I think I need a blender

[LEWGAN]

First time poster long time time lurker. Loads of great info here.

This is only kinda my first proper sour apart from a saison with TYB Brussels and TYB farmhouse sour which didn't get very sour as I didn't let it get to warm.

I've got a golden sour going which is the rare barrel grain bill ibus of 3-5 with some old willamette that were stored in the freezer. Yeast bay melange as my weapon which I woke up up with a IL starter at the time the bulk of the ferment was at 21c, sorry about C I'm in cold wet Scotland.

Fast forward to now 4.5 months later it's down to 1004 from 1048 it's been at 1004 for 2 months now crystal clear but I was expecting a bit of funk instead of straight sour which it is now. It is not nail polish or vinegar and not detectable nasty smelling. There is pelicle there which took a while to get going so the Brett is working away.

Would it be advisable to make another golden and up the ibus to 15-20 and blend it down or just leave it to run its course.

Also brewed up the red rare barrel and reused the melange slurry into that which doesn't as much sourness but I upped the ibus to 10 which is probably 2 months old now.

Thanks Jamie

 

[coypoo]

Are you saying the original gold sour with Melange is too sour? If so, you could brew another golden with some saison yeast and brett to hopefully get a "funkier" beer without the acidity and then blend to taste. If you add both the sacc and brett from the start, hopefully you can have something to blend in a couple-few months depending on the FG of the second one (if you're kegging)

 

[LEWGAN]

Thanks for the reply.

I could drink it but I would like other people to try instead of there generic yellow fizzy water.

I'm perhaps thinking that i have to use the melange again but I don't have to use it again. Thats the joy of blending although I've never done it. But I'm sure it will be a learning curve or a steep plummet

I don't have saison yeast on hand but I have 002, 830, 029 slurry but I'm also building up TYB amalgamation that I have no idea what I was going to make a pale with but this could be the perfect opportunity to use it.

 

[coypoo]

Yeah you could try a 100% amalgamation and then blend that with the acid beer

 

[LEWGAN]

I've got the amalgamation up to 1.5L on the stir plate. Would that be enough for a 5 gallon batch or would I bump it up again.

Here's a possibly silly question the erlenmeyer will be fine as in for reusing for clean starters as the heat will kill any Brett off but I'm asuming the stir bar will be dodgy for clean starters now

 

[LEWGAN]

Here's my amalgamation 24 hrs on the stir plate going to switch it off now

 

[coypoo]

I would think 1.5L would be good enough. The flask would be fine to reuse bc you'll boil between the next sacc yeast. As for the stir bar, may be dicey. You could try soak in bleach or something or just buy a sour only bar

 

[LEWGAN]

Pretty much thought the flask would be fine as of the boiling and the stir bar will be put to the side for funky occasions only

 

[jfolks]

Amalgamation works really great at low-ish pitch rates - the stress forces the Brett to really go to funky town. 1.5 liter starter should be fine

 

[LEWGAN]

The starter is clearing now should I chill and decant or just pitch it all in the fermenter?

 

[jfolks]

Pitch it all without chilling. This way you get all the yeast in suspension too (brulosophy did an experiment and found no detectable off flavors from pitching the whole starter)