exBEERiment | Impact Caraway Seed Has On Dark Rye Saison

Author: Steve Thanos

The use of caraway seed dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who used the spice for a number of purposes from kicking up cooked dishes to flavoring tonics. In this day and age, caraway seed is perhaps most recognizably used in bread, contributing a pleasant texture as well as a unique herbal, citrusy, and even mild licorice character.

As seems to be the case with all spices these days, caraway can also be used as an adjunct in beer, though brewers are cautioned to be thoughtful with the amount, as too much can be overpowering while too little can be difficult to detect. Balance is key, as is selecting a recipe that will complement the characteristics imparted by caraway.

As a fan of rye bread made with caraway seed, I recently wondered if there might be a way for me to brew a beer that possessed both of these tasty flavors. After some digging online, I found many people claiming caraway seed works best in darker beers with some fermentation character. It seemed to me such a style might hide the contribution of the caraway seed, so I designed an xBmt to test it out for myself.

| PURPOSE |

To evaluate the differences between a Dark Rye Saison made with caraway seed and one made without caraway seed.

| METHODS |

Given what I read about caraway seed working well in darker beers, I designed a fairly simple Saison made with rye and a relatively small dose of caraway seed.

Asunder Saison

I started my brew day by collecting identical volumes of filtered water that were adjusted to the same desired profile.

As the waters were heating up, I milled the grains into separate buckets.

With each batch of water properly heated, I incorporated the grains then checked to make sure they were at the same target mash temperature.

While the mashes were resting, I prepared the kettle hop additions.

Once each 60 minute mash was complete, I removed the grain bags then boiled the worts for 60 minutes before chilling them.

Refractometer readings showed both worts achieved the same target OG

The filled carboys were placed in my chamber and left to finish chilling to my desired fermentation temperature of 68°F/20°C for a few hours before I pitched a pouch of Imperial Yeast B64 Napolean into each.

The following day, with both beers fermenting actively, I prepared the caraway seed by toasting it lightly before adding it to one batch.

After 2 more weeks, I took hydrometer measurements showing the beer made with caraway seed finished 0.001 SG point lower than the one made without caraway seed.

At this point, I racked the beers to sanitized kegs that were placed in my keezer and left on gas for 3 weeks before I began my evaluations.

| RESULTS |

Huge thanks to both CHAOS Homebrew Club and Skeleton Key Brewing for assisting me with data collection! A total of 36 people of varying levels of experience participated in this xBmt. Each participant was served 1 sample of the beer made with caraway seed and 2 samples of the beer made without caraway seed in different colored opaque cups then asked to identify the unique sample. While 18 tasters (p<0.05) would have had to accurately identify the unique sample in order to reach statistical significance, 19 did (p=0.012), indicating participants in this xBmt were able to reliably distinguish a Dark Rye Saison made with 0.5 oz/14 g of caraway seed added during fermentation from one made with no caraway seed.

The 19 participants who made the accurate selection on the triangle test were instructed to complete a brief preference survey comparing only the beers that were different. A total of 5 tasters reported preferring the beer made with caraway seed, 7 said they liked the beer made without caraway seed more, 6 had no preference despite noticing a difference, and 1 person reported perceiving no difference.

My Impressions: Out of the 5 semi-blind triangle tests I attempted, I correctly identified the odd-beer-out every time. To my palate, the batch with caraway seed had the characteristic aroma and flavor of caraway seed that I love in rye bread, and while it wasn’t horrible, I have to say I preferred the version made without caraway seed.

| DISCUSSION |

Used for various purposes throughout the world for eons, caraway seed is a common spice in food including cheese, stew, and perhaps most notably, rye bread. Unlike a number of other spices, it seems brewing with caraway seed never quite caught on, which is interesting seeing as it shares many descriptors with hops including earthy and citrusy. The fact tasters in the xBmt were able to reliably distinguish a dark rye Saison made with caraway seed from one made without it indicates even relatively small amounts had a perceptible impact.

As with most spices, the proportions used when adding it to a batch of beer are worthy of consideration, as going too heavy-handed will result in the spice dominating the palate, while lesser amounts can go unnoticed. Based on research that was limited by how uncommon brewing with caraway seed is, we opted to use just 0.5 oz/14 g for this xBmt, adding the lightly toasted seeds a day into fermentation. Despite being statistically significant, nearly half of participants failed to identify the unique sample in the triangle test, suggesting higher amounts of caraway would likely have a more noticeable impact.

My inspiration for this xBmt came from my love of rye bread made with caraway seed, hence my decision to make a rye Saison. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with the outcome, as the version made with caraway seed had a savory quality that, while a good representation of the spice, I felt didn’t compliment the beer well. Based on this experience, I’m not terribly encouraged to brew with caraway seed again and will instead reserve it for rye bread.

If you have any thoughts about this xBmt, please do not hesitate to share in the comments section below!

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