First Sour Mash - Looking for some suggestions

[BryceL]

Hey guys, I'm just looking for some inspiration and suggestions for a sour mash beer that I've been working on. This was my first attempt and a sour mash, and quite honestly I threw the recipe together on a whim with grains I had laying around. I'd call it somewhere in the realm of an Sour English Blonde Ale. I soured 100% of the mash just shy of 3 days, boiled it with some 2 year old EKG hops, and fermented it with US-05.

It's been in primary for about 3 weeks now. It's definitely got a good up front sour punch to it (with a bit of funk as well), but then the flavor/complexity is pretty lack luster. I'm looking for some ideas on what to do with this beer to kick it up a notch. I'm thinking maybe wine soaked oak cubes, or maybe even some fruit in secondary. I've also thought of pitching some Brett, but I'm not sure I want to wait on it. Any thoughts on what could compliment this beer?

 

[Thorpe429]

You could add some fruit to give some extra character, and potentially also add a little more acidity. If it's essentially a somewhat sour blonde and the English hops aren't too dominant, something that I think works quite well is fruit with dry hops. Mango and Citra is an excellent combo.

If you want something more subdued, then Brett could be a good option after it finishes primary. I know you said you don't want to wait too long, but Brett doesn't take all that long to chew through a few extra gravity points.

 

[BryceL]

Mango sounds interesting, I could see that pairing well with it. Have you used mango yourself before? If you have, any insight into how much to use and how to add it to secondary?

I'm really leaning toward using some kind of fruit addition and then if it's still not where I want it to be I can always throw in some Brett and let it sit for a while.

 

[Thorpe429]

Mango sounds interesting, I could see that pairing well with it. Have you used mango yourself before? If you have, any insight into how much to use and how to add it to secondary?

I'm really leaning toward using some kind of fruit addition and then if it's still not where I want it to be I can always throw in some Brett and let it sit for a while.

Yes, I've used mango and really enjoy it. Just peel and then chop into chunks. 1lb/gallon will give a noticeable character, and 2lb/gallon will be a fairly strong mango presence.

Makes sense on the Brett. If you ferment out the mango and like how it tastes, you can just stick with that. If it still isn't quite there, Brett will still find plenty to work with.

Best of luck!

 

[BryceL]

Great, I might just give the mango a shot. Thanks!