First Funky Beer

[tarmenel]

Hi there,
I'm in the process of getting some lacto and brett. I'm in Israel so finding it is a bit harder. I've been trying to perfect my Berliner Weisse but now I want to step up to something a bit more funky. What would you suggest as a first 6 month to a year sour. I'll be keeping it at 18C over that time and just looking for a first time beer that will be pretty full proof.

 

[sweetcell]

so the lacto and brett are what you have to work with? what are the sources (manufacturers) of those bugs? the type of bugs you have might affect process recommendations...

 

[tarmenel]

Was away the weekend. Sorry about the delay. The Brett is Brett-L and there's also a Roselare mix and another homegrown sour mix. I got this from a friend and the source manufacturer is a bit hazy. I'm just getting started with sours so looking for a recipe that I can throw these into that will give me some result within six months.

 

[sweetcell]

Was away the weekend. Sorry about the delay. The Brett is Brett-L and there's also a Roselare mix and another homegrown sour mix. I got this from a friend and the source manufacturer is a bit hazy. I'm just getting started with sours so looking for a recipe that I can throw these into that will give me some result within six months.

are you going to mix all three together, or keep them separate?

brett L on its own, with no bugs, might be ready in 6 months. you'll have a funky beer but it won't be sour. the roesalare and the homegrown bugs are unlikely to be ready in 6 months. their gravities might be stable, maybe, but you they will likely benefit from a year or more to let the bugs do their thing.

in terms of a recipe, i am of the opinion that the recipe isn't that important. something along the lines of ~55% pilsner or two-row, ~45% wheat, last 10 percent for some optional character malts (aromatic, victory, munich) and acidulated. i add some malto-dextrine to ensure that the bugs have something to munch on in the long run, but there are other ways of getting complex sugars in the brew (turbid mash, steeping oats as the wort comes up to boil, adding some flour, etc.)

 

[tarmenel]

I'm thinking of rather using just one at a time. That way I can learn a bit more what each can do. Can always blend afterwards.

I'll try that recipe as it'll be quite cheap to produce a full grain version.
Thanks