# 🍺 Top-down Brew: Saison

Original Gravity

Enter the desired original gravity as specific gravity (1.0XX) or degrees plato (°P).

Style specification: 1.048 to 1.065; 11.9 to 15.9 °P

Target volume

Enter the desired volume at the end of the boil. The volume units can be either liters, gallons, or US barrels.

Measurement Units
Metric US US Barrels

Select the preferred unit of measurement for the inputs and outputs. Metric uses liters, grams, and kilograms. US uses gallons, ounces, and pounds. US Barrels (31 gallons = 1 barrel) is in barrels, pounds, and ounces.

Mash Efficiency

Enter the anticipated mash efficiency percentage. If this is not known, try the following values based on the sparge method: Steeping (50%), No-sparge or brew-in-a-bag (65 to 75%), Batch sparge (80%), or Continuous (fly) sparge (85 to 90%).

Grains

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations.

Traditional saisons were brewed with 5% to 30% non-barley grains. Most recipes have a generous amount of wheat (about 10 to 20%) and a lesser amount of rye (5%). Darker saisons may have dark crystal malts, cara-munich, or cara-vienna.

- Beer-analytics.com saison analysis
- Brew United's grain database
- BYO magazine grain and adjunct resource

Sugars

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations. The grain and sugar percentages must add to 100%.

Darker versions of saison may use dark sugars, such as dark candi syrup. Malt extract brewers may find it difficult to replicate this style because using multiple grains would require a mini-mash technique. Perhaps 1/3 wheat malt extract and 2/3 pilsner or light malt extract would be decent approximation for a pale version.

- BYO magazine sugar resource

Bitterness

Enter the desired bitterness in international bittering units (IBUs).

Style specification: 20 to 35 IBU. The beer-analytics.com averages suggest a BU/GU of .47.

Hops

Enter the hop name, IBU %, AA %, and boil minutes with comma separations.

The hops should be from the continental European hop family. Hallertau, Saaz, EK Goldings, and Styrian Goldings are recommended. Some New Zealand hops are possibilities. Late hop additions can be done.

- Beer-analytics.com saison analysis
- Brew United hop database
- BYO magazine's hop resources

Late Boil Additions

Enter late boil additions like spices with the name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Spiced versions are usually limited releases for year-end holidays.

Dry Hops

Enter dry hops with name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Light dry hopping may be used for hop flavor and aroma.

- 0.5 to 0.9 g/l: Light
- 1.0 to 2.0 g/l: Moderate
- > 2.0 g/l: High

Yeast
Ale Lager

Select the yeast type, ale or lager.

The yeast should be a saison yeast, which sometimes have a diastaticus or STA1 gene that facilitates high attenuation. Fermentation temperature may be relatively high. Some saison yeast strains are known to be finicky and slow fermenters.

← Click here when the data entry is done.

## Results

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## Notes

2021 BJCP 25B Saison characteristic ingredients: "Pale base malt. Cereal grains, such as wheat, oats, spelt, or rye. May contain sugary adjuncts. Continental hops. Spicy-fruity Belgian Saison yeast. Spices and herbs are uncommon, but allowable if they don’t dominate."

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.048 – 1.065 (standard), FG: 1.002 – 1.008 (standard), IBUs: 20 – 35, SRM: 5 – 14 (pale), 15 – 22 (dark), ABV 5.0 – 7.0% (standard)

This style has different strength possibilities (table, standard, and super) and a range of colors (pale to dark).

If unmalted grain is used, consider using appropriate mash practices such as cereal mashes, ferulic acid rests, and protein rests.

## Sources

Dornbusch, H. (2006, December): Saison's greetings: Belgian farmhouse ale for the holiday season. BYO, 19-22.

Heniff, M. (2005, July-August) Saison: A farmhouse brew for all seasons. BYO, 45-48.

Larsimont, J.C. (2018, March-April) Saving saison: Belgium's forgotten style. BYO, 50-55.

Strong, G. (2013, May-June) Saison: A beer for all seasons, BYO, 32-41.

Strong, G. (2023, January-February) Simply saison. BYO, 24-26.

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