Last night, I brewed a 1-gallon batch of Brooklyn Brew Shop's Jalapeño Saison:

Description ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/be.../jalapeno-saison-mix

MUST SEE video ---> https://vimeo.com/47335883

Instructions ---> http://brooklynbrewshop.com/di...son_Instructions.pdf

A couple of interesting twists on this beer are that it is brewed with agave syrup and that it incorporates a jalapeño for a spicy aroma and flavour; Brooklyn Brew Shop describes this saison as the "world's best nacho beer," and I must admit that this tagllne is what convinced me to finally try it.

This was my sixth Brooklyn Brew Shop brew, and as I gain experience, my brewing procedure gets more efficient and my confidence grows. This brew was the first time that I deviated from the instructions just a bit: since the "green" aroma and flavour of jalapeños and green peppers has always been very unappealing to me, I decided to use a fully-ripe "red chile pepper" that our local grocery offers. It's not a very radical change, but it will allow me to flex my wings a bit and see where the variation goes.



Things went mostly well with this brewing session. One lesson learned is that if the temperature gets a little high during the mash, simply remove the vessel from the heat and let it cool on its own. I added some water to mine in order to cool it down, and managed to turn my normally oatmeal-ish mash into more of a soup. It wasn't too excessive, but I noticed that it seemed to make temperature control a little difficult during the remainder of the mash. I did manage to keep it in the 144-152 range, but it was a challenge.

Because of the above factor, I also ended up with a little extra wort at the end of the boil. A bit of a more-vigorous boil might have prevented this, but I was always taught to keep the boil gentle. Once again, not too big a deal, but it is something to keep in mind going forward.

The little bit of extra wort did allow me to get a small sample, and I think I've got a winner here. There is a definite spiciness to it that seems to be a natural fit for the malts and hops, and the chopped chile definitely added to this, providing a noticeable kick that was just restrained enough to not be obnoxious. The sum of the whole is that this is certainly going to be a "complex" beer as the video in the opening post describes, in a good way. There was an extra something underneath that I can't really describe - it was definitely nice, though, perhaps a bit of peppery bitterness that balanced really nicely with the sweet. I believe that my choice of using a red chile was the correct one, as its natural flavour had very good balance to its own spice and that of the beer, without the disagreeable (to me) "green" taste found in jalapeños. Definitely a good decision, in my estimation. I didn't know what to expect when I started this beer, because it is very far from what I am accustomed too - but I like it!

I checked my fermenter this morning - the ambient temperature was 72 degrees and there were definite signs of fermentation. The fermentation did not seem as vigorous as I was expecting, but it was definitely there. Besides, we were only about 6 hours into the process when I checked, so there is still plenty of time for it to take off. I expect fermentation to go well.

I must admit, the first time I learned of this variety, I really didn't think it would be a good match for me; however, that phrase, "world's best nacho beer," sparked my interest, so I took a chance. Based on what I've seen, smelled andtasted so far, I can easily see the accolade being well-deserved! I can't wait to get this bottled so that I can try the finished product.

I'm a Bud Light Lime fan, but that Jalapeño Saison sounds like a real challenger. I would definitely buy a six-pack if it was available.

I bought my son-in-law a starter kit earlier this year. I'm going to put him onto this mix.

I put jalapeño on everything.

Sounds like a very interesting brew- ambitious! I've had a few beers with chipotles added, which produced flavors ranging from "a hint of smokiness" to "intense smoke followed by a fire in my mouth" Haven't tried anything with fresh chiles though, so I'm curious how it goes for you. Good luck!

Ken - I never thought I would be interested in this, but the more I thought about it, the more I said, why not? Imagine it with some tomato juice, or on its own..... Good stuff, I think!

Evan - chipotles sound awesome ~ if I would have thought of it, I would have tried it instead of the red chile! Don't get me wrong - the red chile was nice...but! Chipotle would really have kicked it up a notch!

Tas

I just noticed your last three discussions are Jalapeno Saison, Kentucky Rye Brown Ale, and Grapefruit Honey Ale. Should we start worrying about you? (Don't give me some bullshit about going on a liquid diet.)

I've been checking my fermenter daily, and it looks just about right. There never was any overly-vigorous fermentation, but it is definitely taking place, and that is what matters. Ambient temperatures have been steadily in the high 60s, so the conditions are all right. I might "kick the jug" (figuratively speaking) in order to make sure that the yeast are doing their work, but things are looking good.

Tonight, I will replace the blow-off tube with an air-lock, then wait out the rest of the time (probably 3 weeks total) until bottling. In the meantime, I've got a couple of ideas for label design.....

Another note - considering the modification that I've made, I am hereby modifying the name of the beer to "Piment Rouge Saison."

I had an extremely long and bumpy month of July, followed by an August that wasn't much better; as a result, I did not get this beer bottled until last night.

The beer itself looked great - it was amazingly clear and had a nice, dark-gold colour that really looked incredible. The krausen on top was just a tiny bit funky, but the beer underneath smelled awesome, with a detectable spicy note that I found to be both unique and interesting. Keeping in mind that this was a red chile pepper, rather than the jalapeño that is normally used, I do believe that this was an excellent substitution for me.

The bottling went very smoothly; I always hope for 10 bottles from my 1-gallon batches, but this time I only got 8. This seems to be par for the course - now and then I might get 9 bottles, but I end up with sediment when I try too hard to squeeze every last bottle from the batch. With my next batch or two, I might try racking to a secondary after a couple of weeks, and I will see if that helps.

A unique aspect was the agave nectar that was used as a priming sugar. This stuff is unique - in a good way - and I am looking forward to see its effect on the results.

One "trick" that I picked up which is especially helpful is to have my son shine the flashlight of his iPod toward the bottle while filling. The room that I usually bottle my beer in must not have the best lighting, because I can never seem to see what's going on in the necks as I fill the bottles. The flashlight helped with this immensely, and also allowed me to see some very nice clarity in the beer.

There was a little beer left over after bottling, perhaps a third of a bottle, and I was impressed with the sampling I took. I've only had one other saison to compare it to, but it seemed similar - with it's own "spiciness" that was un-related to the pepper, and a unique bitterness that I don't encounter often, but do enjoy when I do. The pepper provided a really nice, zesty finish that was noticeable and "warm," but definitely not hot for hot's sake. All-in-all, very good.

I am not sure if the extended time sitting in the fermenter helped or hurt, but all-in all, the beer was definitely worth the wait - and will continue to be so, I hope. I will allow the beer to condition in the bottles for three weeks, then refrigerate for an additional week before sampling. I'm looking forward to trying it, and will try to remember to report on results.

Ron

I was able to sample this beer today, and really liked it. It has an interesting profile due to the addition of the chile pepper - in this case, a red Fresno chile.

Carbonation was perfect with this beer, and I opened to bottle to reveal a golden, crystal-clear ale that had an interesting, spicy aroma. The head was nice and full of life, while the beer continued to bubble throughout merrily the time that I was drinking it. The flavour was very crisp and refreshing, with a well-balanced taste of fresh-from-the-garden goodness provided by the chile pepper. In a lot of ways, drinking this beer was like a perfect, sunny day at the farm, which fits right into the saison profile. I didn't notice any real heat from the chile pepper while I was drinking it, but the finish revealed a very nice warmth from the pepper that made a perfect ending.

Brooklyn Brew Shop describes this ale as "the world's best nacho beer," and I am inclined to agree. I can't think of a better beer to go with a pile of nachos on game day, but it is also great any other time. When I first heard of this variety, I was skeptical - but I am very glad that I tried it, and plan to make it again.