Le Ferme du Funk - Saison - All Grain

Beer Name: Le Ferme du Funk
Beer Style: Saison
Brew Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 5 gallons
OG 1.044
FG 1.004
ABV 5.3%
SRM 4
IBU 20 (Tinseth)

Extract Efficiency: 65%

Grain Bill:
7.5# Weyerman Pils
1.0# Weyerman Vienna
0.75# Flaked Oats
0.25# Belgian Aromatic
0.25# Acidulated Malt

Hop Bill:
90 0.5 oz Styrian Bobek 3.8AA%
20 0.7 oz Styrian Bobek 3.8AA%
10 0.3 oz Citra 13.4 AA%
5 0.8 oz Styrian Bobek 3.8AA%

Yeast:
WYeast 3724 Belgian Saison - 1L starter
Bottled w/ 1/2 cup starter made from Orval dregs in bottling bucket

Water:
Ca 4.0, Mg 0.0, Na 6.1, Sulfate 4.4, Chloride 2.4, Bicarb 18.3, pH 5.2
No water additions, only used tap water.

Process:
Mash 60 minutes @ 149*F. 90 minute boil with 1 Whirfloc Tablet @ 10 mins. Shook to aerate. 4 weeks @ 75+ (ambient in garage in July).

Additional notes:
2nd Place - KLCC Homebrew Comp 2012 - 7 months old - Category 16 Belgian and French Ales

 

Look
Pours a clear gold with 1+ finger of brilliantly white head that fades slow to a thin cap and nice ring leaving good lace. Lots of tiny bubbles continue to flutter to the top.

Aroma:
Smells of spicy Brett, light funk, hay, lemon, pepper, barnyard comes in as it warms.

Taste:
Tastes the same as the nose, spicy, floral, lightly funky, hay, lemon, peach, lingering fruit in the finish.

Mouthfeel:
Crisp dry finish, tart, but not sour, bubbly, light, smooth, bitterness lingers and makes for a perfect finish begging for another sip.

Overall:
Very nice Saison. Refreshing, crisp, dry, spicy, light flowers and fruits, lots of Brett phenols, light Brett esters. Barnyard is restrained but the Brett is not. Could use more malt and hop flavors and aroma, but Brett tends to eat everything in sight and transform it. The Brett did it's job. Great carbonation and head, looks beautiful.

 

If I were to rebrew this beer again I would adjust the water for sure. I would bring the Sulfate up to 150ppm and the Calcium into range with 1g/gallon Gypsum to make it even more crisp and pop the bitterness a tad more.

 

Yes, I think they would work great. Either one or both swapped out for the Bobek.

 

Sorry, the pH of our water is 7.9 from the tap