Sandy here, it’s been awhile since I’ve written one of these but I’ve got something I’m really excited about. Most of you who know me know that I’m really into beer and brewing. Back in March, I signed up for a Valley Malt homebrewing CSA at Meet the Farmer night. Just a couple weeks ago the first installment arrived. Armed with 7 lbs. of 2-row barley and 3 lbs. of wheat I began contemplating my next brew.
We just launched a saison from Mystic Brewing over at HSQ and speaking with Bryan about it really got me excited about the style. Though it can vary pretty widely it’s usually an ale, golden in color, light in body, with 10-30% of the malt bill being wheat. Generally, the yeast in a saison give it a spicy/peppery aroma and flavor and the hops tend back that up with some floral and even citrusy notes. I opted for something similar, an American Farmhouse ale. It’s a sort of hoppier American cousin to the classic Belgian brew. It should be ready to bottle in about two weeks and then another 2 weeks to let it carbonate. If I get enough customer interest over the next month, I might just have you all over to try it!
If you’re interested in making one yourself, I’ve written my recipe for a 5 gallon batch after the break.
Valley Malt American Farmhouse Ale:
OG: 1.056
FG (est.): 1.013
ABV (est.): 4.6%
SRM: 7
6.5 lbs Valley Malt pale 2-row barley
3 lbs Valley Malt Warthog wheat
1 lbs Cara-pils (high protein barley)
0.5 oz Saaz hops @ 60min
0.5 oz Brewers Gold hops @ 60min
1.0 oz Tettnang hops @ 10min
1.0 oz Saaz hops @ 10min
1 pkg Belgian Saison yeast (from Wyeast Labs)
