This mixed-culture saison from Oxbow in Newcastle, Maine, features local grains and multiple strains of yeast and bacteria.
“A zippy acidity interplays with the distinct Brett funk, making the beer highly complex while remaining very drinkable,” says Anne Grybko, Oxbow’s mixed fermentation and cellar manager. “This beer features 100 percent Maine malts, making it a great example of the essence of saison.”
For more on the many paths of modern funk, see Mixed-Culture Saison is the Brewer’s Handshake.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.044 (11°P)
FG: 1.002 (0.5°P)
IBUs: 31
ABV: 5.5%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
6.7 lb (3 kg) Maine Malt House Mapleton Pale
1.1 lb (500 g) Maine Malt House Red Wheat Malt
9 oz (255 g) Maine Malt House Raw Rye
HOPS SCHEDULE
0.35 oz (10 g) Nugget at 60 minutes [17 IBUs]
0.5 oz (14 g) Nugget at 20 minutes [14 IBUs]
YEAST
A diastatic saison strain, such as Wyeast 3711 French Saison; a mixed culture of Brett, Lacto, and Pedio, such as Escarpment Belgian Sour Blend; and some added Brettanomyces bruxellensis, such as Omega OYL-202; acid-tolerant wine yeast (for bottle or keg conditioning).
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 153°F (67°C) for 20 minutes, or until starch is converted. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as needed to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 75 minutes, adding hops according to the schedule. After the boil, do a whirlpool step: Stir or recirculate to create a vortex, allowing 10 minutes to settle. Chill to about 64°F (18°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the saison yeast. Ferment at ambient temperature, allowing the beer to free-rise as high as 77°F (25°C). Once fermentation is complete—around Day 10—rack to secondary and pitch the mixed culture and additional Brett. Allow 6–8 weeks for refermentation and conditioning, occasionally tasting. Once the beer has reached your desired flavor profile, bottle- or keg-condition with an acid-tolerant wine yeast, targeting about 3.5 volumes of CO2. Condition for another 6–8 weeks.
BREWER’S NOTES
While our recipe features 100 percent Maine malts, the idea is to seek out the most local grains you can find. We use our own house mixed culture for secondary; the suggestions above, including the Brett brux, are meant to get you close to the mark. Culturing up some mixed-culture bottle dregs could be another way to go.
