It's Almost Brewing Time

With summer finally and firmly arriving, this young man's fancy is turning, once again, to making his own beer. I seem to have made an unconscious habit of starting to prefer lighter, more effervescent beers, perhaps resulting from the lovely sunny (and unfortunately, pollen-thick) weather we've been blessed with here in Eugene of late.

With that mindset, I'm considering my options in terms of the style I'd like to brew. I've narrowed it down to a handful:

• Kölsch
• Weissbier
• Saison

What's an eager, modestly-skilled homebrewer to do?

I'm taking a trip to Europe this fall, to experience - among other things - Oktoberfest in Munich. Regional German ales have therefore been often on my mind, and Kölsch is one that I've really enjoyed when I can find a good representative. It'd be interesting to have hands-on knowledge of Cologne's most popular locally-made beer. This has the benefit of being a pretty simple ale to make, though there's not much tolerance for flaws, should I run into complications with the brewing process.

Then there's Weissbier - some sort of ale made with wheat, also in the German tradition. Here I'd be curious to explore flavors beyond the traditional clove/banana dichotomy - maybe adding some dark malt, experimenting with different hopping, or something to that effect.

Finally, Saison. I've had a handful of good ones, locally, but nothing that's been precisely what I'm looking for - something neither too tart or too salty; with prominent estery flavors, but not dominated by them. My only recourse, it seems, is to attempt to make one of my own. I'm led to believe this won't be an easy task - saisons are notoriously finicky to create, and minor variations in the brewing process or fermentation conditions could have pronounced effects on the final product.

I've still got more thinking to do. I'll report back on brewday with my final decision.