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Sage in Saison

Northern Brewer General
#1

I have been researching using sage in a Saison and what I have found is to use 1/4 oz per 5 gallons and to either add at flameout of use it in secondary. I am looking for just a hint of sage.

Has anybody used sage n their beer and if so when did you add it, and how much?

I am using Saison II yeast and the last Saison I made with this yeast was incredible fruity so I am trying to offset that fruitiness with Peppercorns and sage.

Here is my recipe (the only thing I can change at this point is the sage addition because I just mashed out)

10 Gallons

11 lbs pils 46%
5 lbs vienna 21%
5 lbs munich 21%
2 lbs white wheat 8%
1 lb table sugar 4%

1.5 oz Admiral @ 60
3 lbs Sonnet Golding @ 15
40 Small Peppercorns @ 15 (Coarse Crack in Mortar)

.5 oz Sage @ 0 min

Saison II Yeast

2 Oz Perle hops (Dry hop)

#2

Well I can’t speak to the sage but I’ve used Saison II several times and in my experience it is less fruity then Saison I. Just something to keep in mind.

#3

really? I thought I had added some fruit and forgot about it :wink:

#4

As I am weighing up this sage I have decided to reduce to 1/4 oz in the 10 gallon batch @ flameout .
I do not want to overpower it, as this sage is very pungent.

#5

So that gave it a very slight but noticeable aroma, I think it should be light enough for me.

Reading some of the sage threads on this board I found some over sage(ing) stories, one comparing it to breakfast sausage (?)

#6

Let me know how that comes out in the end. I brewed up a saison yesterday and was considering aging half of it on some sage in a secondary. I’ve had a few herbed saisons before (and one exclusively with white sage) and have enjoyed them. I imagine that I will get a little less flavor from use in the secondary than I would have at flameout, so I’ll maybe scale up a bit.

Of course I am now considering aging the other half on some breakfast sausage, for a side by side comparison.

#7

Will do, although it will be a month or so before I rack it.

#8

Well I bottled a bunch of it to age, but I also kegged up a couple of gallons.

My review is that is has a nice fruity aroma but little to no fruit flavor. It has a nice spicy pepper hint from the pepper and Perle hops, and any more sage would have been too much I.M.H.O.

All in all it is a very balanced Saison with a unique flavor profile,I am looking forward to tasting the bottle conditioned version in a few months.

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