Help with my saison recipe

Going to brew my first saison this weekend. My original recipe was:

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU

10 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 83.3 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.3 %
12.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3 6.3 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.2 %
2.50 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 33.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 6 2.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Belgian Saison (Wyeast Labs #3711) [124.21 ml] Yeast 7

My LHBS didn't have Hersbrucker so I got Mt Hood. I also picked up some Saaz since it's spicy and earthy which I thought would a Saison well.
I will be reducing the IBU a bit from 36 (above) to closer to 30 ti fit the BJCP style guidelines better. Having Mt Hood and Saaz, how and when would you use it in this recipe?

Also, I was reading that saisons are normally spiced but I cannot find any reference to a particular spice. They're commonly citrusy and spicy, peppery. Was thinking about fresh lemon and/or fresh orange zest and possibly pepper or grains of paradise if I go back to the LHBS.
I'd like fairly spicy/peppery with medium IBU for the style and front row citrus flavor.
Suggestions?

1.5oz Mt Hood-60 min
0.25oz Mt Hood-10 min
0.75oz Saaz-10 min
gives 32 IBU
For this style is it better to have it at the lower or higher end of the IBU spectrum?

I've heard some folks using fresh orange, dried bitter orange, coriander (the brewing type, not the supermarket type), Grains of paradise, etc. Then again, some just allow the 3711 yeast to work their magic and produce a lot of the flavors you mention on their own. Apparently 3711 doesn't need to ferment at the higher temps that other saison yeasts need to get those flavors.

Good luck and have fun.
I just planted some Mt.Hood rhizomes. It is a good sub for Halletauer. Saaz is a common hops in these beers also.

Drop all the caramel and the carapils .... yes that will leave you with just the Pale malt. Maybe add a bit of aromatic or Munich if you want some malt flavor, but not necessary. Use wheat or oats if you want some added head retention. Then add a pound or more of simple sugar to help dry it out.

Saisons, like Belgians, are all about the yeast flavors and not the grains. They also want to be dry to make them really drinkable ('Digestable').

The 3711 will add it's own spicyness, you do not need to add anything else. If you add any spices, do it in moderation; the sign of a good spice addition is that you cannot detect it is there, it is just in the background and you cannot figure out what it is. You should be good with just he 3711.

Start fermentation around 70 F, and allow to rise to 75 or even 80 over the course of a week.

Cider123 said:

I've heard some folks using .........., coriander (the brewing type, not the supermarket type), ......., etc.

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There is no difference, except for the price. Just buy whole seeds and crush them yourself; that will get you more flavor.

Grain bill is already crushed. I suppose if I mix the grains really well and subtract some of the grain bill I could then add some sugar. Only problem would be that the recipe would then not be repeatable.

3711 should still give you a pretty dry beer, despite all the caramel malts. The hop schedule in post #2 looks good, although I might drop the IBUs to around 25, moving the hops you saved to flameout. Underpitching the yeast just a little bit (1/2--3/4 what the calculators say) will help bring out some more saison flavors. Saisons are, to me, the most wide-open style of beers out there. Even if yours is not a classic example, you should still get a nice beer.

dizzyfun said:

Grain bill is already crushed. I suppose if I mix the grains really well and subtract some of the grain bill I could then add some sugar. Only problem would be that the recipe would then not be repeatable.

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I wouldn't worry about it too much. Saisons should have a dry finish and the sugar will help the beer attenuate, lower the fg.