14 Oct
2002
14 Oct
'02
12:56 p.m.
Rick O.,
I think this might have been my cue...
Saisons and Wits are _somewhat_ related, especially with the manner of
their production on the West Side of the Twin Cities. I'll agree with
Valentiner that Wits tend to be "wheatier" and Saisons, not so. Both
are spiced, frequently with Curacao Orange Peel and Coriander. Though
there are examples of Wit beers that use other spices, I find it
over-powers the flavor, and in the end hurts the balance. The spices in
Wits should be subtle and supportive. Saisons, however, can have very
complex spicing, though again, my preference is for lower spices.
I have found the hard-water character more prevalent in commercial
Saisons than in Wits. Wits tend to be around 1.045 - 1.050 OG, while
Saisons frequently start around 1.060+.
An evening of Wits can be a fun, safe event. An evening of Saisons
usually requires an alternate driver.
Both go well with mild, white fish (not fried).
Andrew
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Mike, Thanks
for sharing your recipe (again). I know what you
mention
about the spices is correct.
One question comes to mind. Is a saison a sub-category of a wit or
are
they synonymous? They both seem so similar with
grist bill, hop
schedule, use candi sugar, coriander, and orange.
Looking at the "specs" one might conclude that a Wit is a small
Saison (or vice versa), but they have distinctly different flavors.
Wit has a much higher percentage of wheat and uses a different yeast,
so the flavor profile has more phenolics associated with those
ingredients (e.g., clove). I think "wheat beer". I'll forward Rick
Larson's Wit recipe (won BoS at the first Sherlock's Brewhaha). To
me, Saison is a fruity Ale. The percentage of wheat in the recipe I
posted is a bit on the high side compared with what I brew today.
It's really there to add in some proteins that are lost due to the
highly modified lager malt I use. 5% is good enough.
Perhaps, Atlanta-boy can chime in.