Mixed Ferm Rye Saison

Today I’m brewing a Rye Saison, and the part I’m most excited about is the yeast; I’m using the Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend from Bootleg Biology. While Bootleg Biology appears to have scaled back their homebrew offerings in favor of commercial pitches, I was able to get some of this blend a while back.

This culture is a mix of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, and lactic acid bacteria, and it has a strong reputation. I propagated the blend to bank some for future use, so the ratios are likely different from the original pouch.

The BJCP describes Saison as:

A family of refreshing, highly attenuated, hoppy, and fairly bitter Belgian ales with a very dry finish and high carbonation. Characterized by a fruity, spicy, sometimes phenolic fermentation profile, and the use of cereal grains and sometimes spices for complexity. Several variations in strength and color exist.

As that suggests, there’s quite a bit of stylistic flexibility. This version will be lighter in color and moderate in strength, with some noticeable spice and peppery phenolics from the mixed culture. I’m not expecting much Brett character when the beer is young, but it should develop more classic Brett complexity with age.

The recipe itself is intentionally simple: Pilsner, Vienna, and Rye Malts, with straightforward hop additions. Most of the complexity should come from the fermentation character rather than the grist or hopping. I'm also using rice hulls since rye is a huskless malt and like wheat, has a tendency to gum the mash.

Even though this is a mixed culture, I’m not expecting significant sourness. The hop additions should suppress the lactic acid bacteria, keeping acidity in check. I’m also mashing slightly higher than typical for a Saison. While the style is usually very dry, my propagation starter finished below 1.000, so this is a hedge against the beer ending up too thin.

I’m considering adding a grapefruit tincture to half the batch, but I’ll make that call after tasting.

Like some recent brews, I’m also using ingredients I already have on hand as part of an effort to reduce my grain inventory.

Here’s the beer as I’m brewing it today:

Target OG: 1.060

Target FG: 1.005

IBU: 29.2

ABV: 7.3

6.5# Solstice Pilsner Malt

0.8125# Weyermann Barke Vienna Malt

2.4375# Mecca Grade Rimrock Rye Malt

Rice Hulls (a few handfuls)

56g Styrian Goldings 2.5 AA (60 min)

2ml Hopshot (60 min)

28g Styrian Goldings 2.5 AA (10 min)

1g BrewTan B (Mash)
Whirlfloc (Flameout)
Wyeast Nutrient (10 min)
4.66g BCAA (10 min)
Zinc Buddy

Bootleg Biology The Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend

Mash at 151F, 90 minute boil, chill to 65F, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 65F ramping up to 70F over a few days.

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
124	6.6	3.6	198.3	97.7	0

We're shooting for a 2:1 sulfate to chloride ratio to help accentuate bitterness while ensuring a crisp finish. To 11 gallons of RO/Distilled water, add:

• 12.9g Gypsum
• 0.4g Pickling salt
• 2.8g Epsom salt
• 7.9g Calcium chloride

Brewing Notes

I hit strike temp only a couple of degrees low (~149) which is what I prefer; it's easier to raise the MT a couple degrees than try to lower the temp. The RIMS quickly got it up to 151 after I started recirculating. I added 1ml of 85% Phosphoric Acid to the mash after taking the initial pH reading. I also added 2ml of Phosphoric Acid to the HLT for the sparge water. Everything else went well until it was time to aerate and my O2 cylinder was empty. I used my old aquarium pump, but it definitely doesn't work as well as pure O2. I'd be a little more worried if this was a pure sacc pitch, but brett tends to do ok with lower aeration levels. Also, the propagated starter got quite a bit of O2. I also boiled a little bit of DME this morning and added it to my starter after decanting, so I'm hoping the yeast already had enough O2 to be healthy, but time will tell. Gravity came in 2 points under target, but not a big deal at all.  

Session Readings
Equipment used	10 gal MT
Strike water volume	5 gal
Strike water temp	166 °F
Mash thickness	2.05 qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	5.34
Ending mash pH	5.21
1st running gravity	15.8 (1.063)
Volume into BK	6.75 gal
Pre-Boil gravity	12 (1.047)
Pre-Boil pH	5.19
Post-Boil gravity	14.6 (1.058)
Post-Boil pH	5.24
Aeration	N/A
Post ferm gravity	6.3 (1.005)
Post ferm pH	4.07

Update 4/12/2026

I’m not using a Tilt on this batch because they’re plastic and I can’t sanitize them with heat. Instead, I’ve been checking for signs of fermentation, primarily a bubbling airlock. I hadn’t seen any bubbling yet so I peaked into the Brew Bucket (BB) and it has a bunch of krausen. I’ve occasionally experienced poor sealing on the built-in PRV on the BB domed lids and that appears to be the issue again. To remedy this I applied a little keg lube and hit it with some StarSan and instantly started getting bubbles in the airlock.

Update 4/14/2026

I'm still seeing quite a bit of bubbling through the airlock, so fermentation hasn't wrapped up. I decided to pull a small sample and the flavor profile is exactly how I wanted it. There's some of that classic "Belgian" character, but it's not so over the top that you can't taste anything else. I was also surprised to see there was some noticeable acidity. I haven't taken a pH measurement yet, but I'd speculate it's somewhere around 3.5 ± 0.05. I'll take a reading once fermentation activity wraps up. 

Update 4/16/2026

Fermentation activity has dropped quite a bit. I won't have time to transfer out of the fermenter this coming weekend, so it'll probably hang out there for another week or so.

Update 4/21/2026

Poured a small sample today to test gravity and pH. Gravity may still drop a bit more since we're talking brettanomyces, but it's currently reading ~6.3 on my refractor which yields a corrected gravity of 1.005. pH is a little higher than I perceived at 4.07. I'm really liking the yeast blend's fermentation profile and can understand why it's so popular. You definitely get some classic "Belgian" esters and phenols, but it doesn't dominate. I do get some Brett character even though it's young and I'm excited to see how it evolves over time. I'm really glad I used a simple grain bill with this so as not to muddy the finished beer. I think this is a really good candidate for treating a portion with grapefruit, so I'm going to start on that.

Update 4/24/2026

I started my grapefruit tincture today. It's pretty straightforward, I use a Swiss style vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the fruit. It does a great job of just removing the outer zest but leaves the pith behind. I then place the peels in a small airtight jar and cover with a decent vodka. Everclear also works but I like to dilute it down to Vodka strength (~40% ABV/80 proof) because I find it can extract unwanted compounds at higher ABV/proof. I like to shake it about once per day and keep it stored in a cool dark place. 5-7 days tends to be the sweet spot for extraction.  After that, strain out the solids and store in a cool dark place until ready to use.

Update 4/30/2026

I kegged this beer this evening. I used two of my smaller kegs (2.6 gallon and 3-ish gallon) as part will be dosed with my grapefruit tincture and the other won't. Speaking of, the peels were removed from the tincture last night. I'll carb up the kegs then figure out the appropriate dosage of tincture to use. I'm guessing it'll end up being somewhere between .5-1ml/l of beer.

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Consistency and Repeatability in Brewing

I’ve been catching up on old episodes of The Brewing Network’s Brew Strong, and a recurring theme is consistency and repeatability. That got me thinking about my own process, so I decided to write this post and update my brew session template.

For anyone new to brewing who might come across this—don’t worry if your process looks different from mine. Very few systems are identical. For example, you may use a different mash thickness, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is to experiment and find what works best for your setup.

You also don’t need to rush out and buy more equipment to measure every possible variable. If you don’t have a sight glass or a pH meter, focus on what you can measure and document those things consistently from batch to batch. Even simple tools can be effective—for instance, if you’re using pH strips, you could take a photo under consistent lighting to compare results over time. If something seems off, your notes will give you a reliable reference point.

Brewing has countless variables that affect consistency, and even the pros struggle with this. Years ago, I did a Pro-Am Flanders Red with Uinta Brewing and saw firsthand how much variation can occur—30+ barrels of the same beer aged differently. Many were similar, but there were definitely differences from barrel to barrel. One in particular stood out with a completely unique and incredible acid profile. We even considered a single-barrel release before ultimately blending it.

There are also factors we simply can’t control: variability in malt and hops, differences in hop lots (which is why commercial breweries contract and select hops in person), and even how yeast is handled before it reaches your local homebrew shop. The goal isn’t to stress over these variables—but to be aware of them.

Instead, focus on what you can control. Good documentation is critical for consistency and repeatability, especially when a batch turns out significantly different—whether better or worse.

One change I made years ago was building my own grain mill to improve consistency. At the time, I was seeing significant variability in mash efficiency. If you’re relying on different shops to mill your grain, you’ll likely encounter inconsistencies—different mills, gap settings, number of passes, and even residual grain from previous batches can all affect your crush. I’ve seen cases where efficiency dropped 20% in a single batch due to a poor crush.

By milling my own grain—typically while filling the mash tun with strike water—I’ve been able to achieve much more consistent mash efficiency across batches.

In short: take good notes and standardize your process as much as possible. When you encounter outliers, your notes will help you identify what changed.

To support this, I’m updating my brew session template to capture more detail. While this likely won’t be the final version, it reflects my current setup and should help ensure I consistently record the most important variables. Below is the table I’ll be using going forward.

Session Readings
Equipment used	X
Strike water volume	X gal
Strike water temp	X °F
Mash thickness	X qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	X
Ending mash pH	X
1st running gravity	X (1.0)
Volume into BK	X gal
Pre-Boil gravity	X (1.0)
Pre-Boil pH	X
Post-Boil gravity	X (1.0)
Post-Boil pH	X
Aeration	X l/minute
Post ferm gravity	X (1.0)
Post ferm pH	X (1.0)

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Frozen Daiquiri

My youngest daughter and her friend are visiting from Utah. The temps are in the low 80s and we're hanging out by the pool, so I decided to mix up a batch of frozen Daiquiris. Here's the recipe as I made it and as usual, I froze it in the Ninja Slushi.

222ml lime juice

278ml of 2:1 "rich" simple syrup

222ml each of two different light (or lightesh rums). I used Member's Mark "Rum from the Caribbean" and Clement Blanc Rhum Agricole Maetinique

950ml water

Measure out the ingredients and throw it in your Slushi on Spiked Slush setting. 

I thought it was a little sweet and my wife thought it was a little tart, so it's probably a perfect balance, ha!

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