Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer Really Easy Fruit Sour

[Gnomebrewer]

How many Swanson's Probiotics caps would you use when you co-pitch?

I use lallemand sourpitch. Based on other brewer's experiences in this thread, probiotic capsules can fail to sour (probably dead bacteria from mis-handling). I'd recommend a small (250 to 500mL) starter using a couple of capsules, to check that they're alive. Goodbelly shots seem to be more consistent.

 

[d_k_8]

If I wanted to try an extract version of this, would you recommend any steeping grains?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

You don't need steeping grains. Just a mix of pils and wheat extracts. If you want to steep, make it a partial mash instead - steep (mash) your pils malt at about 152F for an hour.

 

[d_k_8]

You don't need steeping grains. Just a mix of pils and wheat extracts. If you want to steep, make it a partial mash instead - steep (mash) your pils malt at about 152F for an hour.

thanks! One more question - if I wanted to add lactose, when would I add? During boil or after fermentation has started? (sorry, fairly newly returned to brewing and never done a sour or used lactose!) thinking about Foundation Brewing’s Double Stone Jam, which is delicious.

EDITED: nevermind!

 

[Docod44]

I brewed this and split it into two batches and racked one over raspberries and the other over blueberries. My SG was 1.014 when I split the batch over the fruit and after a day or so, airlock activity picked back up and my SG was measured at ~1.025 per batch. After a week the SG settled out around 1.020 and it hasn't changed at all after 3 consecutive readings however I'm still getting some very very sparse airlock activity. The total time over fruit will be two weeks as of tomorrow (8/22/2020), is this airlock activity just due to CO2 coming out of solution since the SG is stable? For reference, the batches have sat at ~82 degrees F for two weeks. The taste is great BTW, I'm really excited to bottle this!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I'd guess there's a problem with your gravity measurements - maybe due to the fruit not being fully mixed in (i.e. you just rack on top of fruit or add it gently to the fermenter). After two weeks on fruit, if the yeast was healthy and it was warm enough, it should be finished and ready to bottle.

 

[Docod44]

I'd guess there's a problem with your gravity measurements - maybe due to the fruit not being fully mixed in (i.e. you just rack on top of fruit or add it gently to the fermenter). After two weeks on fruit, if the yeast was healthy and it was warm enough, it should be finished and ready to bottle.

I was also thinking my gravity readings were off but I used both a refractometer and a hydrometer each time I measured. The readings were stable over a week for each (1.010 for both hydrometer readings and 1.020 for the refractometer). I'm going to keep it in the fermenters for another week, could only make it better!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I'm going to keep it in the fermenters for another week, could only make it better!

Not quite - extra time in the fermenter is a chance for Oxygen to do some damage. I think you should go ahead and bottle now.

 

[marc1]

I was also thinking my gravity readings were off but I used both a refractometer and a hydrometer each time I measured. The readings were stable over a week for each (1.010 for both hydrometer readings and 1.020 for the refractometer). I'm going to keep it in the fermenters for another week, could only make it better!

If you got 1.010 from hydrometer readings then it's likely done. Refractometers aren't accurate with alcohol in the solution.

 

[Docod44]

Not quite - extra time in the fermenter is a chance for Oxygen to do some damage. I think you should go ahead and bottle now.

I bottled today, thanks all for the feedback and reassurances!

 

[Docod44]

If you got 1.010 from hydrometer readings then it's likely done. Refractometers aren't accurate with alcohol in the solution.

I figured the reading wouldn't be accurate, I just wanted to see if there was any change between the refractometer readings one week apart. The hydrometer at least told me the true FG.

 

[bri11oh34d]

I just add Calcium chloride to get about 50ppm Calcium. No sulfate. I also like a bit of Sodium in these - about four grams of table salt for a five gallon batch.

Where do you add your 4g of table salt? In the mash?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

In the boil

 

[bri11oh34d]

In the boil

thanks...calcium chloride in the boil as well? or in the mash? sorry, i think thats my last question! Hoping to get started on this in the next hour!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

thanks...calcium chloride in the boil as well? or in the mash? sorry, i think thats my last question! Hoping to get started on this in the next hour!

Ask away - it's how we learn! I use the Calcium chloride across the mash water and sparge/boil, at a 'per gallon' rate. This is because, unlike table salt, it affects pH. It won't matter if it's all added to the mash or all added to the boil though.

 

[Neilyboy]

So I brewed up a batch of this last Saturday. 10 gallon batch split between two different 7 gallon fermonsters (figured I would knock the dust off these plastic fermenters for my sour batches). I unfortunately do not have any buckets or anything to xfer them into for secondary. So yesterday I dumped in 7lbs of frozen fruits (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry) into one of the 5 gallon batches. Prior to this fermentation had pretty much finished up. I was getting a bubble every now and again into my blowoff. I woke up this morning and checked on them to find that fermentation had taken back off in the new 5 gallon fruit bomb batch (for the wife). By not transferring to a secondary have I now created a problem? Will the finished batch be really dry?

I also have the second 5 gallon batch which I am wanting to do something with cucumber (trying to shoot for something like ten ton brewing cucumber crush - had it while in colorado and can not find it around here). I ordered a 12 oz bottle of this monin cucumber concentrated flavoring (no sugar added) Cucumber Concentrated Flavor

Has anyone used anything like this before? How much should I throw in there? I do have some fresh garden cucumbers which I could add to the batch but again I do not have a clean fermenter or bucket to transfer to a secondary in (will this be an issue)? Am I better off just xfering this to a keg and then dumping in the flavoring and letting it sit for a couple weeks to finish out?

/edit.. fruit addition on the left



Thanks for your time (and recipe)!
Neil

 

[bri11oh34d]

should this already be pretty sour by the time i go to secondary on the fruit? brewed last monday with 2 swanson capsules (maybe not enough??) and did a quick taste test today and it just barely, ever so slightly has a hint of sourness...and i think even then, im only picking up on it because my taste buds are specifically looking for it...

I don't want to waste the raspberries though if i already have a drain pour on my hands. Would adding a few more swanson capsules along with a few pounds of raspberries make any difference?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

It should be sour within a couple of days. Unfortunately the capsules seem to be a bit hit and miss - there a several cases where they haven't soured which seems to be due to dead capsules. Goodbelly shots seem to be a bit more reliable but with either the safest method is to make a starter. I haven't had any issues with sourpitch.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I don't want to waste the raspberries though if i already have a drain pour on my hands. Would adding a few more swanson capsules along with a few pounds of raspberries make any difference?

No need to drain pour. Others have tried souring after fermentation with limited success, so maybe avoid that path, but you can still boil some hops to add a 'hop tea' and have a non-sour beer.

 

[bri11oh34d]

No need to drain pour. Others have tried souring after fermentation with limited success, so maybe avoid that path, but you can still boil some hops to add a 'hop tea' and have a non-sour beer.

Yea I could do that...investment is pretty low at this point without the raspberries, so why not try something, right? Should I leave out the raspberry addition?

i have plenty of hops lying around, including some cascade, williamette, and centennial cones that I just harvested, dehydrated and vacuum sealed about a month ago...can do the hop tea addition and still not add a penny to my costs...

 

[Shenanigans]

I never (intentionally ) brewed a sour beer before so want to give this a try.
Maybe I'm getting mixed up with Brett but will this thing not keep on fermenting (getting sourer) or the process goes so quick that all sugars are eaten up in a few weeks and the sour pitch stops working?
I guess you could make a sour pale ale with the base sour beer?
Instead of adding it to fruit just add about 2oz of hops as a dry hop. - Any of Amarillo, Vic Secret, Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic would be nice.
Would the dry hops kill off the sour pitch or it needs to be IBUs from boiling?
Then another option would be just to add a hop tea boiled for about 10 mins and filtered in the French press.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

There's a limit to the sourness from any Lactobacillus strain. For my tastes, L. plantarum (eg. sourpitch) finishes at just the right sourness, but other strains may get more sour.

Yes, you can add dry hops and/or hop tea to sour beer. It doesn't take much hop (boiled or dry) to stop L. plantarum (there are some other more hop tolerant strains) but IMO it doesn't need stopping anyway!

 

[Shenanigans]

There's a limit to the sourness from any Lactobacillus strain. For my tastes, L. plantarum (eg. sourpitch) finishes at just the right sourness, but other strains may get more sour.

Yes, you can add dry hops and/or hop tea to sour beer. It doesn't take much hop (boiled or dry) to stop L. plantarum (there are some other more hop tolerant strains) but IMO it doesn't need stopping anyway!

Great, thanks for the information.
Too late for summer now but I might give this a go in early spring.
A split batch; one half with raspberries and the other with hops.
Just need to decide which hop(s) and how much.
From what I have Nelson, Blanc, Lemon drop, Mandarina Bavaria or Calypso might also work.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

new brewer alert.......OG Post states............ 2/3 Pilsner malt. 1/3 Wheat malt.........is this 2/3 pound Pilsner and 1/3 pound wheat malt?? and is this DME or crushed grains? Definitely want to get this brewing soon...i have a set up that can do 2 gallons, so I will most likely do 2 different flavors in 1 gallon fermenters.....thinking a strawberry rhubarb and a cherry vanilla???

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Different systems have different efficiencies and batch sizes, so recipes that list quantities of grain really only work for the system the original brewer used. 2/3 pils malt and 1/3 wheat malt basically means you work out how much grain you need on your system to get to 1.045, then divide by three to work out how much wheat malt, and double that for your pils malt. You could certainly use LME instead of grains (I haven't seen wheat DME so I don't think you could use DME). For 2 gallons at 72% efficiency (which may or may not suit your system) you'd use about 3.3lbs of grain, so 2.2lbs of pils malt and 1.1lbs of wheat malt. Alternatively, you'd need 2.5lbs of LME in 2 gallons to get 1.045. This could be straight wheat LME or straight pils LME or a blend of both.

 

[JTOVERMOHLE]

Different systems have different efficiencies and batch sizes, so recipes that list quantities of grain really only work for the system the original brewer used. 2/3 pils malt and 1/3 wheat malt basically means you work out how much grain you need on your system to get to 1.045, then divide by three to work out how much wheat malt, and double that for your pils malt. You could certainly use LME instead of grains (I haven't seen wheat DME so I don't think you could use DME). For 2 gallons at 72% efficiency (which may or may not suit your system) you'd use about 3.3lbs of grain, so 2.2lbs of pils malt and 1.1lbs of wheat malt. Alternatively, you'd need 2.5lbs of LME in 2 gallons to get 1.045. This could be straight wheat LME or straight pils LME or a blend of both.

Thank you so much for clarification and breaking it down for me. Much appreciated!

 

[rpcvsam]

View attachment 687654

Vanilla Blueberry Sour - 6.8%abv

Thanks for the inspiration.

Wow nice....how much vanilla?

 

[danimal92sport]

Just pitched US-05 and Sour Pitch in to my 3rd round of this “beer”. My friends can’t get enough and they think I’m some kind of world class brewer. This one will have 2 lb/gal of raspberries and is for a friend’s birthday in January. This is the only beer, including commercial beers, that she likes.

 

[Spivey24]

Has anyone tried dryhopping this? I am currently fermenting a raspberry brew And wondering if that would be good. If so, what hops and how much did you do.

 

[rpcvsam]

Thanks for this, I made an extract version, 3 lbs pilsner and 3 lbs light DME, 10 min boil. One week saf-05 and 1g of Lallemand/Wildbrew Sour Pitch. Two weeks on 3 kilo of chopped and frozen mango didn't give enough flavor so I added 2 L mango juice. It's super drinkable! I've read that the sour pitch doesn't last that long opened...so I'll just have to brew another soon I guess