Terve, perkele! This is a recipe for Finnish sahti, a historical farmhouse ale that dates back at least 500 years. I've adapted my recipe for the Anvil Foundry 6.5, an electric kettle that typically brews small 3 gallon (11L) batches.
Perkele is a Finnish word meaning 'evil spirit' and a popular Finnish profanity, used similarly to the English phrase god damn, although it is considered much more profane.
The most common sahti brewing process in Finland involves lautering the wort through juniper branches. I use an electric Anvil Foundry kettle, which limits my mashing and sparging abilities, so instead I will make a juniper infusion for my strike water. This approach is more common for Norwegian farmhouse brewers, but can also be done with sahti.
I am following a more traditional method of a very long, complex mash schedule, without boiling, and with no hop additions. This is a raw ale.
Since I am unable to get my hands on Suomen Hiiva fresh baker's yeast, I am experimenting with a split batch using three other yeast strains: Jovaru Lithuanian Farmhouse, Lutra Kveik and Weihenstephan Weizen 3068.
To simplify temperature control across three fermenters, I will maintain a narrow temperature range of 70-75°F for primary fermentation. This range is shared by all three strains and should produce the fruity and banana esters characteristic of this beer style.
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JUNIPER INFUSION (STRIKE WATER)
Lay juniper branches on bottom of kettle. Add in strike water. Steep juniper branches at 170°F for 3 hours. Skim off spiders, bugs and other impurities during infusion.
WATER ADJUSTMENT & DOUGH-IN
Remove juniper branches. Let infusion cool down to strike temperature. Adjust mash pH to 5.4 with phosphoric acid. Dough-in grist and add juniper berries.
MASH AND VORLAUF
Mash for about 4 to 5 hours, stepping up 10°C every hour:
Recirculate throughout the mash (or vorlauf for 10-20 minutes afterwards) until wort runs clear.
PREP SPARGE WATER
Acidify sparge water to 5.4 pH with phosphoric acid. Heat to 175°F.
SPARGE & NO-BOIL
Fly sparge until 3 gallons of wort have been collected. Do not heat to boiling; sahti should be heavy with proteins and has no hot break to remove them. Do not add hops.
CHILL, AERATE & PITCH
Chill wort to 70°F. Split batch into three fermenters. Aerate wort and prepare to pitch each yeast seperately.
GJÆRKAUK
Very important step. Scream "PERKELE!!!" into the fermenter as you pitch the yeast, to frighten away the evil spirits.
FERMENTATION & CONDITIONING
Ferment at 70-75°F for 1-3 days.
Before fermentation is complete (gravity is approx. 1.034-1.038), transfer sahti to cold storage and condition at 32-54°F for 7-10 days.
CARBONATION & SERVING
Serve still or with very low carbonation (1.6-1.8 vols of CO₂).
Drink fresh, within a few weeks.
Store cool at all times to prevent spoiling.
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Last Updated: 2024-06-11 18:53 UTC
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