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Recipe: Oedipus Mannenliefde
Dry and spicy yet hop-forward, this lemongrass-laced saison from Oedipus in Amsterdam recently took home its third World Beer Cup medal.
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Sander Nederveen, cofounder and head brewer at Oedipus in Amsterdam, shares this homebrew-scale recipe for one of their core beers: Mannenliefde, a dry and spicy yet hop-forward saison brewed with the highly compatible flavors of Sorachi Ace hops, Szechuan pepper, and lemongrass.
This beer also has taken home three medals from the World Beer Cup’s Specialty Saison category—silver in 2018 and 2022, and then gold at this year’s edition.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.002
IBUs: 30
ABV: 6%
Sander Nederveen, cofounder and head brewer at Oedipus in Amsterdam, shares this homebrew-scale recipe for one of their core beers: Mannenliefde, a dry and spicy yet hop-forward saison brewed with the highly compatible flavors of Sorachi Ace hops, Szechuan pepper, and lemongrass.
This beer also has taken home three medals from the World Beer Cup’s Specialty Saison category—silver in 2018 and 2022, and then gold at this year’s edition.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.048
FG: 1.002
IBUs: 30
ABV: 6%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
5.3 lb (2.4 kg) Belgian pilsner
3.1 lb (1.4 kg) white wheat malt
7 oz (198 g) biscuit malt
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
1.1 oz (31 g) East Kent Goldings at 60 minutes [20 IBUs]
0.7 oz (20 g) Sorachi Ace at 10 minutes [10 IBUs]
1 oz (28 g) Citra at flameout/whirlpool
1 oz (28 g) Sorachi Ace at flameout/whirlpool
0.2 oz (6 g) Szechuan pepper at flameout/whirlpool
0.2 oz (6 g) lemongrass at flameout/whirlpool
YEAST
Lallemand Belle Saison or Wyeast 3711 French Saison
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash for a highly fermentable wort, either step mash or single-infusion aimed at high attenuation. For a step mash, here’s the Oedipus regime: Mash in at 131°F (55°C); raise to 144°F (62°C), rest 30 minutes; raise to 154°F (68°C), rest 30 minutes; raise to 162°F (72°C), rest 15 minutes; then raise to 172°F (78°C), rest 5 minutes, and mash out. For a single-infusion mash, mash at 148°F (64°C) for 60 minutes, then mash out. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops, pepper, and lemongrass according to the schedule. After the boil, chill to about 68°F (20°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Allow the temperature to free rise during fermentation, but no higher than 82°F (28°C). When fermentation is complete and the gravity has stabilized, crash, condition cold, and carbonate to a relatively high level.
BREWER’S NOTES
Lautering: There is a decent portion of wheat in the grain bill, so be careful collecting wort—rice hulls can help.
Spices: The quantities are scaled down from our commercial batches; you may get different results at a smaller scale. You can make a tea to test quantities and see where you like it.
Yeast: These strains are diastatic. If you’re concerned about cross-contamination with other strains in your brewery, you could choose another strain or use separate equipment to be on the safe side. On the homebrew scale, diligent cleaning and sanitation will minimize any risk.
