Mashed Way Too Long!

[smata67]

So I lost track of time and when I finally got to the tun, discovered a faint sour smell. Note to self: mashing for 20 hours is way too long! The wort doesn't taste bad, but neither is it the sweet elixir we are used to patting ourselves on the back for after a successful mash. Not sweet, not sour. But the grain bed has a faint not pleasant aroma so I'm aborting the original plan and throwing together a frankenstein brew with 7 year old hops and old packets of yeast. I'm going to end up with about 80 IBUs to help mask things, the grain bill was for Pliny the Elder, so fairly light. Not interested in steeping some dark grains to help cover up any possible off odors. Anyway, would like to hear if this has happened to others and how things went. I think its going to be at least ok. Bittering with Nugget and Amarillo for flavor. Kicking myself for my negligence, but not up to just pouring out and covering up my crime.

 

[day_trippr]

Can only guess the lactobacillus woke up with a start and got busy...

 

[hottpeper13]

Sounds like you're on the way to a Berliner Weiss. Drop the IBU's down and enjoy the sour.

 

[AlexKay]

Sounds like you're on the way to a Berliner Weiss. Drop the IBU's down and enjoy the sour.

I agree. Lean into it and pitch some Philly Sour.

Don't overdo the bitterness at all, as sour and bitter is generally not a pleasant combination. Sour and hop aroma, on the other, can be very nice, especially if you have fruitier New World hops.

You've probably already gone ahead and finished the beer, but the next time (or, more realistically, for the next person who finds this thread on Google) this happens, if you don't want a sour, I'm not sure I see a problem with simply adjusting the pH up after the mash. Calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) would be optimal for this, but sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) would probably be fine. Lactate itself is nearly tasteless, and the bacteria probably haven't made too many side products, so my guess is that if you can fix the acidity, you might not even know the difference. Never tried it, though. Perhaps others will weigh in.