Mosaic Hops

I recently had a nice and early brewday at around 4:45a. I knew it was going to be a long one, so tried to get at it early! Its always so nice in the brewery when the sun comes up ans shines in.

I brewed a saison with an American twist to it. With all of the new American hop varieties that are coming out, I decided to use some of them to pair with a saison. I used Inland Island's French Saison strain which is very similar to Wyeast's 3711. A yeast that produces a good balance of phenols and esters (pepper and fruitiness) along with nice citrus notes. Therefore, I paired this yeast with Mosaic and Citra hops, both give flavors and aroma of tropical fruits and citrus. At first taste, this one came out very well. It is lower in ABV than my previous saisons at around 6.3% ABV, but it finished bone dry at 0.5 P. Very nice and should be ready next week...just in time for warmer weather. I also brewed an American pale ale (which I rarely do) with Mosaic and Centennial hops. If you can't tell, I haven't used Mosaic hops before and wanted to see what they would do! The grain bill was simple with mostly pilsner, maris otter, and crystal malts. I tasted this last night and it is extremely drinkable and refreshing. I think this is a good alternative to the enamel-dissolving IPAs that we sometimes encounter. This pale ale gives you the hops that you need along with a light malt backbone. It's great!

My next brewday will involve brewing beers for my sister's wedding this spring. She is getting married in Lyons at an outdoor venue, so her and Charlie will be helping me brew a refreshing citrusy blonde ale and a hop-aggressive IPA that is not bitey but has huge hop flavor and aroma. Special brews for a special day!