Brother Levonian Saison

The following beer recipe is featured in the May/June 2009 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

The following recipe appears in "Sippin' on the Dock of the Bay" by Brian Cooper from the May/June 2009 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Join the American Homebrewers Association and enjoy a subscription to Zymurgy magazine and access to the digital archive.

This namesake saison created by Chad Stevens and the late Dave Levonian, both members of the San Diego homebrew club QUAFF, is a classic farmhouse-style mix of peppery yeast and earthy hop character. Not too heavy, not too light with multiple ways to get the brew day done, this saison will have you California dreamin'.

Belgian Ale

Brewed 21 times

The following beer recipe is featured in the May/June 2009 issue of Zymurgy magazine. Access this issue along with the archives with Zymurgy Online!

Ingredients:

7.0 lb (3.2 kg) Franco Belge Pilsner malt
3.5 lb (1.6 kg) Franco Belge Vienna
0.5 (227 g) Best Malz Munich Malt
1.0 lb (454 g) flaked wheat
0.5 lb (227 g) flaked oats
12.0 oz (340 g) sugar in boil
8.0 (227 g) honey at knockout
1.5 oz (43 g) Saaz hops, 4.0% AA, 60 min
0.67 oz (19 g) Glacier hops, 5.8% AA, 30 min
1.0 oz (28 g) Cascade hops, 5.5% AA, 5 min
1.0 oz (28 g) Saaz hops, 4.0% AA, 0 min
0.25 oz (6 g) Algerian tangerine peel, 0 min
0.25 tsp pepper, 0 min
0.25 tsp turmeric, 0 min
0.5 oz (14 g) Styrian Golding hops, 1.3% AA, dry hop
Starter of White Labs WLP566 Belgian Saison II Yeast

Specifications:

Yield: 6.5 gallons

Original Gravity: 1.055

Final Gravity: 1.009

IBU: 26

SRM: 3

Directions:

Mash grains at 122° F (50° C) for 15 minutes then at 151° F (66° C) for 75 minutes. Mash out at 160° F (71° C) and sparge with 173° F (78° C) water (add juice from one lime to sparge water). Collect enough runoff to end up with 6 gallons (23 L) after a 90 minute boil. Stir in sugar and bring to a boil. Add hops as indicated in recipe. After a 90 minute boil turn off the heat and add the honey, the 0 minute hops and spices. Chill to 73-76° F (22-25.5° C), transfer to a fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate well. Continue fermenting at 76° F (25.5° C) for a total of one week. Rack to secondary for another week. Rack to keg, or if you are bottling rather than kegging, add the bottling sugar and then bottle as you normally would. Cabonation: Force carbonate at 3.0-3.5 volumes of CO2 or bottle condition using 5.4-6.6 oz weight (153-187 g) corn sugar.

Mini-Mash Version

Substitute 5.75 lb (2.6 kg) of extra light dry malt extract for Pilsner malt and 2.0 lb (0.9 kg) of Vienna malt, and increase 60 minute hops to 2.5 oz (71 g). Stir 1.5 lb (0.7 kg) of Vienna malt, 0.5 lb (227 g) Munich malt, 1 lb (454 g) flaked wheat and 0.5 lb (227 g) flaked oats into 1.3 gallons (4.9 L) of 162° F (72° C) water. Stabilize temp at 151° F (66° C) and hold for 75 minutes. Strain and sparge into brew kettle with 1.0 gallon (3.8 L) of 170° F (77° C) water. Stir in extract and sugar. Bring to a boil and add 60 minute hops. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops as indicated in recipe. After 60 minute boil, remove heat and stir in 0 minute hops, honey and spices. Strain into a fermenter with enough cold water to make 6 gallons (23 L). When temperature drops to 73-76° F (22-25.5° C), pitch the yeast and aerate well. Continue fermenting at 76° F (25.5° C) for a total of one week. Rack to secondary for another week. Rack to keg, or if you are bottling rather than kegging, add the bottling sugar and then bottle as you normally would.

Join for Less Than a Pint

Subscribe for only $4.99/month

Members get discounts on beer, food, and merchandise, plus a subscription to Zymurgy magazine online, and unlimited access to medal-winning and clone recipes for just $4.99 a month.

Let’s Brew This