[MKOB] rare beer styles #1

[mike karnowski]

Rare Beer Styles #1  Grisette

  To understand Grisettes it helps to understand
Saisons, Saisons were originally brewed to quench the
thirst of field workers after they were done working
in the hot summer sun, since brewing was difficult in
the summer these beers were usually brewed in the fall
before temperatures got too hot ( we can all relate
huh?), In order to make these beers stable for months
of storage they were fermented very dry and pretty
hoppy. The O.G. of early Saisons were around 1.045 and
were meant to be refreshing, modern examples are often
much stronger and the term Saison in Belgium has more
of a sense of “seasonal” instead of a “summer” beer
meaning nowadays, there could even be a dark winter
Saison. Got it??
   O.K. back to Grisettes, remember how Saisons were
for farm workers? Well, Grisettes were for miners.
Meant to be a thirst quencher after working in the
mines all day, these were similar to saisons in
profile: golden, crisp, pretty hoppy with a Belgian
yeast flavor.
The difference between the two is that Saisons are a
bit “wilder” and often use spices while Grisettes are
cleaner and more straightforward, think of it as the
Belgian’s Kolsch.
There is only one comnmercial brewer of Grisette today
and they have gone in the direction of modern Saisons
offering amber and dark versions. This is a no brainer
for hot New Orleans brewing as it is crisp and
refreshing yet full flavored and can be brewed at
close to 90 F.
    Here is a basic Grisette recipe for you to brew at
home (5 gallons):
7 1/2# Pils malt
1# wheat malt
7% AA boiling hops ( goldings, hallertau,spalt,
whatever)
1/2 oz. Styrian or East Kent Goldings (last 20 min)
1/2 oz. Goldings  (last 2 min)
Belgian Ale yeast ( this is a good recipe to do 10
gallons and split amongst multiple yeasts to decide
your personal favorite)
Ferment at 75-85 F. for 1 week, bottle or keg and age
for 2 more weeks.
If bottling prime with 180-190 gms. of sugar per 5
gallons
O.G. 1.044     F.G. 1.009 

Cheers,    -Elvis


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