Funky Dirty Blonde

Funky Dirty Blonde (I also briefly considered Skanky Dirty Blonde):

Since this isn't yet a proven recipe, thought I'd start a thread here to share.

This was my first attempt at innoculating a sour mash. Mashed 6 lbs of pils in a 5 gallon cooler MLT, after 90 minutes let it cool to ~115 F, added about a quarter lb of pils malt and covered the surface of the mash with plastic wrap, sealed up the cooler, wrapped in blankets and left it for 3 days. I was also brewing an Oud Bruin and sharing the sour mash with that batch, so after 3 days I pulled a third of the sour mash out; definitely had that creamed corn scent others have mentioned getting from a sour mash. I did my main mash for this beer in another mash tun and mixed in the sour mash after pulling the first runnings prior to adding sparge water (double-batched sparged). Everything else about the brewday was normal process. I co-pitched a 1000 mL Witbier starter and a vial of WLP Brett C. I brewed this about 3 weeks ago, so I probably rack to a secondary carboy within the week and let it ride. I'm interested to see how this one will turn out.

Funky Dirty Blonde

malt & fermentables
% LB OZ Malt or Fermentable ppg °L
81% 9 0 Belgian Pils 37 2 ~
9% 1 0 Wheat Malt 39 2 ~
3% 0 6 Quaker Quick Oats 33 2 ~
2% 0 4 Corn Sugar (Dextrose) 46 0 ~
2% 0 4 Malto-Dextrin 43 6 ~
2% 0 4 Biscuit Malt 36 23 ~

Batch size: 5.0 gallons
Original Gravity: 1.066 measured
Final Gravity: 1.008 estimated
Color: 5° SRM (Yellow to Gold)
Mash Efficiency: 81% measured
Bitterness: 18.8 IBU

hops
use time oz variety form aa
boil 60 mins 1.25 Saaz pellet 3.5
boil 30 mins 0.25 Saaz pellet 3.5

Boil: 6.5 avg gallons for 90 minutes

yeast
Wyeast Belgian Witbier (3944)
Wyeast Brettanomyces Claussenii

Liking the name. Let us know how it turns out. Witbier yeast adds kind of a peppery thing going on to it. Hopefully the brett will take that edge off a little bit.

I'm actually hoping that just a bit of that spicy, peppery character remains. I had a few different Belgian strains banked and thought the wit may be interesting. But I'm assuming that the Brett will round out some of those belgian esthers over time.

I've also found that time and aging beers fermented with witbier yeast tends to round off those same tastes that show in the younger beer. For what it's worth, you may end up with a very mild wit with heavy brett character.

i'll happily accept that result and just rename it "the Skank".

I like the name....Ive been sitting on a name for a sour peach beer that Im brewing for SWMBO. She helped pick the peaches so I told her that I was gonna call it Ashley's Funky Peach

ryane said:

I like the name....Ive been sitting on a name for a sour peach beer that Im brewing for SWMBO. She helped pick the peaches so I told her that I was gonna call it Ashley's Funky Peach

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Nice double entendre. I believe Jean from Cantillon used similar 'feminine wordplay' for his apricot lambic Fou'Foune

The pellicle on this beer has been changing dramatically on a daily basis the past couple of weeks, pretty interesting.

How did this turn out?

Rys06Tbss said:

How did this turn out?

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Ahh, looks like I'd forgotten to update this thread.

It wasn't exactly what I was going for as it finished so low that it ended up being a sneaky 8% ish beer. I've actually only tasted 5-6 of these since it was bottled in June 2012, so I must have the better part of 2 cases stashed away somewhere.

From my last tasting notes: brilliantly clear, straw yellow color, fluffy white head at pour that recedes to spritzy carbonation. Nose is fruity, white grapes, peaches, apple, slight brett funk. Very tart and vinuous, only slight bitterness, a bit of bread, more white grapes, a little boozy as it warms. Sweetness only on front of tongue, giving way to crisp, dry body. Reminds me of a poor man's GI Sofie.

How long did you leave it on the funk for?

Rys06Tbss said:

How long did you leave it on the funk for?

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Looks like 8 months.