Saison Wit

I really enjoyed the Lithuanian farmhouse ale I made not long ago, and wanted to try the recipe with a saison yeast.

Brew Day: 27 Jan 2020

Partial Mash:
8 oz 2-row
2 oz flaked wheat

Boil (20 min):
1 lb Pilsen DME
4 oz table sugar

Hops:
7 g German Perle (@ 20 min)
7 g German Perle (@ 5 min)
2 g sweet orange peel (@ 5 min)
2 g crushed coriander seeds (@ 5 min)

Yeast: Danstar Belle Saison

Addendum, 2 Feb: Transferred to secondary.

Addendum, 12 Feb: Bottled today, on 2 T of table sugar dissolved in 1/2 c boiling water.  Got 9 good bottles, and one partial fill on a re-purposed soda bottle.

Tasting Notes: So far, I've really liked this beer.  It's light, with a good head, and a bit of citrus in the nose.  The flavor is very peppery, which is different.  Definitely a good one to try again.

Another Hobgoblin Ale Clone

The first time I tried this recipe, it turned out surprisingly well.  I can't say that I'm usually a fan of British ales, nor of brown ales, but I have really enjoyed this particular beer. It's been easy to drink, with subtle notes of toffee and chocolate.  I wanted to try the beer with a dry yeast to see if there were any notable or remarkable differences, so I asked for insight from the proprietors of my local homebrew supply store.  Their recommendation was the Nottingham ale yeast, as it would reportedly allow the maltiness of the beer to come through a bit more.  However, Windsor (a bit more dry) and S-04 were also good options; in fact, S-04 may be a good option for a third round of this beer.

Brew Day: 16 Jan 2020

Partial Mash:
8 oz caramel malt
1.5 oz chocolate malt
2 oz flaked wheat

Boil (20 min):
1 lb Pilsen DME
4 oz table sugar

Hops: 14 g German Perle @ 20 min

Yeast: Nottingham Ale Yeast

Addendum, 17 Jan: Maybe 15 hrs after pitching the yeast, I checked on the fermentor and the blow-off bottle was almost full!  The yeast had really taken off!  I used a clean Gatorade bottle with a bit of sanitizer in the bottom for the more active part of fermentation, and ended up replacing the bottle with a new one.

Addendum, 26 Jan: Transferred the beer to secondary.

Addendum, 2 Feb: Bottled on 2 T of table sugar dissolved in 1/2 c boiling water.  Got 9 good bottles.

Tasking Notes: Good flavor, good body.  Smooth, the malt really comes through.  The beer isn't as carbonated as I'd like, though...maybe the beer was in secondary too long, or shouldn't have gone into secondary.