WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix

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Bandit

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This is my first sour/funky brew, so I thought I would just jump in and try it. My base brew is a Belgian Dubbel, because this is what I have ready. The primary yeast was WYeast 3787, O.G. was 1.076, S.G. is now at 1.012. I plan to take 1 gallon and then add the WLP655. Is it better to use an airlock or just foil over the carboy opening? What is the recommended fermentation temperature range for WLP655? Should I expect to see a pellicle to form? How do you determine when to bottle? Any other words of advice?
 
An airlock is a good idea, some people do foil for short periods, but you risk the beer turning to vinegar. Sours can age anywhere from 60-80 F, lower temps take longer but tend to give a more balanced result.

Pitching now when the gravity is low and the alcohol is high will probably make for a mildly sour beer. You may or may not see a pellicle, don't worry either way.

Just like any other beer bottle when the gravity is stable, although in this case it should be stable for say a month. I would wait at least six months before checking, it will take a bit for the bugs to really get to work.

Hope that helps, good luck.
 
Thanks for the reply Oldsock. Exactly the information I was looking for. Your blog, themadfermentationist, has been encouraging me into trying these types of brews.
 
If you're looking for a strong sour characteristic you might need to add some "unfermentables" (like malto-dextrine) for the bugs to work hard. Pitching the bugs at 1.012 doesn't seem like it's giving them a lot of food for a pronounced sour taste. I could be mistaken, though, but i likes 'em big sour.
 
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