Sour Noob: What to do with this-

I brewed a Pale Ale about 2-3 months ago that I've been neglecting doing anything with in primary. I had intended to keg it, but my setup isn't quite tuned yet. I decided this evening that I would rack it to secondary and pitch some sour dregs on it and let it go for a year because I have other beers I am more interested in working on.

Low and behold, I uncovered the carboy and it has a fully developed pellicle already- ironic. Here's my dilemma, it is still sitting on a bunch of sacc and pellet hop trub, will it be okay to stay there or should I rack it?

The recipe was:

7.5lbs. MO
7.5lbs. 2-Row
2oz. Glacier @ 60
2oz. Glacier @ 15
2oz. Hersbrucker @ 60
2oz. Hersbrucker @ 15
American Ale II yeast

I will attach infection pics later

best to let it sit for 6 months to a year

lumpher said:

best to let it sit for 6 months to a year

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Even with the hop and sacc trub in it? That's surprising, and good

You should rack it off the trub, unless it is a lambic.

I also fear that the IBU of that beer is too high for the bacteria.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

Same here with the hops. I usually like to pitch from primary on so I personally would add 8oz of malto dextrin for the bacteria to eat.

boostsr20 said:

Same here with the hops. I usually like to pitch from primary on so I personally would add 8oz of malto dextrin for the bacteria to eat.

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As opposed to racking or in addition to?

In addition to.

Ok, cool

Eh, I would disagree with most posters. First I would taste it, wild bacteria is fairly resistant to IBU's its only the wimpy WY/WL strains of lactobacillus that quiver in the face of IBU's.
Whatever you have in there was able to colonize the wort so the hopping isnt an issue

That said I would guess it was some form of oxidative yeast, so youll most likely have funk with minimal sourness. I think some dank funkiness with your hopping should be fine. Thats why I really suggest tasting it, if you like the direction its heading let it ride, if the taste is bad, well then its up to you but bad beer + just about anything = bad beer

I wouldnt worry about racking it either, it will help the funk. As to needing to feed it, you could, but obviously whats in there is already feeding on something, I would let it ride for awhile see what it gets you, if its not strong enough then I would feed it

If your really letting it set for a year, I'd rack it onto some French oak to save the bugs but it's all a matter of personal preference.

Here is a pic of the infection, ill taste it tonight

Tasted it and it tasted like a fantastic flat English Brown, what I had originally wanted, but now kinda disappointed. I went ahead and pitched some Cantillon dregs and a vial of WL Belgian Sour Blend, we'll see what happens

Just an update.

The beer is coming along nicely. The smell is already that of a good Belgian lambic or sour barley Grand Cru, the flavor is lagging a bit behind. I don't think that much of the enjoyable cider vinegar flavor or acidity has quite developed. I figure I will let it go until October and then bottle condition it.

I did the same thing with a SMaSH that got infected due to a dried out airlock. I was going to dump it but my fiancee made me keep it so we added 3lbs of raspberry puree and Wyeast lambic blend and its been sitting for about 3 months now. Haven't tasted it yet but I might in a month or so.