Saison Beer Recipe: How to Brew This Belgian Ale

In This Article

Introduction to Saison Farmhouse Ales

Originating from the fields and farmhouses of Wallonia, in southern Belgium, Saison is a unique beer style that is very dear to the hearts of brewers and beer lovers all over the world. The French-speaking Wallonians named the beer Saison, which means “season” in French, and in this style, they created an effervescent and deliciously well-balanced way to refresh yourself after a hard day’s work.

The refreshing quality of Saison was no accident. They were once a beer of necessity, brewed by farmers to quench the thirst of hard work during the hottest months of the year. The best ones were, and are, well-balanced and very drinkable.

As the name implies, the beer itself was significantly affected by the seasons, as temperature control for fermentation would be challenging to manage. Consequently, the beer would exhibit a more pronounced yeast character in the warmer months and be cleaner in the colder months.

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Characteristics of a Saison

Core Flavor and Profile

Traditionally, Saison has a light body, high carbonation, a dry mouthfeel, and low alcohol content, making it more refreshing than many other styles. However, since its adoption by the world’s brewers, it has become increasingly open to interpretation.

Modern Tweaks and Innovations

Many brewers, especially in the United States, have increased the alcohol level or hoppiness (or both). In contrast, creative brewers in Belgium and other countries sometimes experiment with wilder interpretations, such as allowing the beer to slightly sour or fermenting the beer at a higher temperature to allow more estery flavors to become pronounced.

Style Guidelines and Judging

In judging, the guidelines for the style tend to allow for creativity, enabling brewers to create their unique spins on the more traditional style epitomized by Saison Dupont. At the same time, all of them follow a similar theme.

What Makes a Great Saison

Essentially, all great Saisons should have a few characteristics that make them fit the style. They should be very dry, hoppy, and have an expressive yeast character. This combination gives them a sort of pastoral, rustic feel, which creates the magic of the style.

The Benchmark: Saison Dupont

The Gold Standard

The most commonly cited example of the ideal Saison is Saison Dupont, which, of course, is excellent.

American Variants

Many other variations have emerged, especially in the United States, where alcohol levels have increased while maintaining the light body and dryness of the original styles. It is also not uncommon to find versions in the States that include some wild yeasts, with Brettanomyces being a ubiquitous yeast used to finish the Saison.

How to Brew a Saison

Recipe Philosophy

Homebrewers hoping to craft an excellent Saison should keep in mind the lighter body and dryness of the traditional style, aiming for a crisp, dry finish. Typically, any spicy notes in the beer should come from the yeast character rather than any actual spices.

Grain Bill and Sugars

The base malt is commonly just 100% pilsner malt, although supplementing with some Vienna or wheat malt can also add character. To accentuate the dryness, homebrewers can consider adding some table sugar or Belgian candi syrup, though this should not make up more than 5% of the fermentables.

Hop Selection

The hops are typically an earthy variety, such as Fuggles or Styrian Goldings. However, several American Saison varieties also embrace more aromatic American hop styles. Nevertheless, be cautious with this approach, as excessive aroma hopping can overpower the desired yeast character.

Yeast Choices

For yeast, some homebrewers prefer a French Saison-style yeast, such as Wyeast 3711 or White Labs WLP590, as this beer requires very high attenuation for its dryness, and these yeasts also possess the character needed to balance the beer. For some, though, there is no substitution for the Wyeast 3724 or White Labs WLP565 Belgian Saison yeasts. These are the “classic” strains of yeast from the Wallonia region of Belgium, which produce the earthy, peppery, and spicy flavors typically found in Saison Dupont.

Supplementing for High-Gravity Versions

Brewers using the Belgian variety of the yeast in a higher-gravity Saison will want to supplement the yeast in secondary fermentation with something that ferments cleanly but attenuates highly, like the WLP001 California Ale Yeast, as the Belgian variety of yeast tends to peter out before it completes high gravity fermentation. Brewers making strong saisons who do not supplement may end up with a sweeter Saison than they originally planned.

Mashing and Fermentation

Mashing Temperature

While mashing at 152°F (67°C) is perfectly fine for this ale, some brewers may want to lower the temperature to maximize fermentables in the beer and allow it to finish as dry as possible. Some homebrewers prefer mashing at a temperature as low as 147°F (64°C).

Sugar Timing

Sugar should not be added during the mash, but typically into the kettle. Some brewers worry that the sugar will caramelize during brewing, and so they wait to add any sugars until the last 10 minutes of the boil. However, this is not necessary; adding sugars at the beginning of the boil will work just fine.

Fermentation Temperatures

Once the boil is finished, the beer should be cooled to room temperature. Still, temperature control for this beer is more flexible than with many yeasts, so brewers should feel comfortable letting the fermentation temperature increase as high as 80°F (27°C) without issue. Some homebrewers allow the beer to ferment at a higher temperature, but the yeast may start developing more phenolics above this threshold, which can be undesirable. The temperature should be allowed to ramp up slowly, as quick, large temperature swings can stall or stop fermentation, which can be very frustrating to fix.

Carbonation

When carbonating, the traditional Saison should have up to 3 volumes of CO2 and should be very effervescent when poured, as this highlights the beer’s dryness and increases the perception of refreshment.

Experimentation and Flexibility

The recipe example below is a classic example of Saison, which can be brewed as is for a well-balanced beer, or experimented with to create new variations of Saison. Experimenting with hopping in this beer can produce a large amount of variation and fun, while adjusting the malt bill slightly can affect the sweetness or dryness of the beer itself. A fun experiment to try with this is to add a little wild yeast, such as Brettanomyces, during packaging to add a touch of “funk” to the style.

CraftBeerMe Saison Recipe (All Grain)

Author: Benjamin Stange
Brew Method: All Grain
Style: Saison
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Time: 75 minutes

Stats

• Original Gravity (OG): 1.054
• Final Gravity (FG): 1.014
• ABV: 5.27%
• IBU: 22.36
• CO₂ Level: 2.75 volumes

Ingredients

Fermentables

• 8 lb – Pilsner (80%)
• 1 lb – Vienna (10%)
• 0.5 lb – Wheat (5%)
• 0.5 lb – Belgian Candi Sugar – Clear/Blond (0L) (5%)

Hops

• 1 oz – Fuggles (Pellet, 5% AA), Boil for 30 min – 15.19 IBU
• 1 oz – Fuggles (Pellet, 5% AA), Boil for 10 min – 7.17 IBU

Other

• 1 tsp – Irish Moss

Yeast

• White Labs – Belgian Saison I Yeast (WLP565)

Instructions

1. Mash grains at 150°F (66°C) for 60 minutes.
2. Sparge into the boiling kettle and top up to 6 gallons.
3. Boil for 75 minutes:
   • At 30 min left: Add first Fuggles hop addition
   • At 10 min left: Add candi sugar, Irish Moss, and second Fuggles addition
4. Turn off heat, stir/whirlpool, and cool to 70°F.
5. Transfer to the fermenter and pitch yeast.
6. Ferment at 68°F (20°C), letting the temperature rise to 80°F (27°C) over several days.
7. Bottle or keg and carbonate to 2.75–3 volumes CO₂.

CraftBeerMe Saison Recipe (Extract with Grains)

Author: Benjamin Stange
Brew Method: Extract with Specialty Grains
Style: Saison
Batch Size: 5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Time: 75 minutes

Stats

• Original Gravity (OG): 1.054
• Final Gravity (FG): 1.014
• ABV: 5.21%
• IBU: 22.45
• CO₂ Level: 2.75 volumes

Ingredients

Fermentables

• 6 lb – Liquid Malt Extract (Pilsen) (75%)
• 1 lb – Vienna (12.5%)
• 0.5 lb – Wheat (6.3%)
• 0.5 lb – Belgian Candi Sugar – Clear/Blond (0L) (6.3%)

Hops

• 1 oz – Fuggles (Pellet, 5% AA), Boil for 30 min – 15.25 IBU
• 1 oz – Fuggles (Pellet, 5% AA), Boil for 10 min – 7.2 IBU

Other

• 1 tsp – Irish Moss (Fining, boil addition)

Yeast

• White Labs – Belgian Saison I Yeast (WLP565)

Instructions

1. Crush and bag specialty grains.
2. Heat water to 152°F (67°C), then steep grains at 162°F (72°C) for 15 minutes.
3. Remove bags and allow to drain into the kettle.
4. Off heat, stir in liquid malt extract until fully dissolved.
5. Top the kettle up to 6 gallons, then bring to a boil.
6. Boil for 75 minutes:
   • At 30 min left: Add first Fuggles hop addition
   • At 10 min left: Add candi sugar, Irish Moss, and second Fuggles addition
7. Turn off heat, stir/whirlpool, and cool to 70°F.
8. Transfer to the fermenter and pitch yeast.
9. Ferment at 68°F (20°C), allowing the temperature to gradually rise to 80°F (27°C).
10. Bottle or keg and carbonate to 2.75–3 volumes CO₂.

Benjamin Stange

Based in Springfield, Missouri, Benjamin is our expert home brewer at Craft Beer Me. He’s been brewing since 2000 and is a proud member of The Zymurgists of the Ozarks Home Brewing Society. Passionate about recipe development and beer education, Benjamin has also written for leading sites like Kegerator and Brewer’s Friend.

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