Escarpment JÖTUNN – Liquid Farmhouse / Saison Kveik Yeast

Escarpment JÖTUNN is a hybrid farmhouse strain that combines the rustic, dry character of a Belgian Saison yeast with the speed and versatility of Norwegian Kveik. It’s designed for brewers who love expressive, highly attenuated beers but don’t want to wait forever for them to finish or clear. Expect a very dry finish (80%+ attenuation), solid medium-high flocculation, and a flavour profile built around fruit salad and light spice.

This strain is diastatic (STA1 positive), so it chews through complex sugars and leaves a crisp, lean beer that’s perfect for Saisons, farmhouse ales, and mixed fermentations. It’s also phenolic, producing that familiar Belgian-style peppery, lightly spicy character that works beautifully with continental hops, rye, wheat, and rustic grain bills. If you want a farmhouse beer that finishes dry but doesn’t sit cloudy for weeks, JÖTUNN is a very handy tool.

What Makes JÖTUNN Unique

• Farmhouse fusion: Kveik speed and temperature tolerance with Belgian Saison dryness and spice.
• Huge temperature range: Ferments clean and fast from about 22–35ºC (72–95ºF).
• Diastatic, but flocculent: Unlike many Saison strains that hang in suspension forever, JÖTUNN drops reasonably clear after it’s done.
• High alcohol tolerance: Well-suited for stronger Saisons, Belgian golden strong, and big farmhouse beers.
• Great for mixed culture projects: It finishes dry and then gets out of the way quickly, making it ideal for Brett barrels, foeders, and secondary cultures.
• Cider-friendly: The fruit-forward ester profile can really suit modern dry ciders.

Compared to classic Saison strains that can be finicky, stall-prone, or slow to clear, JÖTUNN is made for fast, reliable farmhouse ferments with enough character to keep the beer interesting.

Best Styles for JÖTUNN

JÖTUNN is a natural fit anywhere you want a dry, expressive farmhouse profile:

• Saison – from classic pale Saisons to darker rustic versions with rye or spelt.
• Belgian ales – lighter Belgian blond and pale ales, or as a base for stronger golden styles.
• Farmhouse ales – mixed grain, rustic, or hop-forward farmhouse beers.
• Bretted Saisons & foeder projects – use JÖTUNN as the primary workhorse before adding Brett or mixed cultures.
• Dry, fruity ciders – for a clean, fruit-forward cider that finishes bone dry.

It’s also a good candidate when you want something more characterful than Kveik alone, but less heavy on clove/banana than some Belgian abbey strains.

Fermentation Profile & How to Use It

JÖTUNN is built for warm fermentations. Its comfort zone is 22–35ºC (72–95ºF), with a high fermentation rate that makes quick turnarounds realistic.

• Attenuation: Expect 80%+ apparent attenuation in a well-made wort. It’s diastatic, so it will push further than most standard ale yeasts and finish quite dry.
• Flocculation: Medium-high. It drops out a lot faster than typical Saison strains, especially with some cold-conditioning.
• Alcohol tolerance: High, making it suitable for strong farmhouse ales and big Belgian-inspired beers.
• Phenolic: Yes – you’ll get light spice, pepper, and a bit of rustic edge, but balanced by fruity esters.
• Flavour profile: Think fruit salad (stone fruit, citrus, light tropical) with gentle spice rather than heavy clove.

Usage tips:

• Cool end (22–26ºC): Slightly more controlled ester profile, good for lean, drier Saisons or mixed-fermentation base beers.
• Middle range (26–30ºC): Nice balance of fruit and spice; a great all-round target for most farmhouse recipes.
• Hot end (30–35ºC): Faster turnaround and more expressive esters. Great if you like bold, fruity farmhouse character.

As always with diastatic strains, make sure your fermentation is fully finished before packaging and give it a bit of extra time to ensure gravity is stable. This is especially important if you’re bottling and aiming for higher carbonation.

Pairing Ideas & When to Choose JÖTUNN

Because JÖTUNN brings both fruit and spice, it plays well with a wide range of malts and hops:

• Malt pairings: Pilsner or pale malt as a base, plus wheat, spelt, rye, or oats for texture. A touch of light Munich, Vienna, or a bit of aromatic malt can add depth behind the dry finish.
• Hop pairings:
  • Traditional: Saaz, Tettnang, Hallertau, Styrian Goldings, or East Kent Goldings for classic spicy/herbal Saisons.
  • Modern: Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Hallertau Blanc, Mandarina Bavaria, or even fruity North American hops like Citra and Mosaic for more expressive farmhouse IPAs.
• Mixed fermentations: Ferment clean and dry with JÖTUNN first, then add Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, or a house mixed culture in barrel, foeder, or secondary. Its medium biotransformation also makes it a good candidate for dry-hopping in mixed-ferment Saisons.

You’d pick JÖTUNN over a classic Saison strain if you want:

• Faster, warmer fermentations with fewer stall worries.
• A drier finish than most standard ale yeasts, but with better flocculation than many Belgian Saisons.
• A farmhouse strain that’s easy to use in barrels and foeders because it settles out relatively quickly.
• Something that can double-duty for both farmhouse beer and dry ciders.

For homebrewers and small commercial brewers who like expressive beers but also appreciate predictable, fast-fermenting yeast, Escarpment JÖTUNN is a practical, flavourful farmhouse workhorse.