Sour Beer - taste before sours in fermenter?

[DudzTx]

Hey everyone,
I've brewed about 8 batches of beer so far and came across our first infected batch. It has signs of white bubbles on top that have prob become 2-3x as bad over the last week. They cover maybe 5% of the beer layer at the top of the fermenter. I've read that sometimes you can just bottle this up and in a few years potentially have a sour beer.

My question is....since its obviosuly a wild bacteria strain, I have no idea if its a souring type. Is there any suggestion as the what off-flavor your beer should have before it sours while still in the fermenter?

As I'm not an expert yet on describing the type off off flavors from bacteria, the best I could suggest would be "metallic-ish without the bite". Almost like if you licked your car keys. Doesn't have the. Sour Metalic flavor like bottle caps leave on your beer bottle, but more mild on the end, and more metallic in the middle of the flavor. I wouldn't say bandaidy/mediciney or skunky. Doesn't smell bad as of a week ago, but haven't sniffed since

Just wondering if its even worth the hassle to bottle?

Thanks!

Is

 

[youreanimpulse]

Do not bottle it while it's still going. It will make your bottles blow up. There's no telling right away if it's positive, but the times I got metallic taste from infection (a couple batches at once in my basement), I threw them out. No sour I've ever had/brewed has tasted like that at any point in the process.

 

[DudzTx]

Thanks impulse. Is there a flavor characteristic you can describe that typically results in a good sour early on in the fermentation?

Just to clarify -- its been fermenting about 2 months now, so it can't have "too" much left in it to make a bottle explode. (but I have no idea. ive only kegged so far)

 

[youreanimpulse]

Hmmm. It varies. Typically with bacteria you taste some sour, literally, which gets more intense as it goes along for months. Lactobacillus in certain grist (with wheat especially I think) gets bready/sourdough. If it's Brett it could be fruity (like cherries), dusty, musty, hay or "horse blanket" is something people say, but really you just have to taste a few Brett beers to learn what that flavor really is. Sometimes it can also throw up tropical fruit flavors like pineapple or passion fruit. A few of my Brett beers have been cherry when younger, then mellowed out into the dustier barnyard scents and flavors after 4-6 months. That whole time it is chewing through gravity points, so it may not be terminal for some time, even if it's already been two months. Only a change of .003 is a carbonated bottle, so I'd still be careful with bottling before it's done. If you want to get into sours, you should read American Sour Beer by Michael Tonsmeire (Oldsock on HBT). It's very informational and practical, as well as dealing with some of the not so good things you have to troubleshoot sometimes. If you think it may be good bugs, tastes intriguing and not nasty, I would let it ride in the fermentor and check it every month or so to see where it's going. Bottle when gravity isn't changing and you like the flavor. If you have a favorite sour beer with viable bacteria in it, you could give it a push by pitching the sediment from a bottle or two. If it's just getting more nasty over time, just dump. Intentional sours are generally going to be better than unintentional ones anyway . Good luck!

 

[DudzTx]

thanks a lot! good info all around. really appreciate it.