Zuvaruvi

Dave was my best friend. He liked to drink and brew Saison’s. After several attempts on my own, he got me going on the right path. This is a recipe he helped me with on August 31, 2005. It took a second and first in America’s Finest City Homebrew Competition and first round Nationals 2006.

7 lbs. Franco Belge Pils
3.5 lbs. Franco Belge Vienna
8 oz. Best Malz Munich
1 lb. Hard Red Winter Wheat
8 oz. Feed Oats
12 oz. Sugar – start of boil
8 oz. Honey – end of boil

135f for 20 min, add boiling adjuncts = 151f for 75 min. Juice from one lime in 170f sparge water.

1.5 oz. Saaz 4.0% 60 min
.6 oz. Glacier 5.8% 30 min
1 oz. Cascade 5.5% 5 min
1 oz. Saaz 4.0% KO
.5 oz. Styrian Goldings 1.3% Dry Hop

¼ oz. Algerian Tangerine Peel KO
¼ tsp. Pepper KO
¼ tsp. Turmeric KO

WLP 566 Saison II Yeast, 75-80f fermentation. The astute will note that WLP 566 didn’t exist in 2005. I cultured the yeast from a 25 cl. bottle Dave brought back from Belgium, gave the yeast to Lisa White, they liked it, Stone Brewing liked it in 07/07/07….

6 gallons RO water
5 gallons carbon filtered tap water
7.5 gallons in the fermentor
1.055 OG
1.004 FG
3.2 SRM
26.2 IBU’s
.476 BU/GU

Took a trip to Plattsburg, NY a few years back. Stayed in a hotel with a brewpub. Didn’t know it was there, just lucked out…one of those zuvaruvi coincidences. The owner let me help tinker with a couple recipes. Their “Three Nut Brown” was pretty tasty; I didn’t do much to change it. Didn’t get around to brewing it on a homebrew scale until years later when the beer goddess asked me to make her an American Brown. I dusted off the recipe, and what appears below turned out nice; quite nice actually. I can’t claim any higher knowledge; you just stumble into a good beer every now and then.

A note about the homegrown hops in this recipe. My buddy Harold has a buddy Hal who lives in Oregon. He has too much time, money, and land on his hands so he grows hops…for fun! He was nice enough to give me a few bags. Some went into this recipe; some went into a randalizer for another beer. Both uses were wonderful!

9 lbs. Halcyon 2.2L
8 oz. Paul’s Malt 42L Crystal
8 oz. Munich II 9.7L
8 oz. Wheat Malt
6 oz British Chocolate

154f for 60 min.

90 minute boil.
0.5 oz Mt. Hood homegrown 60 min.
1.0 oz. 5.2% Mt. Hood 40 min.
1.0 oz. 5.2% Mt. Hood 20 min.
1.0 oz 5.2 % Mt. Hood 2 min.
0.5 oz Mt. Hood homegrown KO.

Safale US-05 American Ale Yeast, 64f fermentation.

5 gallons tap water
4 gallons rain water
5.5 gallons in the fermentor
1.053 OG
1.008 FG
16.3 SRM
34.4 IBU’s
.653 BU/GU