Sampling through pellicle

I currently have 4 sours going, ranging in age from 6 months to 3 months in the secondary. I would like to start checking the flavor progress on some, however there is a pellicle on all 4. Last week I finally broke down and sampled the youngest (a la roja clone) since it had the thinnest pellicle. I think it was in the "sick" stage, which makes sense since it was the 3rd generation of a roselare pitch.

All 4 sours are aging using the Raj Apte psudo barrel oak dowel approach (http://blog.flaminio.net/blogs/index.php/beer/batches/flanders-red-2008), so the pellicle should last a good while. I would like to taste the beers. Do I risk disturbing the pellicle and remove the stopper/oak and pull my sample, or wait for the pellicle to fall?

I've sampled mine through the pellicle, it just reforms. I try to limit the damage, but can't see a ton of harm.

Grew a set today and sampled the oldest of the sours, well worth it. I cannot believe this is a beer I made! I will keep letting it age for another 6-8 months, but now I am super anxious.

I break pellicles in my carboys all the time. One thing to consider though is that its best to sterilize your thief really really really good before attempting to sample from another sour carboy in the same session. I have a ridiculously sour, almost offense "lambic" going right now that has gotten way to funked for my taste, and somehow that taste found its way into another "lambic" carboy that was not spiked with the same bugs. I think some of the pellicle from the offensive lambic adhered itself quite neatly to my thief and got into my other carboy. Eh...

simcoe4life said:

I break pellicles in my carboys all the time. One thing to consider though is that its best to sterilize your thief really really really good before attempting to sample from another sour carboy in the same session. I have a ridiculously sour, almost offense "lambic" going right now that has gotten way to funked for my taste, and somehow that taste found its way into another "lambic" carboy that was not spiked with the same bugs. I think some of the pellicle from the offensive lambic adhered itself quite neatly to my thief and got into my other carboy. Eh...

Click to expand...

This is why the world needs some sort of stainless wine thief that we can cook in an oven to sterilize. Don't those manufacturers know what we're dealing with here?

They make stainless turkey basters with silicone bulbs. I have one I got at Bed Bath and Beyond for like $10. You can do better than put it in the oven, you can pressure cook it.

Munsoned said:

This is why the world needs some sort of stainless wine thief that we can cook in an oven to sterilize. Don't those manufacturers know what we're dealing with here?

Click to expand...

Nice. Stainless steel would be a huge help. Maybe then I wouldn't leave my thief in a bucket of iodophor for hours on end!

Ryan_PA said:

You can do better than put it in the oven, you can pressure cook it.

Click to expand...

Could you microwave a glass one?

simcoe4life said:

Nice. Stainless steel would be a huge help. Maybe then I wouldn't leave my thief in a bucket of iodophor for hours on end!

Click to expand...

Not a wine thief, per se, but it serves the same purpose:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/stainless-steel-baster.html

Munsoned said:

This is why the world needs some sort of stainless wine thief that we can cook in an oven to sterilize. Don't those manufacturers know what we're dealing with here?

Click to expand...

I'm thinking a length of tube attached to the stainless part up to the injector pump.

I sample with my racking cane (I'm cheap). I just immerse one end and suck on the other end (with my mouth) to draw liquid up, block air with my tongue, and pour into a glass waiting in the other hand. Small samples, but it's good for tasting (not enough for a hydro sample). AHS sells a stainless steel racking canes that can be autoclaved, and I've considered getting one for ease of mind when messing with brett/bugs.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=10089

The turkey baster is probably a better idea because you can't get your spit in your beer on accident.