Watermelon Saison (5 gallon)

Ingredients

• 10 lb German Vienna Malt
• 1 lb Belgian Pilsner Malt
• 0.75oz Styrian Golding Hops
• 3724 Wyeast Belgian Sasion Yeast
• 10 lb watermelon in 1 inch cubes

Steps

1. Combine all grain and heat up to 118° F for 30 minutes.
2. Bring the heat up to 153° F for 60 minutes.
3. Bring to a boil and add watermelon. Boil for 60 minutes.
4. Add hops at the 30 minute mark.
5. Let cool slightly and remove watermelon.
6. Transfer to fermentation bucket and filter back to pot.
7. Transfer back to fermentation bucket.
8. Sparge up to 5 gallons if you have less than that.
9. Pitch yeast when wort has cooled down to 80° F.
10. Let it ferment about 30 days.

Using a giant mesh bag for the watermelon allows for easy removal. I read several other Saison recipes that say that it is okay to just let saisons cool down to a temperature for pitching yeast naturally (without an ice bath) and it seemed fine. I started with an Original Gravity of 1.062 and ended with a Final Gravity of 1.011 which would make it approximately 6.7% ABV. The OG is higher than normal because of the extra sugar from the watermelon. I fermented this in just the primary fermentation bucket but it should be fine to transfer to secondary fermentation after a week or two.