[narvin]

I also snagged a Saison du Buff to taste the best example of the style that I know.

Keep looking.  I personally didn't like this one, but objectively it's also not very true to any Belgian Saison I've ever had.

[jivetyrant]

Do you have any other recommendations Narv?  I've always held it up as a shining example of the style, maybe I've been wrong the whole time!

[narvin]

Do you have any other recommendations Narv?  I've always held it up as a shining example of the style, maybe I've been wrong the whole time!

Well, Saison Dupont is the traditional example, if there is such a thing as one for a Saison.  I like the Dupont Foret a little bit better, even.  Saison Pipaix is a well known spiced version of a Saison.  Saison D'Epeautre is a fantastic example that uses raw grains (spelt) and wild yeast make to make a delicious dry, slightly sour and refreshing beer.  One of my favorites.

[tankdeer]

^ Anything from Fantome. Plus Avec Les Bons Voeux from Dupont is pretty fantastic.

Yum, I have been thinking of a sorachi saison for a while now.  I love me some semony sorachi.

Tank, what you have there for yeast? and if you were a poor LHBS buyer, would you go with the 3711?

I usually am a poor LHBS buyer. 3711 is a great saison yeast. Were you at the NHC this year? Drew had a great session on saisons and served 7 different examples of the same wort with different yeasts. Very interesting to see the differences.

My house blend started out as a culture sent to me by Al Buck (east coast yeast) back when he was still sending it out via the Babblebelt forum. I don't recall all what was in it when it started, but it was one of the best blends I've ever used. I've had the culture going for a couple years now and it's since mutated/change proportions a bit and also picked up a small amount of brett (claussenii I'm thinking) which adds a nice character to it as well. Either way, I'm still a fan and use it for all my saisons - of which I brew at least a couple a year. Only done 2 this year so far. That will change

[jivetyrant]

My hops and yeast arrived via Fedex today.... on the hottest day of the year. (98ish F)    The ice pack with the yeast was decidedly warm and squishy, but the activator pack wasn't swelled up so obviously it did it's job!  I'll probably make a starter today or tomorrow, I hope to brew on Tuesday.  Wish me luck!

[a10t2]

The ice pack with the yeast was decidedly warm and squishy, but the activator pack wasn't swelled up so obviously it did it's job!

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the pack won't swell unless the inner pouch is broken. If it got warm enough to do damage, you'll find out when you smack the pack to proof it. Since you're making a starter anyway, I doubt you'll have any issues no matter how warm it got.

[ted]

Brooklyn's Sorachi Ace is definitely worth seeking.  It's a very nice Saison.

At $15 per 22 oz, I'll pass!

[jivetyrant]

I guess prices on commercial beer generally don't bother me.  I'm the type that will go to the bottle shop and spend $50 on 4 22oz bottles and leave happy.  It's a bad habit I need to break, it'll make me broke!  Will I actually break it?  Doubtful.

[tankdeer]

Pic whoring above mentioned saison. Soooo tasty.

[rightasrain]

I recently brewed a very simple beer with 1/2 oz yakima @ 60 and 1/2 @ 30 and it wasn't all that bitter. I think the beer turned out pretty good. Yakima's AA is 13.5 % on average according to the supplier. After reading Designing Great Beers I think it would have more to do with the %'s of what Alpha Acids are involved.  The cohumulone for sarachi is 23% according to the USDA (Which I don't have the highest confidence in but thats besides the point.) http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/person/2450/hopcultivars/21702.html This is very close to yakima's at 24-28% so If it were me I would go for it. I'm not entirely sure what the term cohumulone means but i'm off to research that cause you got me thinking and curious.

I'm not an expert on styles though so if your going for that *shrug* i dunno.

I really want to try some Sarachi Ace myself now they look like they could make some tasty beer.

[a10t2]

I'm not entirely sure what the term cohumulone means but i'm off to research that cause you got me thinking and curious.

Cohumulone is supposedly the "harshest" of the alpha acids. Many brewers will bitter with so-called "lo-co" hops when they want a smoother bitterness. I don't know that it's a 100% reliable indicator, but it certainly does seem to hold up if you compare something like Magnum (24-28% cohumulone per HopUnion) to Galena (38-42%).

[jivetyrant]

Brewing this batch today, updated recipe is as follows;

Batch size 5.5 gal
OG 1.060 1.050
FG est 1.005
Color est 6.4 4.5 SRM
IBU est 32.3 31.8
ABV est 6.0%

1lb Honey Malt, steeped
6.6 3.3 lbs Pilsen LME
1 lb Light DME (new)
1 lb Wheat DME (new)
2 lbs honey, raw local wildflower
1/2 oz Sorachi Ace - 60 mins (10.7% AA)
1/2 oz Sorachi Ace - 20 mins
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient - 10 mins
1/2 tsp Irish Moss - 10 mins
1 oz Sorachi Ace - 0 mins, steeped for 20 mins
Pitch Wyeast French Saison 3711, 1.5L starter

Rack to secondary when complete, dry hop with 1oz Sorachi Ace for 14 days.

I have one final question.  I was going to add the honey to primary once fermentation has begun, do I need to pasteurize it first?  It's filtered, raw honey. 

[rightasrain]

Honey has antibacterial properties naturally. However, Radical Brewing recommends steeping for thirty minutes at 145 - 150˚ F to kill any wild yeast.

[majorvices]

I'd just go with the honey raw. Its a saison, a little "wildness" won't hurt the beer.  Seriously the yeast will out compete anything in the honey and dry the beer out so thoroughly that nothing will have a chance to compete.

Good job dropping the honey malt. 

[rightasrain]

I'd just go with the honey raw. Its a saison, a little "wildness" won't hurt the beer.  Seriously the yeast will out compete anything in the honey and dry the beer out so thoroughly that nothing will have a chance to compete.

Good job dropping the honey malt. 

I can't argue with that. I do love complexity in beer.