Epioside 22: 'Tis the Saison

It's the simple things that make brewing such a fascinating topic. True, if you're reading this and are a regular listener, what follows may not be a shock for you, but still it's worth marveling at how brewing evolved and evolves. The show was slated to be about additives, but early on, I asked Doug whether he was always very busy for Memorial Day weekend. My thought was that it was a massive brew day.
My thought was wrong.
Although it was counter-intuitive to me, he said summer isn't particularly a busy time for homebrewers because the unpredictable heat spells make it tough on yeast and on fermentation generally. Unless, of course, you're making a lighter beer, like a Saison.
Farmhouse ales, as it turns out, aren't an accident of history but rather a produce of weather. Most people (I guess) are aware of this, but it was a headslap moment for me.