Saison: how to brew it

A Belgian farmhouse ale: very dry, highly carbonated and refreshing, with peppery, fruity yeast character and a light bitterness.

Saison at a glance

Original gravity: 1.048 – 1.065
Final gravity: 1.002 – 1.008
Bitterness (IBU): 20 – 35
Color (SRM): 5 – 22
Alcohol: 3.5 – 9.5%
Carbonation (vol): 2.8 – 3.5

Ranges from the BJCP 2021 style guidelines, category 25B.

A typical recipe

For 20 L (5 gal) at about 1.055: 85 % pilsner malt, 10 % wheat, 5 % Munich. Noble or Styrian hops to about 28 IBU. A saison yeast (Dupont type), mash low at 64 °C (147 °F), start fermentation at 20 °C (68 °F) and let it rise to 28–30 °C (82–86 °F).

Brewing tips

Let it get warm

Saison yeasts love heat: a warm finish dries the beer out and builds the peppery character.

Expect very low FG

Final gravities of 1.002–1.005 are normal; don't mistake a slow finish for a stuck one.

Use strong bottles

At 3 volumes of CO₂ or more, use bottles rated for high pressure.

Brew your own Saison

Start from the style in Mashwerk: it builds a recipe inside the ranges for your equipment, and checks every number as you tweak it.

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