On Camille Saison: An American Take on a Classic Farmhouse Ale

Like Chinese food and tacos, most beer styles have been thoroughly “Americanized” in some way or another. Take the classic British IPA, kick up the hops about 20 notches and you have one of the most popular beer styles west of the Atlantic. Or maybe your stout doesn't have enough of a kick to it. Just turn the alcohol dial to 11 and enjoy your imperial stout. Yes, the story of the imperial stout involves Tzars and inter-European trade, but Americans gave “imperial” its broader meaning relating to strong versions of classic styles. It seems no style is immune from the relentless evolution and Americanization. Imperial pilsener, black IPAs, extra hoppy porters, and fruit/coffee/chocolate/herbs/bacon in just about everything in between. Subtly isn't an American virtue.

With that in mind, I share with you a recipe for a style I've not seen previously Americanized in any meaningful way: Saison. Camille Saison, named after the romantic composer Camille Saint-Seans, is a hop forward version of a Belgian saison. With 38 IBUs but only measuring in 5.5% ABV, this certainly isn't your standard saison. Peppery spice and piny citrus dominate the aroma. Pepper and citrus hit the palate strong up front but give way to a balanced profile of yeast, malt, and hops. The high hop content is cleansed by lively carbonation and the light body leaves you refreshed for another sip. Bold, yet quaffable, Camille Saison is a beer that will certainly be added to my regular rotation. Enjoy.

Camille Saison

Saison

Type: All Grain	Date: 07/05/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal	Brewer: Garth Peterson
Boil Size: 6.35 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min	Equipment: Pot and Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - Extract/Partial Mash
End of Boil Volume 5.98 gal	Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal	Est Mash Efficiency 87.6 %
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage	Taste Rating(out of 50): 0.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 5.00 gal Atlanta, GA Water 1 - 2.60 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 2.00 g Chalk (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3 - 1.60 g Salt (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 - 0.60 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 5 - 0.30 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 6 - 2 lbs 12.0 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 7 32.3 % 2 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 8 26.5 % 1 lbs 6.0 oz Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 9 16.2 % 0.53 oz Citra [14.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 10 28.1 IBUs 2 lbs 2.0 oz Lyle's Golden Syrup (0.0 SRM) Extract 11 25.0 % 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 12 - 0.57 oz Citra [14.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 13 10.0 IBUs 1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 14 - 1.04 oz Citra [14.00 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 15 0.0 IBUs 1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml] Yeast 16 - 1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3724) [124.21 ml] Yeast 17 - 1.00 oz Citra [14.00 %] - Dry Hop 0.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs
Mash Steps

Name	Description	Step Temperature	Step Time
Protein Rest	Add 6.74 qt of water at 130.8 F	122.0 F	30 min
Saccharification	Add 5.10 qt of water at 192.1 F	149.0 F	30 min
Mash Out	Add 5.75 qt of water at 211.9 F	168.0 F	10 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 2.97 gal water at 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Double step infusion - for light body beers requiring a protein rest. Used primarily in beers high in unmodified grains or adjuncts.

Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle
Volumes of CO2: 2.5
Pressure/Weight: 4.11 oz
Carbonation Used: Bottle with 4.11 oz Corn Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 70.0 F
Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
Storage Temperature: 65.0 F

Notes

Created with BeerSmith

On Beer Judging

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I had the opportunity to steward at Chicago Beer Society's 20th annual Spooky Brew beer competition this past weekend and had a great time.  There were so many good entries and I was fortunate enough to get to sample many of them.  The winner was Ray Gonzalez who made a wonderful, slightly fruity kolsch that beat out two-time Samuel Adams Longshot winner Rodney Kibzey's Blackened Hops - which scores a respectable 95th percentile on RateBeer.  

But Black IPAs aren't a style category in BJCP competitions.  They must be entered in the infamous catch-all Category 23, "Specialty Beer".  During our lunch break I got a chance to sit down with some national ranked judges and talk to them about what makes a good beer.  Their response was that, in beer judging at least,  a good beer isn't one that tastes the best, but one that meets the specific guidelines the best.  Yes, that seems obvious, but it's a shame.  So many great beers don't get the recognition they deserve because they don't fit exactly what the style guidelines say.  

I'm not saying that style guidelines are totally useless and judging should be a free-for-all.  That gets you into other troubles (Exhibit A: 11 of RateBeer's top 15 beers are barley-wines or imperial stouts).  A better approach, as is the case in most situations where there are two less than perfect choices, is compromise (Exhibit B: The Great Compromise).  Let there be room in the judging process for stylistic interpretation and innovation.  Let's say I brew a Northern German Altbier, as it stands right now I will lose points if it tastes stronger than 5.2%ABV.  But perhaps that is exactly what makes the beer work with the rest of the recipe.  It's still a Northern German Altbier, just stronger.  Of course care must be taken and anything too far out would still have to be reflected in the score, but such a rigid system is unnecessary.  In the end, great beers will win and sub-par beers will not, but when it comes down to which great beer gets to go to the best of show round, a nod to the creativity and innovative capacity of the brewer would create a much more interesting competition.