25B Saison
January Saison – 25B
ABV6.0% OG1.050 FG1.003Grain bill
| Weyermann Barke Pilsner Malt | 4.2 kg | 79.1% |
| Weyermann Wheat Malt | 0.3 kg | 5.7% |
| Gladfield Rye Malt | 0.3 kg | 5.7% |
| Weyermann Vienna Malt | 0.2 kg | 3.8% |
| Dextrose | 0.3 kg | 5.7% |
Adjuncts
| Whirlfloc | 1 tablet @ 10 min |
| Yeast Nutrient | 4 g @ 10 min |
Hop schedule
| Hop | 60 min | 15 min | 5 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Saaz | 33g | · | · |
| Styrian Goldings | · | 20g | 10g |
Yeast
| Mangrove Jack's M29 French Saison | 1 packet |
Water additions
| Calcium Sulfate | 6 g |
| Calcium Chloride | 2 g |
Fermentation profile
Gravity
Temperature
About This Beer
Saison De Cyprès, a 25B brewed on New Year’s Day 2026 and the first batch of the year. A straightforward BJCP 25B, nothing clever, just the style done properly.
First outing for M29 French Saison, and the goal was to give the yeast as much room as possible: a grist that does not compete with it, and a process built to push attenuation and expression.
Barke Pilsner as the base with small additions of wheat, rye and Vienna. The rye adds texture and subtle spice without becoming the point. Czech Saaz and Styrian Goldings are both classic saison territory. Dextrose pushes attenuation and keeps the body dry, where a saison should finish.
Brew day
Mashed in deliberately low, 63.5°C for 75 minutes, to produce a highly fermentable wort to complement the dextrose. Ramped to 75°C over 10 minutes and held another 10, then sparged at 76°C. Seventy-five minute boil, with the dextrose, Whirlfloc and yeast nutrient all in at 10 minutes.
Fermentation
M29 was moving within 12 hours. Initial hold at 20 to 21°C, then a free rise with the cooling trigger set at +4°C so it could climb toward 25°C before the fridge engaged. Raised gradually through primary, finishing around 27°C and held there to day 12 or 13, then crashed to 3°C for a day or two before kegging.
Attenuation was exceptional, just under 94% apparent, which is M29 doing exactly what it does. The beer cleared well during the crash.
The result
Aroma leads with light pepper, citrus peel and a dry farmhouse edge. Flavour clean and bone dry, with the Saaz bitterness sitting quietly underneath. The rye adds subtle texture; the mouthfeel feels right even if you could not pick it out blind.
Scored 45/50 at the Autumn Invitational, fifth overall for Best of Show, and entered at Euroclash 2026 on 16 May.
What is next
The hop selection is the thing to experiment with, and whether a small late aromatic addition would complement the yeast character or just compete with it. One idea is deliberately oxidising some hops in the fridge for a few weeks, since that earthy, slightly cheesy note can work well in traditional farmhouse beers.
Also worth testing side by side: whether a more aggressive early temperature ramp coaxes more ester and phenol out of M29.