The Seasonal "Super Saison"

Last year's batch.

Last year I brewed the Saison de Noel as my second or third batch of homebrew.  It’s an extract kit from Northern Brewer, designed to be a little stronger than some more typical Saisons, as described below:

Deceptively dark and beguilingly complex, this holiday specialty is brewed in the tradition of Belgian farmhouse ales.  Unlike most Saisons, intended to refresh and sustain farmers doing manual labor, this one is engineered to complement rich holiday fare and sustain you through long winter nights.  A generous malt bill with highlights of butter toffee, chocolate, dark fruit, and bread tangles with the earthy, spicy funk of Wyeast’s French Saison strain and a single addition of bittering hops to strike an evolving balance.

Now, it was an oversight on my part, but I used Safale S-04 instead of the Wyeast…I discovered my mistake after I transferred the beer into secondary and was recording the gravity reading.  I don't expect any poor effects, but it may have impacted how much fermentation occurred.  By the way:

• O.G.:  1.070, 70 degrees
• Interim:  1.020, 70 degrees
• F.G.:  1.018, 68 degrees

I calculate approximately 7.1% ABV from this.

I bottled on Saturday, January 4, and plan to release this on January 24 – in time for the Super Bowl. 

And for that reason (not to mention the yeast oversight), I am calling it “Super Saison.”

(Here's a link to the kit on Northern Brewer:  http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/saison-de-noel-limited-edition-extract-kit.html)