Thoughts on this Saison Recipe...

Overall it looks like a fine Saison recipe.

My only comment concerns:

“Belgian Ardennes (Wyeast Labs #3522)

1.057 SG
1.014 FG”

One aspect that I think is a defining characteristic of a Saison is that it be very dry. Using 3522 and having a Final Gravity of 1.014 is not very dry. If you are OK with a non-dry Saison than please proceed as planned. If you want to brew a Saison more to style (dry beer) then I would recommend that you use a Saison yeast. Wyeast 3711 will result in the driest beer but there are other Saison yeasts you can use.

Cheers!

P.S. Another way to dry out a beer is to substiture some sugar for the malt.

 

Jack has a point about the FG being out of step with the common perception of saison, but regardless of what you call it, it looks like a tasty recipe to me.

 

I'd agree. Recipe looks okay, but 1.014 isn't a saison.

 

On the Surly website for Cynic they list: 14P (OG = 1.057) and 6.6% ABV. To arrive at 6.6% ABV you will need a FG of around 1.007. I doubt that 3522 will get you to 1.007.

Cheers!

 

I echo the above comments, especially since extract doesn't usually attenuate as well as sugars from your own mash. Consider replacing ~10% of the extract with sugar. If you're stuck with 3522, it can still make a good saison (similar to WL510). However, don't let it get much above 72F or it can get solventy. If you haven't settled on a yeast yet, I'd recommend one of the traditional saison yeasts.

 

I'm with Jack on this one. If you can use WLP550 instead of 3522, as thats what Surly uses for this beer (According to NB). It'll should get you closer to the right FG (78-85% Attenuation vs. 72-76%).

 

“I plugged in wlp550. It got me down to 1.010.” What software provided the value of 1.010 and more importantly do you believe that result? I am not aware of any ‘algorithm’ (or similar word) that can accurately predict final gravity.

If you do believe the calculated value of 1.010 and you want to go lower, then you have two choices:

· Substitute some sugar to replace the malt in our recipe
· Select a more highly attenuating yeast (i.e., a Saison yeast)

The other option is to simply make a beer that will be yummy but just not real dry like a Saison (to style).

Cheers!

P.S. FWIW, Mr. Malty states that WLP550 is the equivalent of Wyeast 3522.

 

Table sugar is fine. It will give slightly more alcohol per gram than corn sugar but not enough to be concerned about.

 

Really no difference. Belgian breweries often use whichever happens to be cheaper when they order. The extra alcohol from table sugar is about 101% of what you'd get from corn sugar, really just a biochemical curiosity. Both have zero flavor so it really doesn't matter.

 

Acid malt is high, unless you want some tartness..

 

Table sugar is 'better' in that it is cheaper.

Cheers!

 

I've never tried this but since the OP appears to be doing a mini-mash he should be able to add in the dme and the enzymes will chew on the sugar a bit more.

I'm open for advice on how to do this but I'd go for a thin mash. Also with the large of dme about % wise may use a bit of distilled water?

 

I have a Belgian Pale in the fermenter that utilized 3522. It was 6lbs DME, 12oz table sugar, 4oz Belgian Aromatic (steeped) and it was at 1.008 the last time I checked. I kept my fermentation chamber at just over 70 degrees.

 

I used 3522 in my Tripel with 10% corn sugar. Fermented at 71-74 and finished at 1.003.

 

I have to sub out LME for most of my base malt in all of my recipes, and I'm getting calculated attenuation in the low to mid 80% range with chico.