Need help with this Sour Blueberry Parfait recipe!

[Jordan Logo]

Hello All!

In my quest to clone Fieldwork Brewing Company's Blueberry Parfait, I think I've come up with a recipe that might get me kinda close, but I need some guidance...

Here's my recipe so far:

5.5 Gallon Batch - 5 Gallons Into Keg

60% Pils 2 Row Belgian (7lbs 14oz)
30% Wheat Malt Belgian (3lbs 14oz)
10% Flaked Oats (1lbs 5oz)

Safale US05 Co-Soured with 1 Gram Lallemand/Wildbrew Sour Pitch (Lactobacillus plantarum)

3lbs Frozen Blueberries added right before end of fermentation

Lactose?
Vanilla?


Here's Fieldwork's description on the beer:

So I have a few questions:

1. According to my current grain bill I'll have an estimated OG of 1.060 which should ferment down to give me an alcohol percentage of ~6.2%. What are your suggestions on this? I'm actually thinking of lowering my grain bill a bit as I'm sure the fruit will add to the gravity, and as per Fieldwork's site, the beer should sit around 6.4%abv.

2. What do you think about my grain bill %s? Would you change anything? Why?

3. How much lactose do you normally add to a beer like this? I'd like that "creamsicle" feel if you know what I'm getting at.

4. How much vanilla would be good for this as well? I was thinking of just adding 3-4 vanilla pods cut up along with the fruit.


Thanks for all the help if you got it! New to Sours so any help is appreciated.

 

[Jag75]

1. I'd stick with it . I've done Blueberry sours and frozen berries thawed will add water to your beer . It almost balances itself out . If you add dried fruit your abv goes up.

2. See #1 ^^^ lol . I use 70%2 row 30%white wheat .

3. I'd add 1# at the end of your boil.

4. I think 4 vanilla beans are good because that's what I've bumped my milkshake IPA and stouts up to so its detectable.

 

[Dgallo]

Fruit adds more water than sugar so your abv will actually go down so don’t worry. Keep how you’re going.

I make this style regularly and If I’m you, I’m using at least 1lb per gallon of blueberry for a sour. Sourness subdues the “fruit” character a bit and blueberries themselves have a more reserved flavor verses let’s say raspberries. I would even dryhop the beer with some mosaic hops (6 oz). It will add some depth and greatly help your head retention in a sour.

If your going to add lactose, you can literally add it at flame out. I say no more than a lb.

If your going for a parfait style sour or what I just call milkshake or Smoothie sours, my preference is 100% on vanilla. Vanilla yogurt is a major component of what your imitating so the lacto and vanilla will give you that flavor profile.

Make a tincture; 2 vanilla beans scrapped and diced in 2-3oz of high proof vodka. Make that about 10-14 days before kegging or Bottling and add then.

 

[Jag75]

Dgallo makes a good point. I agree with the amount of berries . I've been using 6#s in my 5 .5 gallon batch .

Also just a bit more info. I use Goodbellys Blueberry- Acai probiotic juice for the souring and it works excellent while providing great flavor.

 

[Jordan Logo]

Fruit adds more water than sugar so your abv will actually go down so don’t worry. Keep how you’re going.

I make this style regularly and If I’m you, I’m using at least 1lb per gallon of blueberry for a sour. Sourness subdues the “fruit” character a bit and blueberries themselves have a more reserved flavor verses let’s say raspberries. I would even dryhop the beer with some mosaic hops (6 oz). It will add some depth and greatly help your head retention in a sour.

If your going to add lactose, you can literally add it at flame out. I say no more than a lb.

If your going for a parfait style sour or what I just call milkshake or Smoothie sours, my preference is 100% on vanilla. Vanilla yogurt is a major component of what your imitating so the lacto and vanilla will give you that flavor profile.

Make a tincture; 2 vanilla beans scrapped and diced in 2-3oz of high proof vodka. Make that about 10-14 days before kegging or Bottling and add then.

what yeast/yeasts do you usually use for this style and how long does it usually take you? Really going for that parfait.

do you co-sour?

 

[Dgallo]

what yeast/yeasts do you usually use for this style and how long does it usually take you? Really going for that parfait.

do you co-sour?

Ive tried a few different methods of souring and co pitching seems to be by far the easiest. For my primary yeast I’ll use A20, 1318, Conan, or any of the Hornindal (you can run these 85+ so can copitch hotter which speeds up the culture). For cultures, I like Good Belly probiotic and Omega 605. 605 finishes with a lower ph for me.

On average, I would say I can finish lacto sours in about 7- 14 days longer than your typical beer. So 18+ days Grain to Class. That’s with kegging so added another 7+ days for bottle conditioning

 

[couchsending]

This is a kettle sour beer. You’re gonna co ferment Lacto and US05? Do you have dedicated gear for sour beers? If not I wouldn’t coferment. I’d kettle sour it then ferment with US05.

That Wild Pitch lacto is strong. Might only take 12 hours or so depending on temps.

Have you degassed one of these? Gonna go out on a limb here and guess it finishes around 1.030. Most of these “style” of fruited, lactose heavy kettle sours finish that high or higher. I’d adjust your recipe/mash temp accordingly. I’d shoot for a starting gravity of at least 1.076. I’d also bump the oats to closer to 20%. It’s gonna be hard to get the US05 to stop that high but the lactose should help.

Again never having that beer but based off what I’ve heard about similar beer and that description you’re gonna need at least 2-3#/gallon to achieve what they are going for in that beer. The color description and mouthfeel notes especially. Personally I’ve never used blueberries but they’re rather acidic based on what I can find. If you’re gonna kettle sour it I’d maybe aim a little higher on the pH target. Like 3.6-3.7 maybe before you start your boil?

If you can get one of these beers (any of the parfait series), degassed it, and measure some of the stats (like pH and gravity) you would have a much easier time replicating it.

2 Vanilla pods after fermentation should be enough. No need to do a tincture, just scrape chop and toss em in. Not sure on extraction times. You’d need to sample it along the way until it’s to your taste. Not sure how strong the vanilla is in these beers.

 

[Jag75]

When doing a co - sour you dont need seperate equipment. Just clean as normal. The co pitch is simple and effective. I use WLP644.

 

[RPh_Guy]

This is a kettle sour beer. You’re gonna co ferment Lacto and US05? Do you have dedicated gear for sour beers? If not I wouldn’t coferment. I’d kettle sour it then ferment with US05.

L. plantarum has no risk of containing any other beers. It's extremely hop sensitive and basic cleaning gets rid of it anyway.

I’d also bump the oats to closer to 20%.

That's what I suggested in his first thread about this.

 

[couchsending]

I still wouldn’t bother with a Copitch of lacto and yeast for a beer like this if you have the ability to kettle sour. If it was a beer where you wanted more depth and complexity from the lacto then yeah I get it. This is all about massive amounts of fruit and vanilla and lactose. If successful kettle souring is beyond the scope of your brewing abilities/gear then yes Co Pitch.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I still wouldn’t bother with a Copitch of lacto and yeast for a beer like this if you have the ability to kettle sour. If it was a beer where you wanted more depth and complexity from the lacto then yeah I get it. This is all about massive amounts of fruit and vanilla and lactose. If successful kettle souring is beyond the scope of your brewing abilities/gear then yes Co Pitch.

???

Check out the sticky:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/fast-souring-modern-methods.670176/
And this fruit beer recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/really-easy-fruit-sour.675345/

People love fruit beers they've made with a co-souring method.

 

[couchsending]

We’ll agree to disagree

 

[Spin711]

I’m looking to brew something similar as well. I agree with @couchsending in the fact that the FG is probably north of 1.030 and probably a good idea to make the vanilla play a supporting role, not dominate. I would like a whipped cream flavor to come through but not quite sure how to achieve it with lactose and vanilla additions.

I usually use US-05 for my kettle sours but would be interested in seeing how other strains would perform.

I’m also going to try wheat, oat malt, and some flaked oats.

 

[Dgallo]

I’m looking to brew something similar as well. I agree with @couchsending in the fact that the FG is probably north of 1.030 and probably a good idea to make the vanilla play a supporting role, not dominate. I would like a whipped cream flavor to come through but not quite sure how to achieve it with lactose and vanilla additions.

I usually use US-05 for my kettle sours but would be interested in seeing how other strains would perform.

I’m also going to try wheat, oat malt, and some flaked oats.

Why would his fg be so high? That’s like a milk stout gravity

 

[couchsending]

Why would his fg be so high? That’s like a milk stout gravity

Cause that’s the FG of so many of these “types” of beers.

Great Notion’s Blueberry Muffin is a perfect example and at least the closest thing I know of to what the OP wants to make.

 

[Dgallo]

Cause that’s the FG of so many of these “types” of beers.

Great Notion’s Blueberry Muffin is a perfect example and at least the closest thing I know of to what the OP wants to make.

Well living in NY and having easy access to Hudson Valley brewing, who is arguably the best currently making this style, I’ve yet to degas a beer that is above 1.023

I’m right around 1.020 with using a lb of lactose when I brew these

 

[couchsending]

Well living in NY and having easy access to Hudson Valley brewing, who is arguably the best currently making this style, I’ve yet to degas a beer that is above 1.023

I’m right around 1.020 with using a lb of lactose when I brew these

what Hudson Valley makes and what this beer looks to be are rather different and the method of producing them is rather different. I too have degasssd some HV beers and they were 1.024 and 1.026. They’re blending barrel aged acid beer into a fruited IPA. That fruited IPA has to be over 1.030 before it gets the acid beer blended in.

Regardless if it’s 1.024 or 1.030 the point is that the FG gravity should be rather high if you want to make something that fits the description of this beer.

 

[Jordan Logo]

This is a kettle sour beer. You’re gonna co ferment Lacto and US05? Do you have dedicated gear for sour beers? If not I wouldn’t coferment. I’d kettle sour it then ferment with US05.

That Wild Pitch lacto is strong. Might only take 12 hours or so depending on temps.

Have you degassed one of these? Gonna go out on a limb here and guess it finishes around 1.030. Most of these “style” of fruited, lactose heavy kettle sours finish that high or higher. I’d adjust your recipe/mash temp accordingly. I’d shoot for a starting gravity of at least 1.076. I’d also bump the oats to closer to 20%. It’s gonna be hard to get the US05 to stop that high but the lactose should help.

Again never having that beer but based off what I’ve heard about similar beer and that description you’re gonna need at least 2-3#/gallon to achieve what they are going for in that beer. The color description and mouthfeel notes especially. Personally I’ve never used blueberries but they’re rather acidic based on what I can find. If you’re gonna kettle sour it I’d maybe aim a little higher on the pH target. Like 3.6-3.7 maybe before you start your boil?

If you can get one of these beers (any of the parfait series), degassed it, and measure some of the stats (like pH and gravity) you would have a much easier time replicating it.

2 Vanilla pods after fermentation should be enough. No need to do a tincture, just scrape chop and toss em in. Not sure on extraction times. You’d need to sample it along the way until it’s to your taste. Not sure how strong the vanilla is in these beers.

interesting... id love to hear your take on a recipe based on this beer. I’m trying to get an idea on the %s of base malt, and what type of base malt to use on this type of beer, along with hops, if any at all, and what IBU range to dial into. Not much dialogue on this style of beer as it’s so new to the scene.

btw, I’m also able to kettle sour as i have an electric system. Any gold articles you can link me to for this so I can learn how to do it?

 

[Jag75]

Co pitching you dont need seperate equipment. I use WLP644 or Imperial citrus and have used US05 in co pitch. There is less risk in co pitching. For the souring I use goodbellys. Check out this stuff . Has some good info .

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Soured_Fruit_Beer

 

[dannowatts]

Hello All!

In my quest to clone Fieldwork Brewing Company's Blueberry Parfait, I think I've come up with a recipe that might get me kinda close, but I need some guidance...

Here's my recipe so far:

5.5 Gallon Batch - 5 Gallons Into Keg

60% Pils 2 Row Belgian (7lbs 14oz)
30% Wheat Malt Belgian (3lbs 14oz)
10% Flaked Oats (1lbs 5oz)

Safale US05 Co-Soured with 1 Gram Lallemand/Wildbrew Sour Pitch (Lactobacillus plantarum)

3lbs Frozen Blueberries added right before end of fermentation

Lactose?
Vanilla?


Here's Fieldwork's description on the beer:
View attachment 676547


So I have a few questions:

1. According to my current grain bill I'll have an estimated OG of 1.060 which should ferment down to give me an alcohol percentage of ~6.2%. What are your suggestions on this? I'm actually thinking of lowering my grain bill a bit as I'm sure the fruit will add to the gravity, and as per Fieldwork's site, the beer should sit around 6.4%abv.

2. What do you think about my grain bill %s? Would you change anything? Why?

3. How much lactose do you normally add to a beer like this? I'd like that "creamsicle" feel if you know what I'm getting at.

4. How much vanilla would be good for this as well? I was thinking of just adding 3-4 vanilla pods cut up along with the fruit.


Thanks for all the help if you got it! New to Sours so any help is appreciated.

how'd this turn out, what were the results with or without everyone's feedback? interested in hearing!