Sorachi Ace, which provides a flowery, lemony character you won’t get anywhere else. And the technique in this recipe is great evidence of the way that staggered deployment throughout the boil can draw out a real range of flavours, from bitterness through flavour to aroma. An essential element of saison is Belgian yeast, which makes its presence known through fruity, spicy, ester notes. The result is straw-coloured, refreshingly carbonated, food-friendly and supremely thirst quenching – ploughing fields will be a breeze after a couple of these.
GRAIN
Pilsner malt, 5kg/11lbs (92%)
MASH
50C/122F for 10 mins, 63C/ 145F for 60 mins, 67C/152F for 15 mins, mash out at 75C/168F. Draw off wort at 1.054 SG and add corn sugar
HOPS
Sorachi Ace 12% AA, 14g/0.5oz, 60 mins
Sorachi Ace 12% AA, 14g/0.5oz, 30 mins
Sorachi Ace, 56g/2oz, 0 mins
Sorachi Ace, 84g/3oz, dry hop 5-7 days
YEAST
Wyeast 1214 Belgian Ale or White Labs 500 Trappist Ale
FERMENT
22C/71F
OTHER INGREDIENTS
450g/1lb corn sugar (8%)
◁ 8 Wired Brewing
Warkworth, New Zealand
SAISON SAUVIN
NZ-HOPPED SAISON
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 7%
OG 1.055 | FG 1.002
In New Zealand, they say anything can be done with a bit of No 8 wire. It was a gauge used for fencing, and came to symbolise the classic Kiwi DIY attitude: adaptability and resourcefulness and just-bloody-get-on-with-it. It seems you can even make good beer with No 8 wire – Søren Eriksen has won awards including NZ Champion Brewery in 2011. Compare this saison, which stars the one-of-a-kind Kiwi hop Nelson Sauvin, to Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace, or Burning Sky’s Saison à la Provision shown here, and you’ll see the huge variations in malt, hops, yeast, additions and techniques that exist in the style. Some advice from Søren: “The higher finishing fermentation temperature is important for proper attenuation. You can use many kinds of yeasts, but it’s important to get the extreme level of attenuation that we get from the 3711. So if you use a lower attenuator, include up to 10% dextrose in the fermentables. Plus, a small amount of dry-hopping with Nelson Sauvin doesn’t hurt, but we don’t do it…” There is no substitute for Nelson Sauvin either – this beer won’t be the same without it.
GRAIN
Pilsner malt, 2.71kg/5lbs 15.6oz (59%)
Pale ale malt, 1.06kg/2lbs 5.4oz (23%)
Wheat malt, 370g/13oz (8%)
Caramalt, 180g/6.3oz (4%)
Flaked wheat, 180g/6.3oz (4%)
Acid malt, 90g/3.2oz (2%)
MASH
Mash at very low temperature to get the required attenuation, 64C/147F (or lower if you are comfortable with it), for 60 mins
HOPS
(60 minute boil)
Nelson Sauvin, 42g/1.5oz, first wort hops
Nelson Sauvin, 84g/3oz, whirlpool
Motueka, 42g/1.5oz, whirlpool
YEAST
Wyeast 3711 French Saison
FERMENT
Start fermentation at 21C/70F, then let it rise to 27C/81F or so over the course of 4-5 days
◁ Three Boys Brewery
Christchurch, New Zealand
THREE BOYS WHEAT
BELGIAN-STYLE WIT
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 5%
OG 1.050 | FG 1.012
New Zealand is a small country with a widescreen outlook. This is especially true in the country’s craft brewing industry, which punches well above its weight in both hemispheres. Three Boys’ Ralph Bungard is president of the Brewers’ Guild of NZ and an ex-scientist – the methodical and enquiring mind is a useful one to have in a practice like brewing, and Ralph’s won a heap of awards for his consistently top-class beers (especially the Oyster Stout, made with some of the world’s best bivalves from Bluff on New Zealand’s South Island). Three Boys is a deliberately small-scale brewery focused on quality rather than global domination, and like all of its brews, this Wheat is true to its roots, being a classic Belgian style with prominent yeast characteristics, a cloud-like head, coriander and citrus. But NZ brewers always leave their own mark on their beers, and here it’s through a fully native hop bill (including the fresh and tropical Motueka) and the unique Meyer lemon zest. Wheat in a mash tun can get sticky, so bear that in mind when lautering – you can use rice hulls to keep it loose.
GRAIN
Gladfield NZ Light Lager malt, 2.01kg/4lbs 6.9oz (47%)
Gladfield NZ Wheat Malt, 1.34kg/2lbs 15.3oz (32%)
Gladfield NZ Raw Wheat 670g/1lb 7.6oz (16%)
Gladfield Gladiator Pale Crystal 10L 300g/10.6oz (5%)
MASH
69C/156F for 60 mins
HOPS
Green Bullet 13.9% AA, 7.5g/0.26oz, 90 mins
Motueka 7.5% AA, 3.5g/ 0.1oz, 10 mins
Motueka 7.5% AA, 10g/ 0.35oz, 0 mins
YEAST
Wyeast 3994 Belgian Wit
FERMENT
20C/68F
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Fresh Meyer lemon zest, 22g/ 0.8oz, boil for 5 mins
Ground coriander, 33g/ 1.2oz, boil for 5 mins
◁ Brew By Numbers
Bermondsey, London, England
01|01 CITRA SAISON
HOPPY SAISON
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 5.5%
OG 1.044 | FG 1.002
You’ve probably realised by now that brewing does involve a lot of numbers, but it means something different here. This innovative London brewery was set up in 2011 by two keen homebrewers, Tom Hutchings and Dave Seymour, who from the very start wanted to do things properly. A trip to the Low Countries opened their eyes to the vast range of idiosyncratic beers produced there, and back in Britain they set about making their own with Belgian rigour and attention to detail, but unlimited imagination. The ‘numbers’ in the name refers to a unique cataloguing system: the first part denotes style (08 is stout, 14 is tripel, for instance) and the second is the recipe: 05|08 is a Mosaic IPA. And here’s where it all started, with Citra Saison. Traditional saisons definitely don’t involve Washington hops, but as with Brooklyn’s Sorachi Ace and 8 Wired’s Saison Sauvin, the style warms to them perfectly. The greengrocer’s-basket bouquet of lychee, grapefruit and melon from the Citra is perfect in this light, smooth and sparkling saison.
GRAIN
Low-colour Maris Otter pale malt, 1.35kg/2lbs 15.6oz (36.5%)
Pilsner malt, 1.08kg/2lbs 6.1oz (29%)
Wheat malt, 810g/1lb 12oz (22%)
Flaked wheat, 270g/9.5oz (7.5%)
MASH
65C/149F for 60 mins
HOPS
Hallertauer Magnum 12.9% AA, 5g/0.15oz, 60 mins
Citra 12% AA, 10g/0.35oz, 10 mins
Citra 12% AA, 10g/0.35oz, 5 mins
Citra 12% AA, 50g/1.8oz, flameout. Steep for 10 mins before chilling
YEAST
Wyeast 3711 French Saison, or other saison yeast of your choice
FERMENT
24C/75F, ideally hold for 48 hours then allow to free rise, ideally maintain at 27C/80F
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Dextrose, 180g/6.3oz (5%), added slowly as the wort is coming to a boil to ensure it dissolves and doesn’t scorch
Cracked coriander seeds, 10g/0.35oz, boil for 5 mins
◁ Burning Sky Artisan Brewers and Blenders
Firle, Sussex, England
SAISON À LA PROVISION
SAISON
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 6.5%
OG 1.052 | FG 1.002
The British Guild of Beer Writers brewer of the year 2014 Mark Tranter was a founder of Dark Star. It still makes great beer, but he’s transferred his passion elsewhere. Mark set up Burning Sky in 2013 as, literally, a long-term project: its main focus is wood-aged, vatted beer; he uses yeasts that take their time to make a product that’s in no hurry to mature. Think of it as slow brewing. Saisons are a particular favourite of Mark’s, and this Saison à la Provision is a labour of love. “We have French oak foudres that were built for us and are only used for this beer,” he says. “We transfer into them after one week of primary fermentation and age the beer for three months. The ‘wild yeasts’ are becoming resident in the wood; consequently the beer is constantly developing, batch to batch. For homebrewers, unless you have a wine barrel, try ageing the beer on lightly toasted French oak chips or spirals. Our saison yeast strain, plus the Brett/Lacto, are not commercially available as vials, they were harvested from various sources. For the Brett, choose a gentle variety.”
GRAIN
Pilsner malt, 3.9kg/8lbs 9.6oz (85%)
Wheat malt, 220g/7.8oz (5%)
Spelt malt, 220g/7.8oz (5%)
Cara Gold, 220g/7.8oz (5%)
MASH
65C/149F for 60 mins
HOPS
East Kent Goldings 3.75% AA, 25g/0.9oz, 75 mins
East Kent Goldings 3.75% AA, 12g/0.4oz, 15 mins
Saaz, 23g/0.8oz, 0 mins
Celeia, 23g/0.8oz, 0 mins
Sorachi Ace, 25g/0.9oz, 0 mins
YEAST
A saison strain: primary fermentation
Brettanomyces: pitch when SG is 1.015
Lactobacillus: pitch when SG is 1.015
FERMENT
Start at 22C/71F and let rise to 25C/77F for a cleaner, less phenolic beer
◁ Lagunitas Brewing Company
Petaluma, California, USA
LITTLE SUMPIN’ SUMPIN’
PALE WHEAT ALE
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 7.5%
OG 1.070 | FG 1.016
Sonoma County is a pretty laidback place. It’s got mountains and streams, stunning Pacific beaches, famously mellow residents and that sunny California climate. Lagunitas Brewing Company, founded in 1993, has its home there and used to hold informal taproom get-togethers at precisely 4.20pm every Thursday afternoon. If you understand the significance of that time, you’re probably as mellow as a Sonoman yourself. Lagunitas is now a major US brewing operation, but its beers are still perfect to kick back with: its IPA is an unparalleled example of the type of West Coast beer that started the craft revolution all those years ago. This Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ has a large proportion of wheat, giving it a silky-smooth mouthfeel – and an explosion of piney, aromatic hops means it smells just as good as it tastes. Avoid a stuck sparge while brewing it by mashing thinly and keeping the liquid flowing freely. Lagunitas filters Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’, which you can do yourself for a clearer glassful – homebrew stores sell the equipment you’ll need. This beer’s one for the hopheads (or heads of any sort).
GRAIN
2-row American pale malt, 3.23kg/7 lbs 1.9oz (50%)
American wheat malt, 2.46kg/ 5 lbs 6.8oz (38%)
English torrified wheat, 720g/ 1lb 9.4oz (11%)
German toasted (roasted) wheat malt, 80g/2.8oz (1%)
MASH
65.5C/150F for 60 mins, mashout at 75C/168F
HOPS
Nugget pellet 9% AA, 9g/0.3oz, 90 min
Horizon pellet 12.5% AA, 1.5g/0.05oz, 90 min
Summit pellet 17.5% AA, 1.5g/0.05oz, 90 min
Willamette pellet 5.2% AA, 7g/0.2oz, 45 min
Santiam pellet 5.6% AA, 23g/0.8oz, 15 min
Willamette pellet 5.2% AA, 8g/0.3oz, 15 min
Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe pellets, 20g/0.7oz of each, dry hop
Chinook pellet, 24g/0.85oz, dry hop
Columbus pellet, 13g/0.4oz, dry hop
Amarillo pellet, 15g/0.5oz, dry hop
YEAST
White Labs WLP002 English Ale
FERMENT
17-18C/62-65F for 36 hours, then to 20C/68F for 36 hours, then 21C/70F to end
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Add gypsum if you’re in a particularly low-mineral water area
◁ Freigeist
Cologne, Germany
KÖPENICKIADE
BERLINER WEISSE
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 3.5%
OG 1.037 | FG 1.010
Brewing in Germany has a uniquely regulated history. The medieval Reinheitsgebot purity laws are not enforced now, but the industry remains regionalised: salty gose is brewed in Leipzig, altbier in the Lower Rhine. Braustelle, however, is an innovative little brewery in Cologne that makes beers with reverence for the past and a forward-looking attitude; from its experimental offshoot Freigeist (‘free spirit’) comes this modern take on a Berliner weisse. These increasingly popular beers are sour (from the Lacto bacteria), refreshing (low alcohol, light malts) and easy on hops. This version replaces the traditional wheat with spelt malt, a gluten-free grain which adds a slight nuttiness. The techniques here are fairly advanced. Make a starter with the Lacto before pitching. Wort pH should be less than 4.5 to ensure optimum conditions for its development. You’ll need to maintain a high temperature while it ferments, too. Wort splitting is not a traditional method, but it makes the results more predictable (and still taste great). The style responds positively to fruity additions, and it also ages well in bottle.
GRAIN
Pilsner malt, 1.52kg/3lbs 5.6oz (50%)
Spelt malt, 1.1kg/2lbs 6.8oz (36%)
Carapils, 430g/15.2oz (14%)
MASH
63C/145F for 30 mins, then 72C/162F for 30 mins, then mash out at 78C/172F
HOPS
Saphir, 10g/0.35oz, 60 mins
Saphir, 10g/0.35oz, 0 mins
YEAST
Fermentis K97 German Wheat, and White Labs WLP677 Lactobacillus
FERMENT
Split the boiled wort into two separate fermentation tanks. Pitch Fermentis K97 into one (at 20C/68F), and the Lactobacillus into the other (35C/95F). After primary fermentation, rack both into a secondary fermentation tank. Leave at 20C/68F for 10 days. Condition at 4C/39F for 14 days
◁ Baladin
Farigliano, Piedmont, Italy
OPEN WHITE
BIERE BLANCHE
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 5%
OG 1.051 | FG 1.016
You’d be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world that takes food and drink more seriously than Italy: it seems that every Italian understands the importance of the land and what’s produced on it. Think of Baladin as being part of the beer arm of the Slow Food movement. Local cherries, pears, orange blossom, pumpkins and heather honey are used in founder Teo Musso’s brews, which often come in magnum sizes for proper dinner-table sharing. He’s big on cooperation and collaboration too, hence the Open series of ‘crowd sourced’ beers. This is where Open White comes in: Baladin’s version of a biere blanche uses malted wheat as well as the raw wheat traditional in a Belgian biere blanche, and it’s dry-hopped too. The orange and coriander, however, bring things back closer to Brussels, and note the use of gentian, a distinctively bitter root which predates hops as a historical beer flavouring. Don’t use finings in this recipe – suspended yeast and cloudiness is an important aspect of the white beer style, plus it should be well carbonated for a big fluffy head, which the wheat helps maintain.
GRAIN
Pilsner malt, 4.17kg/9lbs 3.1oz (87%)
Wheat, 440g/15.5oz (9%)
German weizen malt, 180g/ 6.3oz (4%)
MASH
Mash in at 50C/122F; then 48C/118F for 20 mins; 62C/ 143F for 40 mins; 69C/156F for 20 mins; mash out at 78C/172F
HOPS
Perle 8% AA, 2g/0.07oz, 90 mins
Perle 8% AA, 3g/0.1oz, 45 mins
Mittelfrüh 5% AA, 8g/0.3oz, 45 mins
Perle 8% AA, 3g/0.1oz, 0 mins
Amarillo 8% AA, 12g/0.45oz, dry hop
YEAST
Wyeast 3942 Belgian Wheat
FERMENT
20C/68F, then rack off the yeast and add the dry hops and second lot of spices. Reduce the temperature to 4C/39F for 15-20 days before bottling
OTHER INGREDIENTS
Sweet orange zest, 2g/0.07oz; bitter orange zest, 2g/0.07oz; crushed coriander, 22g/0.77oz, to be added at the end of the boil. Stand for 30 minutes
Crushed coriander, 4g/0.14oz; gentian root, 1g/0.03oz, added with dry hops at the end of fermentation
◁ Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project
Denver, Colorado, USA
ORIGINS
BURGUNDY SOUR ALE
20 L / 5 GAL | ABV 6.5%
OG 1.053 | FG 1.006
As the craft beer world begins to appreciate the power of sour, one name is at the vanguard of this modern expedition into classic Belgian and French styles. Chad Yakobson founded Crooked Stave in 2010 after years of studying the science of fermentation (read his dissertations online for unsurpassed insight). Few brewers have such a knowledge of the mysterious Brettanomyces yeast and its wild relatives, and his beers are sought-after and revered. They’re sometimes challenging but always sophisticated, brewed with respect for tradition and a constant desire to progress. This is Chad’s recipe for his twist on the classic Flanders red. Stick to a low-profile, low-AA hop like Hallertau or one of its New World relatives (Mt Hood, say) – bitterness is to be avoided. Skill and time is needed from primary fermentation onwards. Flanders reds get their unique sour/fruity/winey notes from long ageing on oak (although you can use glass with oak chips). Then, batches are typically blended to balance extreme flavours and maximise complexity – a process that gets easier with experience!
GRAIN
2-row pale malt, 1.65kg/3lbs 10oz (35%)
Vienna malt, 1.65kg/3lbs 10oz (35%)
Carahell, 660g/1lb 7.3oz (14%)
Caramunich I, 330g/11.6oz (7%)
Special B malt, 330g/11.6oz (7%)
Carafa Special II (dehusked), 90g/3.2oz (2%)
MASH
Mash in at 65C/149F. Rest for 30 mins. Recirculate for 10 mins. Mash out at 75-76C/167-169F for 10 mins
HOPS
(90 minute boil)
6% AA hop, 11g/0.4oz, first wort hops
6% AA hop, 11g/0.4oz, 30 mins
YEAST
For primary fermentation, something clean. Then add a mixed culture of Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus bacteria
FERMENT
For a clean primary fermentation, follow standard ale temperatures. After this, age on oak at 17-19C/ 63-66F for 12-18 months. Particularly long rests in barrel may require more yeast before bottling (something powerful but clean)