Saison Day!

Today, I'm brewing a Saison.  (Pronounced SAY-zahn)

Though not very common in the U.S., it is a favorite style of mine. 

Traditionally, it was brewed to quench the thirst of Belgian farm workers, and was brewed to very low strength (around 3.8% alcohol by volume).  It is also referred to as a Belgian Farmhouse Ale.

Saisons are an orange to amber hued ale which use a special yeast strain giving them a fruity, spicy character.

Sparing no expense crafting this beer, I am using imported Belgian Pilsener malt:

Okay, I lied a little.  There is one expense I spared.  This recipe uses a product called Belgian Candi Syrup.  This is basically a sugar which has been "inverted" or broken down chemically into simpler sugars.  Candi syrup can run about $4-5 per pound and I am using about 35 pounds of it.

I can invert my own sugar through a very simple process.  Regular cane sugar is mixed with a little water, a tiny bit of citric acid and brought to a boil.  The heat and acid break the chemical bond of sucrose (table sugar) into the simpler sugars glucose and fructose.  If you boil this mixture for a long time, the color will continually darken until it is almost black like molasses.  For this beer, I want "clear" Candi syrup, so as soon as it reached a boil, I quickly cooled it off.  I'm left with this:

It is the consistency of corn sugar and tastes a lot like honey.

Finally the last "special" ingredient is curacao orange peel which will add a bit of bitterness and a nice "orangey" flavor.

This seasonal will be available in July.  In the meantime, the Number Nine IPA is getting raves.  Stop and get some before it's gone.