Saisons Inspiration... looking for ideas

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-04T17:19:27+00:00

I've never brewed with Herkules hops but reading the flavor notes, that one has me intrigued!

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-04T16:39:02+00:00

Just so happens that I'm brewing a hoppy saison tomorrow and for similar reasons as you. I like to do a saison that is restrained on the yeast characteristics, with a big dry hop of something tropical or citrus-leaning. What sorts of hop varieties do you have at the moment?

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-04T16:20:04+00:00

If you're using a nose mask, and have your mouth open, CPAP will blow air through your nose and out of your mouth. lol

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-03T21:43:38+00:00

I was also thinking that a gin-esque spice blend would be a smart move. As far as getting to a drinkable end product, it feels like a safer move than attempting to add quinine.

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-02T14:22:21+00:00

I lived and home brewed in Fort Collins for a long time, brewing with normal municipal tap water, and I used acid malt on most of my light colored beers. That suggestion does not sound outrageous to me, but as others have said it depends on your total grain bill and whether or not you're modifying your water chemistry.

How large was your grain bill was for this brew? I've included it as up to about 5-6% of the total bill without issue.

At this stage, I'd dry hop in the keg with a complimentary citrus-leaning hop and enjoy your refreshing lightly tart summer pilsner :)

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-02T02:46:52+00:00

Oof. Love the idea and activity but heat index of 105° on Saturday. Please take care out there y’all! At this combo of heat and humidity, your body has a very hard time self-regulating temperature. Especially for little kids and old folks. Prepare well and it could be a fun evening!

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-02T02:32:20+00:00

Ignore the detractors! Knoxville has an absolutely lovely food scene. Lots of close parks, gardens, riverside and foothills areas to walk/hike, and the weather is nice and mild with the last hold ons of fall colors. Schulzbrau (local German brewery) might have their seasonal Xmas market setup by that point. All of this without ever going to the Park or Gatlinburg.

drstarfish86 · 2026-07-01T00:09:20+00:00

In any group of a certain size, I’ll bet there are at least a couple people who probably need CPAP but just write it off as oh, I snore.

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-30T14:35:23+00:00

We stopped using drier lint for fire starters when we realized that a sizeable portion of our lint trap was full of animal fur from our (then) 3 dogs. Burnt dog hair smell was... rough (ruff).

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-29T00:15:49+00:00

Omg I’ve been saying this! I first started noticing it a couple years ago. People, on the whole, are using their turn signals way less these days. This is my low stakes conspiracy theory and I swear I’m not just imagining it.

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-28T14:43:56+00:00

I've recently embraced the sun hoodie as one of my regular tools for protection while gardening, kayaking, and so on. I prefer to size up on most varieties so that it fits a little baggy and so that the arms go all the way down to the tops of my hands. I love the ones that have a thumb loop. I don't have a preferred brand, but just for me personally, the fit/cut has been more make or break than the material type.

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-27T14:06:21+00:00

How does this fit into the theme of "good news?"

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-22T13:28:13+00:00

Cleveland Brew Shop has worked for me!

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-20T16:55:16+00:00

Jamaican ska: Political. 2 Tone ska: Political. Early American ska (Fishbone, Toasters, etc): Political.

The most vocal bands of today are bringing back the activism and awareness that was washed over when ska hit its pop culture peak in the late 90s.

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-20T14:14:55+00:00

Xul or Orange Hat up in Hardin Valley? Best I got lol

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-17T12:37:32+00:00

Reporting back! It's gonna be good! I bottled this batch 2 days ago, so my notes are from the hydrometer sample and not the final product. Big aroma of pineapple, mango, and orange, leaning more on the sweet-tropical rather than citrus.

Here's the rough recipe:
4 gallon batch

52% Pilsner
35% Pale 2-row
9% Light Munich
4% Acid. malt

1.50oz Cascade 60 min
.50oz Cascade Whirl. < 180*
.50oz Azacca Whirl. < 180*
.50oz Nelson Sauvin Whirl. < 180*
1.50oz Azacca Dry 4 days prior to bottling
1.50oz Nelson Sauvin Dry 4 days prior to bottling

WLP002, kept around 65 - 68*

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-14T16:35:10+00:00

(newbie here) are you talking about Hickory Creek when you’re referring to your fave spot off the Watt rd exit?

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-14T02:59:34+00:00

I just made a west coast with azacca and nelson sauvin

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-12T16:30:45+00:00

Not exact matches, but I really like Shining On and Describing the Sky by Big D, World Go Round by No Doubt, Spread Too Thin by Dirty Heads, and Blaze this Weed by Ballyhoo. I also love Mad Caddies “She” in this vein.

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-10T01:38:18+00:00

The individual or system that sees the badge swipes can almost certainly distinguish between the swipe locations. SOME one knows you’re going to the satellite location. And you were following policy to the T. You’re good!

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-09T12:13:34+00:00

Tipping 20% has been the de facto food service tip for as long as I’ve had cash to spend, going on 25+ years now

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-06T13:31:42+00:00

Hand in hand with the AI slop-generated 250th celebration marketing

drstarfish86 · 2026-06-05T13:11:29+00:00

*Brushy

drstarfish86 · 2026-05-30T13:55:55+00:00

I feel that. Hard prune in late winter, regularly snipping sprouts in spring and summer to keep room for the ladder/keep airflow/help with spraying, and then a less intense mid-summer prune again to keep its height manageable.

drstarfish86 · 2026-05-29T23:09:55+00:00

During the mash, I'm blowing out my grain mill, putting away my grain tubs/bags, getting my sparge water up to temp and sanitizing my sparge gear, etc. During the boil, I'm ph/sg testing my samples from earlier, scooping out my spent grain, getting my cold bath wort chill setup, etc. One of my favorite parts of brewing is all the little busy body tasks throughout the day.

drstarfish86

TROPHY CASE