Working on a new Saison recipe (5-gallons, all-grain) and I would like to incorporate some leaves from the basil plant I've been growing.
Still working out the recipe specifics, but I plan to keep the base recipe somewhat simple. Pulling info from a couple different past issues of Zymurgy I was thinking mostly Pilsner malt and some flaked oats for the grain bill with a targeted O.G. around 1.055 - 1.065. Small additions of Styrian Goldings at 60 and 15 minutes for ~30 IBU's. And I'm still deciding between WY3724 and WY3711 for the yeast (need to do more research here to figure out which provides the esters I'm looking for).
Where I'm completely lost is knowing when to incorporate the basil and how much. Like other speciality ingredients, I want the basil to be noticeable, especially in the aroma, but not overpowering and unbalanced.
Would like some advice to know how much basil to add (preferably in ounces, since leaves vary in size). I'm assuming I'll want to add them during secondary, but I'm open to suggestions. Thanks for the help! -tim