How long does KETTLE soured beer (Flemish red) last?

[zonkman]

I'm planning on doing the Heiress De Bourgogne AG kit from Northern Brewer: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2785/6868/t/3/assets/AG-HeiressDeBourgogne-1526921913203.pdf

It's a kettle soured version of a Flemish red. Duchess De Bourgogne is one of my favorites.

But how long will this kettle soured bad boy last once bottled? Same as regular lacto-in-fermenter brews? I.e. Years? I've got an event 6 months out from brew day.

Thanks!

 

[Kealia]

I can't answer your question as I'm just now doing my first kettle-soured Berliner Weiss but I can thank you for posting this recipe! My wife (and I) love that beer and this just went into my "must brew" queue!

 

[zonkman]

Yeah, it looks like a good one! I'd also love to find a good Oud Bruin (kettle sour) recipe.

 

[IslandLizard]

Just an observation, kettle soured ales like those are NOTHING like the Red Flanders, Oud Bruins, or Lambics they advertise them to be. They deserve a good slap for that deception.

Not saying they won't be good drinkable beer, but they'll miss the complexity from a proper sour fermentation, which can take a year, occasionally shorter, but often longer.

To answer your question, kettle sours don't age well, they surely don't get better with time. If your intention is to leave them to age for years, you're much better off investing that time with a real Red Flanders, Oud Bruin, p-Lambic etc. They only get better with age.

In the meantime, while your long term sours are slowly coming of age, enjoy those kettle sours while they're fresh.

 

[zonkman]

Many thanks for the input. Indeed, not expecting an equally complex beer by any means. For a bunch of reasons - e.g. moving - I was wondering purely about the longevity of a kettle sour. Good to know it doesn't last well.

 

[bigdawg86]

I don't know the longevity of a sour, but I did brew that beer as a extract kit from NB! It was fantastic! I think I got down to around 3.4 and it was refreshingly tart... I felt the beer could use a little more character but I never got a chance to brew it with changes (like fruit in secondary). Eitherway, my keg didn't last but a couple weeks!

 

[IslandLizard]

Many thanks for the input. Indeed, not expecting an equally complex beer by any means. For a bunch of reasons - e.g. moving - I was wondering purely about the longevity of a kettle sour. Good to know it doesn't last well.

They'll be good for at least 2-3 months, some possibly longer, perhaps depending on what's in them. If you made them hoppy (using dry hops, low bitterness), which is one of my prefered ways, once the hops start to fade you end up you with a weird off kilter "beer." They're simply best, fresh!

I think oxidation also kills them quickly.
Usually there's little need for a secondary vessel, unless you intend to keep it in there for more than 2-3 months. Most fruit can be added to a primary. Keep them submerged by careful swirling, slightly stirring or pushing them under every few days so they stay covered with beer. This is to prevent mold and other organisms from growing. Flush the headspace with CO2.

 

[zonkman]

Any other suggestions (other than high gravity) for a beer that will last 5 months in the bottle after 1 month ferment? Also have Yooper's oatmeal stout on my list. Will that last until December?

 

[IslandLizard]

Any other suggestions (other than high gravity) for a beer that will last 5 months in the bottle after 1 month ferment? Also have Yooper's oatmeal stout on my list. Will that last until December?

The hoppier a beer, the worse it fares over time due to oxygen exposure and/or aging.

Darker and stronger beers are very suitable for bottle aging, they are likely to improve, or change to a more mature version of it, which is part of a beer's life journey. Just do everything you can to avoid oxidizing the beer during and after fermentation (and even before), see our LODO thread, especially when racking to a another vessel, bottling bucket or keg. Closed transfers (under CO2) would be best, but not always easy to attain.

When bottling, cap on foam is the main directive. The little bit of oxygen that may have slipped in during that process should be used up by the yeast during the carbonation process, which is basically a small refermentation.

I'm sure there are many articles and threads around on this very topic.