Iordz

Recipes 

The only reason I don't think you're crazy is cause you have the "terroir." You're doing some really cool stuff, keep on experimenting!

landhoney

Recipes 

There's a mini-krausen forming in the fermenter, so something is happening. It looks like the head on a beer(1/4"-1/3"), very uniform texture with no big bubbles. I assume this is good. I would think an infection would not cause a krausen, just surface mold or something. It's two days out of the orchard with an airlock after spending two days in with only the cheesecloth. Smells like when my last sour-mash cleaned up on its second day.

landhoney

Recipes 

Full, rocky, funky krausen is happening now - not huge though. Airlock is bubbling strongly every 2-3 seconds. Temp is at ~71F. Smell has changed, not just sourness now, definitely some fruitiness and esters.

Ryanh1801

Recipes 

Sweet dude, sounds like its gonna work out.

Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

so badass... save some of that yeast cake dude. I just got my copy of "Wild Brews" or whatever in the mail today, ready the intro - history so far. Awesome read.

Ó Flannagáin

Recipes 

Do you plan on blending this with something else?

Danny013

Recipes 

Dude, that's awesome! It sounds like it's coming along pretty nicely! Hope it works out for you. I wish I had an orchard somewhere near me.

I'm not very familiar with this style, but wouldn't the sunlight make your hops all nasty? I know they are aged, but that is the flavor you're looking for. Wouldn't the beer get skunked out?

ohiobrewtus

Recipes 

Any updates, landhoney?

I can't believe I haven't seen this thread until now. This is so freaking cool.

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Zymurgrafi

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Yeast are EVERYWHERE! I have made many sourdough bread starters with just organic raisins and water (there is yeast on the raisins) but once it starts it is the airborne yeasts that take over. I am sure though that your assumption is correct that there is a higher concentration in the orchard. If you want to experiment farther...

Once your fermentation is complete and you rack the beer off the yeast. Take a stick and carve notches in it and coat it with the yeast. Then dry it. Next time you brew stick the stick in your wort. I have been reading about the history of brewing around the world and this seems to be a common method used traditionally to reuse wild yeast once it has been cultivated. That or using clay pots to ferment and not ever washing them. Could be really funky. That is of course if the end result of this experiment is something you want to repeat.

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sláinte!

Bristle Bros. Brewing

landhoney

Recipes 

I don't know yet, if it tastes good I may or just keep it straight. We'll see in a week or so I guess. The idea of doing this every year, and making a gueze from 1-2-3 year old ambient pLambic has crossed my mind - but that's putting the cart before the horse big time.

The wort/beer was covered with a T-shirt to prevent skunking, I took the covering off for the pictures.

And Ohio, that update was last night. If you want the hour-by-hour coverage everyone will acuse me of post whoring. Seriously though, no change since last night, still bubbling away - looking now the krausen is much more white/foamy then before.