Grisette style Table Saison

Grisette is a variation of a Saison style Farmhouse ale.   Where Saisons were brewed mainly for the farmhands and typically had a lactic sourness,  Grisette was brewed mainly for the Mining community.   I thought that this beer would be a nice representation for a MN Saison since Minnesota was built on Iron Ore and grain.   In fact, the mining community in Gilbert, MN is where my Great Grandma and Grandpa Paciotti were brought to after coming to America.  

"Historically, saisons were brewed at farmhouses to serve to workers. Grisette's ("little gray") were served to miners. Although the style died out, they were described as small, refreshing blonde ales that probably lacked the lactic acid that characterized their close cousin, saisons"

Really, I wanted to brew 10 gallons of a very easy drinking, simple Saison/Brett.  I split the batch, half on Brett C, and the other half on Brett Drie.   Both of these beers have huge pellicle’s forming.

In hind site I wish I would have mashed high in the 160’s as to hopefully create a little more body in the finished product, but in the end I ended up doing a traditional Saison mash in order to get a highly fermentable wort.   This beer should be fairly thin, have some subtle fruity notes from the Brett and French Saison yeast, and have a bit of residual body from the use of unmalted wheat.

I’m planning on dry hopping this beer.  At 4% this beer should go down nice and smooth, just as it should!  I can only hope that my great Grandpa drank something like this after a long day in the mines of Northern MN.  My guess is that Luis Paciotti probably drank wine and whiskey.

I brewed this beer almost 3 months ago now.  I split a 10 gallon batch.  5 gallons on Brett C and the Bruery Rye Saison dregs, and 5 gallons on Brett Drie.  Also one half pack of French Saison yeast in each and fermented at 78 degrees!

Specific Gravity: 1.034 OG

Final Gravity: 1.003 FG

Color: 4° SRM

Mash Efficiency: 65 %

Bitterness: 26.2 IBU  ƒ: Tinseth

Alcohol: 4.1% ABV

Calories: 109 per 12 oz.

Malt & Fermentables

%	LB	OZ			°L	PPG
33%	5	~	American Two-row Pale	Mash	1°	37
27%	4	~	Rahr Pilsner Malt	Mash	2°	34
20%	3	~	Red Winter Wheat	Mash	5°	34
13%	2	~	Vienna Malt	Mash	3°	36
7%	1	~	Wheat, Unmalted (Wheat Berries)	Mash	5°	25
	15	0

Hops

Usage	Time	OZ			AA » IBU
first wort	90 min	1	Amarillo ~ pellet		7.0 » 17.1
boil	10 min	2	French Strisserspalt ~ pellet		3.0 » 5.0
boil	5 min	1	French Strisserspalt ~ pellet		3.0 » 1.4
boil	5 min	1	Fuggles ~ pellet		4.5 » 2.0
boil	1 min	1	Amarillo ~ pellet		5.0 » 0.5
boil	1 min	1	French Strisserspalt ~ pellet		3.0 » 0.3
dry hop	6 days	1	Amarillo ~ pellet		7.0 » 0.0
dry hop	6 days	2	French Strisserspalt ~ pellet		3.0 » 0.0

Yeast

French Saison (3711) yeast in liquid form with low flocculation and 90% attenuation

WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois yeast in liquid form with low flocculation and 90% attenuation

 

***Update and tasting: Brett is nice, floral hops, the flavor is similar in the middle but very thin, and then it just falls off at the end, extremely thin and watery.   For a sessionable beer, I don't really think it's very succesful because it doesn't draw you back in for another beer.   I've experimented with adding Lactic acid to it and this makes the beer much more enjoyable.  In future iterations of this style, I will go sour as well as add a significant portion of Oats to help build and sustain some body.

Thankyou Mr. Minor,  Thanyou Mr. Hood