Dealing with a ropey sour

[TheCrackpot]

I've got a golden sour that I brewed a month and a half ago. It's taken on a very tart and pleasing flavor already. My plan was to transfer it to a barrel today as well as throw the slurry in some jars and use it in a week or two for another sour.

However, the beer is pretty ropey right now. Is there anything I should worry about when it comes to moving it to a different vessel? How about saving slurry from a ropey beer?

Should I leave it alone for nowor proceed with my plans?

 

[BGBC]

Should be fine to proceed. I've racked a ropey beer before and it turned out fine. As long as there is brett in your mixed culture you should be good.

Also fine to reuse the slurry.

Is the barrel empty now? Or still full? If empty, I'd definitely say fill er up. Probably more important to fill the barrel than to let the ropey beer age in place.

 

[TheCrackpot]

Yes there is brett in the culture (Sour Solera from Bootleg Biology).

Thanks

 

[Sippin37]

I brewed around the same time with the same strain, mine is also ropey. Tasting fantastic though! Can't wait to bottle half and put the other on some fruit.

 

[secondbase]

My sour solera blend (#2) had a crazy primary and is now going through a nasty ropey phase. I am loving how both of these Bootleg solera blends have behaved so far. Incredibly aggressive and interesting. Go ahead and rack it and use the slurry normally. It won't affect it negatively.

 

[TheCrackpot]

Is the barrel empty now? Or still full? If empty, I'd definitely say fill er up. Probably more important to fill the barrel than to let the ropey beer age in place.

I had just emptied it before tasting the ropey beer. I went ahead and racked it.

My sour solera blend (#2) had a crazy primary and is now going through a nasty ropey phase. I am loving how both of these Bootleg solera blends have behaved so far. Incredibly aggressive and interesting. Go ahead and rack it and use the slurry normally. It won't affect it negatively.

I, too, am surprised and pleased by how quickly it developed such a sour character. Admittedly, I am a complete novice when it comes to sours as this is only my second attempt at one. My first sour, brewed the week before, used Roeselare and it took off so fast in primary (~8hrs) that the complete lack of activity with this beer after 36hrs caused me to panic and toss in a pack of Belle Saison. So yours took off on its own in primary? I haven't tasted the Roeselare brew to see how it compares.

I brewed around the same time with the same strain, mine is also ropey. Tasting fantastic though! Can't wait to bottle half and put the other on some fruit.

I also plan on putting some of this on fruit. With the way it's tasting already, I think I'll be able to bottle it sooner than I had originally planned.

 

[secondbase]

I, too, am surprised and pleased by how quickly it developed such a sour character. Admittedly, I am a complete novice when it comes to sours as this is only my second attempt at one. My first sour, brewed the week before, used Roeselare and it took off so fast in primary (~8hrs) that the complete lack of activity with this beer after 36hrs caused me to panic and toss in a pack of Belle Saison. So yours took off on its own in primary? I haven't tasted the Roeselare brew to see how it compares.

It took two days until I saw some real activity but it had a blow-off tube on fermenting violently for almost a week after the initial lag. It was insane!

How long are you planning on leaving it in the barrel?

 

[TheCrackpot]

I have it in my head that I'll leave it in the barrel for a few months but I guess I really don't know. I've only used the barrel for clean beers up to this point and I've never left anything in there for more than 5-6 weeks. As sour as this one tasted already, I might pull it out sooner than I had originally planned.

How long does it typically take for a ropey beer to clean up?

 

[secondbase]

Anywhere from a week to a couple months. But I usually see it clear up within 2-3 weeks. I've noticed it takes a while for good Brett character to come through, as Brett works slowly at a lower pH. I'd probably leave it in the barrel through the summer and add some fruit this fall or winter, depending on how the beer is tasting.

 

[TheCrackpot]

Ahhh, I didn't think about brett working slower at a lower pH. Like I said, I'm a novice.

I'll probably give it a taste in a few months and possibly move it into a carboy if it isn't ready yet. I'm fearful of over oaking it.