First Sour attempt

[oscarjets]

I am about to embark on a sour wit for my first sour attempt. I am going to brew the base beer this weekend. For the souring purposes there will be very little hops (.2 oz of magnum at 60 minutes, about 10 IBU's). My plan is to pitch Belgian Wit yeast (Wyeast 3944) as usual, I have a starter going and should have lots of healthy yeast going in. Then 12 days into fermentation pitch Lacto brevis and Brett Brux. I will let it age in the carboy for 3 to 4 months. Lastly my plan is to add 5.3 oz of dextrose to prime to about 2.75 vols CO2.

Should I be making a starter for either or both the lacto and/or brett? From my research so far it seems if it is being used as a secondary fermentation then a starter is not necessary. Any experiences or recommendations would be welcome.

Should I rack the beer off the belgian wit yeast prior to adding the lacto/Brett combo or just let it all ride?

Do I need to add any additional yeast for bottling after letting it age for 3-4 months?

Any feedback is much appreciated, thank you in advance.

 

[Craigmn]

You could back down on the magnum just a little more, you’re right near the limit for some lacto. you can just add the lacto and Brett right into primary, but either way I think you’ll need longer than 3-4 months. My first sour took a year to get to where I thought t should be

 

[oscarjets]

That’s good to know, thanks Craigmn. I’ll keep in mind that longer may be necessary.