Home Brew Forums > Home Brewing Beer > Lambic & Wild Brewing > Bottling Sour Beer




Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-02-2013, 01:54 PM   #1
Member
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
kmos's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Bryan, TX
Posts: 122
Liked 8 Times on 6 Posts
Likes Given: 13

Default Bottling Sour Beer

Wasn't sure if I should put this in the packaging area or here; seemed a bit more specialized so I thought you folks might have more insight:

I am planning on bottling my first sour beer (an Oud Bruin) in the coming weeks. It has been sitting in the 1.020s for about 6 months now -- a bit higher FG than I had hoped for, but what can you do. It has a great tartness and I am pleased with it as a first stab at a sour beer.

I wanted to see what everyone's preferred package was for their sour beers. I was planning to add some champagne yeast and bottling sugar. What kind of bottle should I use? I have been led to understand that it is better to use thicker-walled bottles since some refermentation will go on. I also have the ability to cork them, and thought that might make a nice "presentation". Should I spring for champagne-style bottles? Brown Belgian-styled 750ml?

As always, thanks for your insight!


__________________
Homebrew Blog

Primary: Witbier; All-Brett Belgian Rye;
Secondary: Whiskey Porter; Oud Bruin (ECY23);
Bottled/Kegged: Smoked Mild; Biere de Garde; English Barley Wine;
Up Next: Golden Bitter;
kmos is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 01-02-2013, 02:16 PM   #2
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: DC, Washington DC
Posts: 2,864
Liked 56 Times on 52 Posts
Likes Given: 9

Default

If it was my beer, I'd pitch some more bugs, bottle dregs etc. and give it another 6 months to dry out a bit. I'd be worried that the Brett or Pedio would wake up and get going in the bottles.

If it's done, Champagne yeast (~1 g, rehydrated) and priming sugar is exactly what I do.

I bottle most of my sours in regular 12 oz bottles, although I usually do a few bigger bottles from each batch for sharing. Corks are pretty too, although they don't actually improve the beer. Heavy bottles would be especially valuable in this case, it doesn't take much of a drop to produce a lot of extra CO2.


__________________
Check out The Mad Fermentationist for my adventures in fermentation (cheese, bread, ginger beer plant, and of course plenty of funky beer).
Oldsock is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 01-02-2013, 04:28 PM   #3
Redbird Brewhouse
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
AmandaK's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: KCMO
Posts: 1,418
Liked 103 Times on 83 Posts
Likes Given: 18

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldsock View Post
If it was my beer, I'd pitch some more bugs, bottle dregs etc. and give it another 6 months to dry out a bit. I'd be worried that the Brett or Pedio would wake up and get going in the bottles.
Same thoughts here. I doubt an Oud Bruin is really done at 6 months. Give that thing some more time! (I finally bottled my last one at 14 months, for reference.)
__________________
BJCP Certified Beer Judge
On deck: Dopplebock, Pliny, Munich Helles, Big Brew Day CAP
Fermenting: #69 Nelson Saison, #72 3711 Cider Two, #76 West Coast Bitter
Souring: #32 Lambic 2.0, #49 Lambic 3.0, #60 3763 Flanders Brown, #61 WLP665 Flanders Brown
Conditioning: #38 Golden Sour, #58 Hooch Cider, #67 Schwarzbier, #70 3711 Cider, #71 Kolsch
Drinkin': #16 Lambic 1.0 (Drunk Monk BOS), #52 Rye Saison, #56 Saison-Brett, #57 BGSA, GUEUZE!, #65 Maibock
AmandaK is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 01-02-2013, 04:35 PM   #4
Member
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
kmos's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Bryan, TX
Posts: 122
Liked 8 Times on 6 Posts
Likes Given: 13

Default

Thanks folks! That is very helpful. I will pitch some dregs and sit on my hands for a few more months
__________________
Homebrew Blog

Primary: Witbier; All-Brett Belgian Rye;
Secondary: Whiskey Porter; Oud Bruin (ECY23);
Bottled/Kegged: Smoked Mild; Biere de Garde; English Barley Wine;
Up Next: Golden Bitter;
kmos is offline
 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Old 01-02-2013, 04:46 PM   #5
Redbird Brewhouse
Feedback Score: 0 reviews
 
AmandaK's Avatar
Recipes 
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: KCMO
Posts: 1,418
Liked 103 Times on 83 Posts
Likes Given: 18

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by kmos View Post
Thanks folks! That is very helpful. I will pitch some dregs and sit on my hands for a few more months
Or just do what I've been doing: brew more sour beers!


__________________
BJCP Certified Beer Judge
On deck: Dopplebock, Pliny, Munich Helles, Big Brew Day CAP
Fermenting: #69 Nelson Saison, #72 3711 Cider Two, #76 West Coast Bitter
Souring: #32 Lambic 2.0, #49 Lambic 3.0, #60 3763 Flanders Brown, #61 WLP665 Flanders Brown
Conditioning: #38 Golden Sour, #58 Hooch Cider, #67 Schwarzbier, #70 3711 Cider, #71 Kolsch
Drinkin': #16 Lambic 1.0 (Drunk Monk BOS), #52 Rye Saison, #56 Saison-Brett, #57 BGSA, GUEUZE!, #65 Maibock
AmandaK is offline
Oldsock Likes This 
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Reply

Quick Reply
Message:
Options
Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Wanted: Sour beer lovers to taste a sour mash beer OldRalHoleBrewing Lambic & Wild Brewing 12 09-03-2012 04:16 AM
Bottling sour beer tkm Lambic & Wild Brewing 4 07-14-2012 03:09 AM
Bottling sour beer ?'s elproducto Lambic & Wild Brewing 10 10-23-2011 05:59 PM
Beer sour at bottling DasCojenze All Grain & Partial Mash Brewing 9 07-30-2011 07:45 PM
Bottling a sour blended beer Bsquared Bottling/Kegging 1 08-26-2009 09:41 PM



FOLLOW US ON