一退二進 (One step back, two steps forward)

This beer is an attempt to answer a nagging voice in our head that calls for more and more Saisons to be brewed. Unlike strains we had used previously, this one imparts the beer with a unique citrus character while at the same time not being overly dry or thin. We put it to use in this brew to create something in the footsteps of the classic Saison. A very simple malt base of Pilsner and flaked wheat is just enough to support the strong yeast character, and the classic Hallertau hops give a traditional balance to the modern fermentation esters. We look forward to seeing how this beer answers the Saison voices in our heads!

Naming: Yeast can be a finicky thing, and often doesn’t behave in the way we want it to. Our first forays into using liquid saison yeast felt like a bit of a backward step, resulting in a block of yeast that couldn’t be removed easily from the tank, never mind re-harvested. For this reason, we have largely been using one-off dry yeast for our seasonal saisons. While it might be easiest to keep doing what we have been doing, we figured we won’t arrive anywhere new that way. So, for this brew we decided to give liquid yeast another go with a new yeast strain. Once again, we found harvesting to be a challenge, but we were at least able to make a couple of steps forward. This might not be the easiest path to take, but such is the life of a brewer: onward and upward!