[Iliff Ave]

For the Kolsch, someone here recommended using a noble hop addition at first wort only which has worked well for me. I would shoot for around 20 IBUs. The only issue is if you use really low alpha hops you have to use a lot more which can lead to a grassy flavor in my opinion.

The warmer you go with WLP029, the more fruity character you will get in my experience. My first Kolsch was fermented around 65F and had a fruity, white grape character that was enjoyable. The Kolsch that I just kicked was fermented at 60F and was very clean and lager like.

The simple grain bill looks good. I like a little bit of vienna and wheat in mine.

The saison looks good to me as well but that is a very flexible style. You can make the malt bill more complex if you like or keep it simple. Not sure you want any crystal in there but I doubt it would hurt anything at that amount. I like WY3711 and don't have any experience with White Labs saison yeast. The hops look good to me. I am sure others can give you better feedback/advice regarding both beers than I...

[chumley]

Here is one of my favorite summer beer recipes, that I first brewed 12 years ago.

5 lbs. pils malt
3 lbs. rye malt
2.5 lbs. wheat malt

Multi-step mash. 105°F for 30 minutes, 140°F for 30 minutes, 152°F for 60 minutes. Batch sparged.

1.75 oz. Tettnanger (4.5%) 60 minutes
0.5 oz. Tettnanger 15 minutes

Wyeast 1338 European Ale

OG 1.055, FG 1.017

[Iliff Ave]

Here is one of my favorite summer beer recipes, that I first brewed 12 years ago.

5 lbs. pils malt
3 lbs. rye malt
2.5 lbs. wheat malt

Multi-step mash. 105°F for 30 minutes, 140°F for 30 minutes, 152°F for 60 minutes. Batch sparged.

1.75 oz. Tettnanger (4.5%) 60 minutes
0.5 oz. Tettnanger 15 minutes

Wyeast 1338 European Ale

OG 1.055, FG 1.017

Damn that looks good! Never used 1338...

[chumley]

I have used WY1007 with it, and it comes out great as well, but I prefer 1338.  1338 doesn't attenuate as much, and leaves a nice malty-rye backbone that pairs well with the Tetts.

[IMperry9]

So have been hammering out this recipe and think I have a good Saison to brew.
-8lbs Belgian Pale Malt(3.8L)
-.5 Biscuit Malt(25L)
-5oz Crystal 80
-Kent Golding Hops
* .75oz at 60
* .50oz t 30
-WLP565 Belgian Saison I Yeast(Fermented at 70F)

OG:1.047
FG:1.014
IBU: 21.161
SRM: 12.5
ABV: 4.2%
EFF:70%

[Iliff Ave]

So have been hammering out this recipe and think I have a good Saison to brew.
-8lbs Belgian Pale Malt(3.8L)
-.5 Biscuit Malt(25L)
-5oz Crystal 80
-Kent Golding Hops
* .75oz at 60
* .50oz t 30
-WLP565 Belgian Saison I Yeast(Fermented at 70F)

OG:1.047
FG:1.014
IBU: 21.161
SRM: 12.5
ABV: 4.2%
EFF:70%

That's only 70% attenuation which I get is probably the software. I am not familiar with that strain but plan for a FG into the single digits...

[erockrph]

So have been hammering out this recipe and think I have a good Saison to brew.
-8lbs Belgian Pale Malt(3.8L)
-.5 Biscuit Malt(25L)
-5oz Crystal 80
-Kent Golding Hops
* .75oz at 60
* .50oz t 30
-WLP565 Belgian Saison I Yeast(Fermented at 70F)

OG:1.047
FG:1.014
IBU: 21.161
SRM: 12.5
ABV: 4.2%
EFF:70%

That's only 70% attenuation which I get is probably the software. I am not familiar with that strain but plan for a FG into the single digits...

+1 - if you want to keep your ABV under 5% in a saison, I'd shoot for 1.040ish for your OG. Count on them finishing in the single-digits FG.

Personally, that gain bill doesn't seem very Saison-like to me. Most Saison's have a Pils malt character to them, and rarely have crystal malt (even more rare to use a dark crystal like C-80). My table Saison is 78% Pils, 15% Wheat and 7% Aromatic, with an OG of 1.040 and a usual FG of 1.004. I usually go a bit higher on IBU's, around 25-30 IBU.

[IMperry9]

Thanks for the feedback Saison's are very unfamiliar territory to me so I really wasn't sure on the grain bill.

Revisions swap the Belgian pale malt for castle Pilsner malt.
I plan on leaving the Belgian biscuit malt.
What wheat would you recommend to add??

[troybinso]

So have been hammering out this recipe and think I have a good Saison to brew.
-8lbs Belgian Pale Malt(3.8L)
-.5 Biscuit Malt(25L)
-5oz Crystal 80
-Kent Golding Hops
* .75oz at 60
* .50oz t 30
-WLP565 Belgian Saison I Yeast(Fermented at 70F)

OG:1.047
FG:1.014
IBU: 21.161
SRM: 12.5
ABV: 4.2%
EFF:70%

That's only 70% attenuation which I get is probably the software. I am not familiar with that strain but plan for a FG into the single digits...

+1 - if you want to keep your ABV under 5% in a saison, I'd shoot for 1.040ish for your OG. Count on them finishing in the single-digits FG.

Personally, that gain bill doesn't seem very Saison-like to me. Most Saison's have a Pils malt character to them, and rarely have crystal malt (even more rare to use a dark crystal like C-80). My table Saison is 78% Pils, 15% Wheat and 7% Aromatic, with an OG of 1.040 and a usual FG of 1.004. I usually go a bit higher on IBU's, around 25-30 IBU.

I like pale malt in a Saison, but I'll agree that the crystal doesn't need to be there. I like to have pale malt, some sort of munich/aromatic/biscuit malt, and some wheat or rye. I also like to up the bitterness a little and I like to load up on late hop addition of something like EKG or Cascade. I guess my Saison is more like a Pale Ale with Saison yeast, but it sure tastes good.

[IMperry9]

So here is what I am thinking after hearing some feedback

~85% Pilsner Malt
~10% Rye
~5% Biscuit Malt

Any thoughts?

[erockrph]

So here is what I am thinking after hearing some feedback

~85% Pilsner Malt
~10% Rye
~5% Biscuit Malt

Any thoughts?

Yup. That will certainly make for a nice Saison. Low-gravity saisons run the risk of drying out to the point where the body feels too thin, so the rye will definitely help add some body back as insurance against this.

[S. cerevisiae]

One of my regular summer recipe grain bills is 90% pils, 5% torrified wheat, 5% carapils.   Liberty is usually my "go to" hop with this grist; however, 100% Cascade and 100% Goldings also work well.   The goal is to shoot for a BU:GU ratio of around 0.5 to 0.6.