Grisettes are light, refreshing European-born beers originally brewed for miners in Belgium’s Hainaut province.  Low in alcohol they were designed to refresh workers after what must have been a cramped, taxing day below ground.  Grisettes are brewed with malted wheat, his detail is perhaps their defining characteristic, because many Belgian beers of that period would have been brewed with unmalted wheat.  Grisettes also have noticeable hopping levels.  Here we have designed a clean simple and sessionable and wylie Grisette for you to enjoy as Spring arrives and at an ABV that will not slow you down as you get about your busy day of digging through your chores.

Cheers! #brewhappy #drinkhappier #enjoyresponsibly

Brewing Software Recipes:

• Brewfather
• BeerSmith

Vital Stats:

Batch & Boil

• Batch Size: 20 Litres / 5.25 US Gallons
• Boil Time: 90 mins

Properties

• OG 1.047
• FG 1.005
• IBU 25
• ABV 5.5%
• Colour 6.5 EBC

Malt:

Amt       Name                                 Colour                   % Grist

3.60 Kg      Malteurop Pilsner Malt            (4.2 EBC)                            82%

0.80 Kg      Gladfield Wheat Malt               (3.8 EBC)                            18%

 4.40 Kg      TOTAL                                         7   EBC                           100%

Hops:

1. 50 gm CZ Saaz  Hop Pellets Alpha: 2.7% – 60 minute boil addition
2. 50 gm CZ Saaz  Hop Pellets Alpha: 2.7% – 15 minutes from end of boil

Yeast

Liquid | 

• N/A

Dry | Fermentis

• Lesaffre SafAle BE-134 (Dry) 2 x 11.5 g Sachets

Method:

1. Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 3 Litres of water to 1 Kg of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight or around 17 Litres) and a single infusion temperature of 66-7 °C.
2. Alternatively, if you are game you can step mash with the following steps:

3. Step Mash:

   • 10 minute rest at 42° C (108° F), 1.5 L/kg (0.7 qt./lb.).
   • 15 minute rest at 52° C (126° F), 2.4 L/kg (1.15 qt./lb.).
   • 50 minute rest at 65° C (149° F), 3.5 L/kg (1.7 qt./lb.).
   • 30 minute rest at 72° C (162° F), 4.6 L/kg (2.2 qt./lb.)
   • Sparge with approximately 75–80° C (167–176° F) water

4. Sparge: Fly Sparge slowly with 16 Litres of 77 °C (170 °F) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 25.0 L.

5. Boil: 90 minutes. 1st Saaz Hop with 50 g at 90 min and 2nd Hop Saaz Addition of another 50 g at 15 min.  Add Yeast Nutrient with 15 mins of boil remaining.

6. Cool wort and transfer to the primary fermenter oxygenating wort and pitching Lesaffre SafAle BE-134 Yeast at 18° C

7. Fermentation: If using a pure-culture, follow the guidelines for ordinary grisette and allow an extra day or two at warm temperatures if needed. The beer can be packaged at approximately 2 weeks old and consumed fairly fresh. This allows for grisette to modernize, changing from an aged mixed-culture historic beer into a modern pure-culture beer that is consumed fresh.

8. If using a mixed culture, ferment with your chosen blend until primary fermentation is complete. At this point, age at cellar temperature for 2–5 months (or longer if the FG is not yet stable) before packaging.

9. Packaging: Bottle or keg at 9–10 days from the start of fermentation (or longer if needed for clarity and complete fermentation). A slight haze is OK and likely would be fitting for the beer. Shoot for around 2.8–3.1 volumes (5.6–6.2 g/L) of CO₂, depending on when I am packaging and the yeast I am using.

10. Optional Extra: Dry hop with ≤1 g/L (≤0.13 oz./gal.) Goldings or Willamette for approximately 4–5 days, starting at the end of fermentation when the beer would be cooled down.

11. Bring up to beer cellar temperature 6-8°C pour into a goblet glass, slip off your miners hat and work overalls and slip into your Hawaii Shirt and enjoy responsibly, Prost!

12. Food pairing – Rustic beers call for rustic foods, and French provincial cuisine is a great choice.  A simple roasted chicken with garlic and herbs calls out for an easy going Grisette. Bouillabaisse and shellfish pair well with Grisette as does funky fromage – try a washed rind cheese or a delicate ripened goat cheese.  The spicy side of Grisette makes it a great partner for aromatic Asian or Middle-Eastern dishes.  Grilled red meat like a cracked-pepper crusted steak. You can’t go wrong pairing saison with charcuterie.  Grissette will complement a wide range of smoked, cured, and confited meats or some gourmet sausages!

Credits & Sauces of Brewspiration & Further Reading on the Style:

• Grisette de Saison – Beer Recipe – AHA
• Shenanigans Brewing – Grisette

• Kate Bernot What you need to know about grisettes Draft Mag