Need ideas for dealing with acetic sour

[TheMadKing]

So my homebrew club got a wild hare and decided they wanted to make a barrel aged sour.

Long story short the mixture of bugs they threw in resulted in a 10% abv stout that became acetic at the same rate that it became sour and then it was left in the oak barrel for way too long. It's basically salad dressing at this point.

I have 2.5 gallons of this mess and I'm looking for ideas on what to do with it.

Imagine a Flanders Red that has gone overly acetic and been mixed with just a hint of nail polish.

I'm thinking of blending it to see if I can make a passable Flanders, but I'm also considering letting it become more malt vinegary and making fish and chips

All ideas appreciated!

 

[mashpaddled]

The amount of not acetic beer you would need to blend away the problems in this beer would require you to brew an enormous volume by comparison. You probably need 20+ gallons just to make it palatable. Acetic acid is not easily hidden.

I think you are better off getting a vinegar mother and unload it into that beer and make some really interesting malt vinegar. I'd rather have 2.5 gallons of really nice vinegar than 25 gallons of not so great beer. Vinegar has all kinds of great culinary uses but bad beer is just something to power through.

 

[RPh_Guy]

a hint of nail polish

This is going to be a problem, even if you decide to make vinegar. Ethyl acetate will probably increase with additional oxygen exposure.

I'd consider that a drain pour, however it might be useful for blending, in small amounts (3-4% or so).

 

[Soulshine2]

So my homebrew club got a wild hare and decided they wanted to make a barrel aged sour.

Long story short the mixture of bugs they threw in resulted in a 10% abv stout that became acetic at the same rate that it became sour and then it was left in the oak barrel for way too long. It's basically salad dressing at this point.

I have 2.5 gallons of this mess and I'm looking for ideas on what to do with it.

Imagine a Flanders Red that has gone overly acetic and been mixed with just a hint of nail polish.

I'm thinking of blending it to see if I can make a passable Flanders, but I'm also considering letting it become more malt vinegary and making fish and chips

All ideas appreciated!

I think I would try some as a meat marinade . Beef cubes . Like an Irish stew-like recipe.

 

[TheMadKing]

I think I would try some as a meat marinade . Beef cubes . Like an Irish stew-like recipe.

That's a great idea!

 

[TheMadKing]

The amount of not acetic beer you would need to blend away the problems in this beer would require you to brew an enormous volume by comparison. You probably need 20+ gallons just to make it palatable. Acetic acid is not easily hidden.

I think you are better off getting a vinegar mother and unload it into that beer and make some really interesting malt vinegar. I'd rather have 2.5 gallons of really nice vinegar than 25 gallons of not so great beer. Vinegar has all kinds of great culinary uses but bad beer is just something to power through.

Well if I did go the blending route, I wouldn't be trying to hide the acetic completely. Right now its only borderline unpalatable, and a Flanders Red is supposed to be just slightly acetic anyway so I thought I might be able to blend it down with a 2:1 mixture with something else - but as said above, I think the ethyl acetate will be the nail in the coffin

 

[couchsending]

Ever had a shrub? I’d bet you could use that acetic beer in place of the vinegar and make some interesting slightly alcoholic beverage out of it...

 

[TheMadKing]

Ever had a shrub? I’d bet you could use that acetic beer in place of the vinegar and make some interesting slightly alcoholic beverage out of it...

Nope I had to Google that but it sounds interesting thanks!