Pellicle did not form

[Kershner_Ale]

I pitched the Roselare blend into a Flanders Red a month ago. OG was at 1.024 when I pitched the bugs. No pellicle of any sort has formed yet. Too early to worry about it? Ambient temperature in the closet is around 64 F. Any thoughts?



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[metic]

A pellicle will only form if there is enough oxygen in your fermenter. You can make a great sour beer and never see any sign of one. Unless you have other reasons to think there might have been a problem with the packet of Roeselare, I would forget about it for 4-6 months and then taste a sample. But if you're worried, you could take a gravity reading now: it should have dropped some from 1.024.

 

[Coff]

You added the bugs at 1.024 which is plenty of sugar for them to work on, its likely that the culture is doing a good job of fermenting those sugars and creating just enough co2 to keep the o2 out.

This seems to be a common thread around here, kind of like the "its been 48 hours and no fermentation is my beer ruined?" threads. We should sticky that A pellicle is not an indication of a beer souring, only an indication of o2 in the headspace.

 

[metic]

I've been thinking it might be useful to have a FAQ sticky at the top of the forum for this kind of thing. Maybe a few of us could get together to write one?

 

[masonsjax]

Bugs take a while to get going anyway. I've got a Flanders Red going with Roeselare right now thats about 3 months old and doesn't have anything on the surface. I'm not sure if I'll get a pellicle or not. I have 2 other wild beers going that are both under 3 months old and neither have anything on their surface either.

 

[TrickyDick]

I have some funky stuff on the top of my floating currants. Looks white. The currants near the neck of the better bottle are piled up a bit higher and aren't floating as much as they are resting on top of the currants below them (which are floating). I've been opening the airlock from time to time to pitch dregs from a couple of bottles of sours. Not really a pellicle I don't think, but should this be cause for any concern?


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[Coff]

Should what be cause for concern? The white stuff or the floating currants? The white stuff is probably a pellicle, but its hard to say without a photo. But it doesnt sound like you have anything to be worried about.

One day you will look at that fermenter and the currants will still be floating, the next day they will all of a sudden dropped to the bottom, at least thats my experience.

 

[Kershner_Ale]

Thanks guys. I suspected it just needed time but with this being my first sour I didn't know how long it took for a pellicle to form (ie days or months).


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[MileHighBrewer]

it may never form one. you also may not get the character you want from Roes on the first pitch, or it may take a LONG time to get there. do you get Jolly Pumpkin up there in AK? you could add some dregs and get things moving along nicely. possibly some Anchorage brett dregs too, what I have tasted from them makes me want to toss some in a beer. I have tasted a lot of one dimensional sour homebrews done with just Roeselare, I suggest adding bottle dregs from a commercially available sour to increase complexity. however, when you are thinking about getting ready to take your current beer off the bugs and transfer or keg/bottle....plan ahead, brew another sour base and pitch THAT onto your current bugs. Roeselare gets stronger on re-pitching

 

[Kob]

If you really want a pellicle, take your airlock off for a few min and let more O2 in. All the pellicle is for is to prevent O2 from getting in the beer.


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[Kershner_Ale]

it may never form one. you also may not get the character you want from Roes on the first pitch, or it may take a LONG time to get there. do you get Jolly Pumpkin up there in AK? you could add some dregs and get things moving along nicely. possibly some Anchorage brett dregs too, what I have tasted from them makes me want to toss some in a beer. I have tasted a lot of one dimensional sour homebrews done with just Roeselare, I suggest adding bottle dregs from a commercially available sour to increase complexity. however, when you are thinking about getting ready to take your current beer off the bugs and transfer or keg/bottle....plan ahead, brew another sour base and pitch THAT onto your current bugs. Roeselare gets stronger on re-pitching

Cool, good info. I occasionally find Jolly Pumpkin up here, will save some dregs next time.


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[Kershner_Ale]

If you really want a pellicle, take your airlock off for a few min and let more O2 in. All the pellicle is for is to prevent O2 from getting in the beer.


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Yep, have removed the airlock a couple times. This being my first sour I'm happy just letting it be and seeing what results. I do know one thing, I need more carboys to set aside for sours so I don't tie up fermenter space for my regular brewing operation.


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