25B Saison
September Saison
ABV6.4% OG1.060 FG1.011Grain bill
| Gladfield Light Lager Malt | 2.8 kg | 42% |
| Harraways Flaked Wheat | 1.1 kg | 16.5% |
| Gladfield Wheat Malt | 1.09 kg | 16.3% |
| Gladfield Vienna Malt | 0.81 kg | 12.1% |
| Harraways Rolled Oats | 0.35 kg | 5.2% |
| Gladfield Rye Malt | 0.3 kg | 4.5% |
| Oat Hulls | 0.22 kg | 3.3% |
Adjuncts
| Yeast nutrient | 1 tsp @ 10 min |
| Whirlfloc | 1 g @ 10 min |
Hop schedule
| Hop | 60 min | 10 min | WP 85°C | DH#1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Cross | 15g | · | · | · |
| Rakau | · | 15g | 25g | · |
| Pacifica | · | · | 20g | · |
| Riwaka | · | · | · | 30g |
Yeast
| LalBrew Farmhouse | 2 packets |
Water additions
| Calcium Chloride | 4 g |
| Calcium Sulfate | 2 g |
| Magnesium Sulfate | 2 g |
Fermentation profile
Gravity
Temperature
About This Beer
A late-winter saison brewed 6 September 2025 to showcase New Zealand hop character alongside the signature esters of LalBrew Farmhouse.
Mash
Four steps: a brief beta glucan rest at 45°C for 10 minutes to support lautering under the adjunct load, a 63°C saccharification rest for 60 minutes for a highly fermentable wort, an alpha amylase rest at 72°C for 10 minutes to lock in body, then mash out at 76°C.
A slight stuck mash needed gentle agitation to clear.
Hops
Southern Cross bitters at 60 minutes for its clean piney character. Rakau at 10 minutes brings tropical stone fruit, with a second charge in the whirlpool alongside Pacifica, the NZ-Hallertau hybrid that gives orange marmalade and herbal notes. The whirlpool stand began at 85°C and cooled gradually to 75°C over 20 minutes.
Riwaka dry hopped at day 3, in the middle of active fermentation, to integrate with the ester character.
Fermentation
Two packets of Farmhouse at 22°C. Within 24 hours gravity had dropped 15 points, which is the strain being famously fast. Allowed to free-rise to about 28.5°C, then held at 26.5°C and nudged to 27°C around day 4 to finish.
Spunding valve left open for the first six days to vent CO₂, then closed to capture natural carbonation. Heater off around day 7, temperature down to 18°C naturally before crashing to 3°C.
Packaging and tasting
No formal kegging date recorded. A sample bottle was shake-carbed for a club tasting.
Early tasters at day 11 showed fresh, clean flavour with classic Farmhouse aroma. A few weeks in, some yeast stress character came through, recognisable and a little strong. After further conditioning it settled and cleaned up.
Farmhouse is distinctive: powerful and present early, but it rewards patience.