Never ending fermentation?

[Zamial]

Alright I am VERY new to making sours. I seem to have been spending a good bulk of cash on them when I am out and feel semi-versed enough to know styles. I also am hoping to get "Wild Brews" for x-mas. My very 1st sour is going to get bottled in about a month as it is just about a year old. (It is not a particular style and was more for the fun of it.)

So I was paroosing the internet and ran across a brief discussion on a different board that was talking about taking a hoff stevens keg, yanking the spear, taking a tapered oak dowel that will get charred and hammered into place. This is supposedly covered in the "wild brews" book and I have 3 of these said kegs acting more like saw horses than equipment, they are all 1/2 bbls.

This has lead me to the question, "What if I take 7.5 gallons out every year, keg it then add in 7.5 more gallons of the same recipe?" Basically having a never ending supply of sour beers. IS this doable? Do/Have others done this?

Thanks!

 

[COLObrewer]

Am doing this with my Oud Bruin, I left some of the trub and the oak dowel from the previous batch and poured wort (newly fermented with sacc) into the fermentor (sanke). This was last year and I've yet to taste it.

 

[levifunk]

Yep, this is called Solera. Decently common, and a great way to "blend" old beer with younger, building complexity and character. Most report great results.

Also, for a commercial example, this is how NB does La Folie.

 

[Zamial]

Yep, this is called Solera. Decently common, and a great way to "blend" old beer with younger, building complexity and character. Most report great results.

Also, for a commercial example, this is how NB does La Folie.

Thanks! It is nice to know I am not far off the beaten path.