Questions about making sour beer

johnnyo1977 · 03-03-2010, 02:53 PM

I made a raspberry stout 2 years ago. I kegged it and then got seporated and finaly divorced. all this time the beer has been in the keg and in the cool basement. I was talking with my lbhs owner and he said i should give it a try before throwing it out. so Monday after work i got the keg from the basement and pored a few glasses from it. it still had a strong raspberry smell and flavor but was on the thin side for taste. i bottled 12oz and took it down to Mike who ownes the lbhs to let him try it. He said the same thing. he then said i should try making a sour beer with it.
I have never had a sour beer and don't know the first thing about them.

I would like to know what i need to add to the beer to make it sour? Should i try to degass before i add anything? How long will it take? Should I rack it into a carboy or ferment in the keg?

Thanks for your help.

Oldsock · 03-03-2010, 04:16 PM

Either adding dregs from a couple bottles of sour beer or one of the commercial sour microbe blends in the best place to start. You don't need to degas it, but the renewed fermentation will create more CO2 so at least figure out away for it to bleed out of the keg (racking to a carboy might be easier and will allow you to see what is going on in there). Give it 6 months at room temp and taste it to see how it is.

Good luck.

johnnyo1977 · 03-03-2010, 05:08 PM

Hi Oldsock, Thanks for the information. but I have never had a sour beer. could you recomend a few to try? Should i do the same as yeast washing and use boiled water to rinse out the bottles or would tap water be fine?

mattyp1214 · 03-03-2010, 06:09 PM

Try la folie from new belgium, supplication and consecration from russian river, duchess de bourgeone. That would be a good start of a few to try!

johnnyo1977 · 03-03-2010, 06:15 PM

Cool thanks Mattyp

mattyp1214 · 03-03-2010, 06:28 PM

Also la roja by jolly pumpkin, duck duck gooze is a geuze from california that is great. Rodenbach grand cru is another good try its similar to la folie.

Definitely try russian rivers stuff. Vinny is awesome we do alot of beer dinners at my restaurant and have done a few with him and his beers. I think hes one of the best wild ale brewers in the country. He has a few all brett beers that are great too

Oldsock · 03-03-2010, 06:34 PM

Most of the suggestions being made are great, but they are going to be hard to come by in PA. The Jolly Pumpkin beers are a good suggestions, and I've had good luck with the microbes. Belgian Lambics (Drie Fonteinen, Cantillon, Boon, Girardin) are good as well, steer clear of Lindeman's and Liefman's since most of their beers are pasteurized and sweetened (Duchesse is another one that won't have any microbes). Orval is a good beer if you want to taste Brettanomyces funk without the sour. Good luck, hopefully you have a good bottle shop near you so you can try a variety.

johnnyo1977 · 03-03-2010, 07:12 PM

I am going to make a run into Md to State line beer distribitors. they have a huge slection of beer that can be had by the bottle or case. I am taking notes so i will have a plan when i get there.

**dataz722** · 03-04-2010, 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnyo1977

I am going to make a run into Md to State line beer distribitors. they have a huge slection of beer that can be had by the bottle or case. I am taking notes so i will have a plan when i get there.

Stateline should have all of belgian ones listed. They won't have russian river, new belgium, or jolly pumpkin. That place really is the beer mecca though.

johnnyo1977 · 03-04-2010, 01:42 AM

Got a bottle of Orval from wegmans after work. It tasted good, should have bought another.
I saved a little at the bottom and made a starter to pitch the rest in.
I have to go towards philly to get Russian river and Jolly Pumpkin.