Saison beers originated in Belgium at a time when a light and refreshing beer was sought to quench the thirst of farm workers in the summer. The White Blossom carries on that summery spirit — light, blonde, thirst-quenching — and adds its signature: a handful of fresh elderflowers, picked on a June morning when the tree is in full bloom.
It’s all about delicacy. A simple malt base (Pils and Munich), a clean fermentation, and above all those elderflowers added at flame-out to preserve all their floral perfume. The hops stay discreet but well present.
/ The ingredients
Quantities for 25 litres in the fermenter. Adjust the volume to suit your batch.
| Pils malt3 EBC | |
| Munich malt15 EBC | |
| Polaris hopsbittering · 80 min | |
| Centennial hopsaroma · 10 min | |
| Fresh elderflowersat flame-out | |
| Fermentis S-04 dry yeast |
Original gravity 1.053 (13 °P) · final gravity 1.011 (2.8 °P) · efficiency ~73%.
/ The brew
- Mash — Mash at 65 °C for 60 min for a well-attenuated, dry beer.
- Mash-out & lautering — Raise to 77 °C, then sparge the grains at 78 °C.
- Boil (80 min) — Polaris from the start. Irish moss 15 min before the end, then the Centennial 10 min before flame-out.
- The elderflowers — At flame-out, add the fresh flowers, create a vortex then let the covered kettle rest.
- Fermentation — Cool to 21 °C, pitch the S-04 and let it ferment at 21 °C.
- Bottling — Bottle conditioning with 8 g of sugar/L and Fermentis F-2 yeast. See the dedicated article →
- Conditioning — 2 weeks at 21-22 °C, then enjoy well chilled.
/ Tasting
Hazy blonde colour, fine head. The nose unfolds subtle floral aromas, punctuated with fruity notes from the hops and the fermentation. On the palate it’s light and dry, with a bitterness present without ever taking over. An elegant and refreshing beer.
The perfect saison drinks without you noticing — and the glass is already empty.
Serve well chilled, between 5 and 7 °C, ideally on a terrace on a beautiful summer’s day.
