Tropic Prince Saison

Today I'm brewing a beer inspired by Tropic King from Funkwerks out of Fort Collins, Colorado. Tropic King is an Imperial Saison and I'm shooting for something a bit lower ABV than it is, more of a table strength Saison, so I'm calling it Tropic Prince. I'm a sucker for limited release yeast, so for this beer I'm using a yeast strain I've never used before, White Labs WLP546 Marañón Canyon Wild Cacao Yeast. White labs describes this yeast as follows:

This yeast was isolated from the thought to be extinct Pure Nacional variety of cacao. In 2007, this rare variety with white beans was rediscovered in the remote Marañón River Canyon in Peru. The fruity, phenolic, and wild-like characteristics of this strain make it an ideal choice for farmhouse and saison-style beers.

I used to brew Saisons more often than I do now, the primary reason being I judged Belgian beers at a local homebrew comp years ago, and most of the entries were so over the top with esters and phenolics that it ruined "Belgian" character for me. They were the equivalent of early on when IPA popularity started to surge and every brewery was trying to make the most bitter, high IBU beer possible; basically the beers you don't see offered anymore because they literally assaulted your palate. I liken it to smoked foods; smoke can add complexity to food, but you have to be careful not to overdo it and end up with something reminiscent of liquid smoke, ash tray, or fire pit. A little bit can be great, but more is not necessarily better. 

One of my favorite approaches to Saisons is to use a traditional Saison strain paired with a cleaner strain or paired with brett. Blending strains and lower fermentation temperatures helps keep the esters/phenolics in check, and I've been really happy with the results. I'll be employing that same method on this beer by pitching a blend of WLP546 and US-05. US-05 will also help ensure complete fermentation as WLP546 has a reputation for stalling out a little early. Lastly, I'm excited to use Rakau hops in this beer as I don't believe I've used it anything other than my NZ Pilsner recipes in the past. It adds lots of tropical fruit notes, hence the Tropic King/Prince name, Here's the recipe as I'm brewing it today: 

Target OG: 1.050

Target FG: 1.008

IBU: 30

ABV: 5.9

6.375# Proximity 2-row Pale

1.375# Weyermann Munich II

0.375# Rahr White Wheat Malt

0.25# Briess Cara-Pils Malt

1g BrewTan B in mash

19g Rakau (60 min)

14g Rakau (10 min)

4.66g BCAA (10 min)

Whirfloc

Yeast nutrient

19g EKG (Whirlpool)

19g Rakau (Dry-hop)

White Labs WLP546 Marañón Canyon Wild Cacao Yeast

US-05 Yeast

Mash at 150F, 90 minute boil. Start fermentation at 65F then ramp up 1F per day over five days.

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
50	20	50	100	100	0

To 10 gallons RO water, add: 

• 4.0g Gypsum
• 4.3g Pickling Salt
• 4.2g Epsom Salt
• 2.5g Calcium Chloride
• 0.2g Chalk

Brewing Notes

No real issues. Out of habit, I added about 2.5ml phosphoric acid to the mash, but I should have checked the pH first. As a result, mash pH was a bit lower than usual (I usually shoot for right about 5.20). That said, it really shouldn't be a big issue. 

OG came in a little higher than expected which is nice considering the last bunch was several points lower than expected. I made it a point to slow down the sparge compared to the last batch. I didn't time it, but it was in the neighborhood of 50-60 minutes which is typical for me. 

It's still winter and the groundwater temps are pretty cold and I ended up slightly overchilling the wort (~58F) so I'm heating the wort back up to 65F then I'll pitch the yeasts.

Session Readings
Beginning mash pH	5.04
Ending mash pH	5.04
1st running gravity	21.7 (1.088)
Pre-Boil gravity	9.5 (1.037)
Pre-Boil pH	5.09
Post-Boil gravity	13.4 (1.053)
Post-Boil pH	5.10

Update 2/20/2024

I forgot to post an update yesterday but fermentation really took off and is super active. I set little bit of WLP546 aside into a 250ml starter in case I want to brew another batch with this yeast before the next time White Labs releases it. I’m guessing I’ll be dry-hopping on Friday (2/23).

Update 2/22/2024

I pulled a small sample today. Refractometer reading is ~7.0, which translates to ~1.012 after factoring in the refraction error. Both aroma and flavor present a very pleasant "Belgian" ester and phenolic profile. I think the combo of WLP546 and US-05 with coolish temps has worked well. I'll probably add the dry hops later today. 

Update 2/29/2024

Dry hops were added late in the day on 2/22. I kegged it today with some Biofine and have started chilling it. I do my transfers under pressure with CO2. To accomplish this, I fitted my SS BrewTech buckets with optional domed lids and I have a ball lock keg post to tri-clamp adapter. I set the pressure just high enough that it slowly bleeds off excess pressure, so I can smell a little bit of aroma off the beer as well. This beer smelled really good...bright tropical fruit notes from the hops mixed with fruity esters from the yeast. I'm really looking forward to trying this beer once it's cleared and carbed.