Imperial Sour and Sugar

[burninator]

I brewed up a big saison on Sunday night:

5.25 gallons into the carboy

7.5 lbs 2-Row
3.25 lbs White Wheat
1 lb Oats
0.25 lbs Light Munich

1 oz Cascade @ 10 mins

Mixed culture, harvested from this beer, consisting of Belle Saison, Crooked Stave and Orval dregs, and house wild sour culture.

My recipe also includes 1 lb of sugar, which I didn't add to the boil, for several reasons that seemed good, at the time. Fermentation kicked off less than 24 hours ago. What I'm wondering is whether it would be best to add the sugar now, while fermentation is active, or if I could coax a bit more funk out of the brett by adding my sugar once the sacc is done.

For what it's worth, I intend to leave this in the carboy until late winter to early spring of next year.

 

[m00ps]

i dont think it will matter too much when you add the sugar in terms of brett character development, since everything was pitched together. I'd just throw it in now because it will speed things up vs waiting until its nearly all fermented out

 

[burninator]

Ahh...so it really shouldn't matter, flavor-wise, at what point in the fermentation I add the sugar? If not, I'll go ahead and dissolve some and toss it in.

Fermentation has been fairly calm with this one, the airlock is active, with a bubble at least every second, but the krausen is thin (could be tired yeast, I suppose). Part of my concern was that adding sugar at the start might increase my risk of blow-off, but it looks like that won't be a concern.

 

[sweetcell]

or if I could coax a bit more funk out of the brett by adding my sugar once the sacc is done.

unlikely... funk comes from brett transforming sacch's byproducts into new by-products, not from brett fermenting sugar. that's why 100% brett beers are so clean and funk-free - they only have sugars there, no sacch by-products to funkify.

Ahh...so it really shouldn't matter, flavor-wise, at what point in the fermentation I add the sugar? If not, I'll go ahead and dissolve some and toss it in.

if anything, giving the brett access to sugar might slow down the funk since brett might prefer that over other things. by giving sacch access to all the sugar, you'll ensure maximum sacch by-products.

 

[burninator]

unlikely... funk comes from brett transforming sacch's byproducts into new by-products, not from brett fermenting sugar. that's why 100% brett beers are so clean and funk-free - they only have sugars there, no sacch by-products to funkify.


if anything, giving the brett access to sugar might slow down the funk since brett might prefer that over other things. by giving sacch access to all the sugar, you'll ensure maximum sacch by-products.

Well, I like where this one's going, then. I appreciate the feedback. That makes perfect sense, when you put it like that.

The beer's fermenting away, more than a month removed from brew day. The airlock smells magnificent, and I'm already thinking I'll rack half of it onto some kind of fruit in a couple of months...but what?

 

[sweetcell]

and I'm already thinking I'll rack half of it onto some kind of fruit in a couple of months...but what?

apricot, peach, raspberry and cherry are probably the most popular fruits but there are so many to choose from: grapes, pineapple, oranges/mandarins/etc., dragon fruit, etc.

i would wait and smell & taste the beer before making any fruiting decisions. depending what the brett & bugs do, something might jump out as "exactly what is needed." you might already have a bunch of fruity aromatics in there so choosing a fruit that complements it, or at least doesn't clash, would make sense

 

[burninator]

apricot, peach, raspberry and cherry are probably the most popular fruits but there are so many to choose from: grapes, pineapple, oranges/mandarins/etc., dragon fruit, etc.

i would wait and smell & taste the beer before making any fruiting decisions. depending what the brett & bugs do, something might jump out as "exactly what is needed." you might already have a bunch of fruity aromatics in there so choosing a fruit that complements it, or at least doesn't clash, would make sense

I really love the idea of peaches or apricots, but for this beer raspberries and plums are attractive, too.

I plan to take a sample sometime next month, and you're right that the appropriate fruit should make itself more obvious at that point.