A few questions re: sour beer.
I'm aging a Flanders Red in a bucket right now.
I know there is more oxygen transfer than a proper barrel and will likely get higher concentrations of acetic acid. I do want complexity, so will continue this method, and just try to head it off before it goes overboard.
If you make a sour beer too sour, can you simply brew the same base beer without the souring and blend? I'm probably about to answer my own question here.. the one reason I think this might not work would be that it would still be out of balance, just more mild.
Second question.
People seem to have drastically different advise on when to bottle. 6 months, 18 months, 24 months...
If the gravity is down, will there be any major difference aging in a carboy or aging in a bottle? Both will have the living microbs so should continue to work. Would the ideal time to bottle be at the point where the lactic and acetic acid are most in balance?
I'm aging a Flanders Red in a bucket right now.
I know there is more oxygen transfer than a proper barrel and will likely get higher concentrations of acetic acid. I do want complexity, so will continue this method, and just try to head it off before it goes overboard.
If you make a sour beer too sour, can you simply brew the same base beer without the souring and blend? I'm probably about to answer my own question here.. the one reason I think this might not work would be that it would still be out of balance, just more mild.
Second question.
People seem to have drastically different advise on when to bottle. 6 months, 18 months, 24 months...
If the gravity is down, will there be any major difference aging in a carboy or aging in a bottle? Both will have the living microbs so should continue to work. Would the ideal time to bottle be at the point where the lactic and acetic acid are most in balance?
