Wyeast 3203 - PC de Bom Sour Blend impressions

[ghohn]

I love De Bom!. I just hope they re release it in 2015 in case I need a back up to the stuff I've been running train with right now.

 

[gbarron]

My de Bom experience:

Brewed up a variation on the "Provision Brown Ale" from the Wild Brews book last November, roughly 67% Pilsner, then equal parts caramunich, crystal 20L, and flaked corn. Step mash 122-145-162. IBU's around 20. Overshot my gravity a bit and started out at 1.080 OG.

Tasted it recently and it has a wonderful barnyard, earthy aroma mixed with some dark fruit maltiness. Really nice aroma and leathery funk. Tartness is very low, however. pH 4.13. I'm not sure if this is due to my IBU level or the fact I did not ferment it warm enough at the start. SG 1.010 which puts this approaching the limits of alcohol tolerance and attenuation level given by Wyeast.

I will probably put this into secondary soon and see if it goes any lower or I get any more acidity. If not, I will add some sour/tart cherry concentrate and turn this into a strong kriek-type "imperial" oud bruin.

I am a bit disappointed by the lack of sourness/tartness. I'm hoping that will increase in a second gen pitch. I will also go for less IBU's and increase ferm temp for a longer period to start to try and stimulate the lacto.

 

[beergolf]

A couple of things come to mind. The IBU's are too high. Wyeast recommends. less than 15 . The gravity is high and your temps were not high enough.

I have used it a few times and here is what I found. First generation did not get real sour, but a very nice tartness at about .3 months. . The second generation I kept the hops down to 10IBU's and fermented at 85. much more sour, sooner. Third gen is fermenting now but it is even more sour. at only two months.

 

[gometz]

I added dregs from a number of sour beers and my second generation is nice and tart. Generation 3 is still aging (haven't had time to bottle it up), but samples seem to indicate it is even more sour. I am debating making a light saison with 3711, pitch some brett and leave it for 3-5 months and then blend to even out the sourness.

 

[gbarron]

A couple of things come to mind. The IBU's are too high. Wyeast recommends. less than 15 . The gravity is high and your temps were not high enough.

Completely agree and those are the changes I will make before a second gen pitch.

 

[BostonianBrewer]

Good thing he didn't give out oak chips from his barrels containing his bugs or people would copy his sour beer profile and make millions.



Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

I actually used those chips in union with my de bom yeast !

 

[nimboden]

My Flanders red with the de bom took silver in the first round of the Denver regional of nhc. Brewed back in October. Have taken this yeast to 5 generations, gets faster with each generation, pretty consistent too.

 

[finsfan]

I wasnt too impressed with this yeast. Way too lacto forward and ended up having to add more bugs and then also blend when bottling. I bottled 2 gallons straight to see the how it turns out, but really was not that happy with this yeast.

 

[gometz]

It has been the most consistent souring method I've seen. It's a clean sour too, so I may start using pitches of it for other beers that I just want a touch of sour in.

 

[finsfan]

Sounds like I had poor luck with mine. It didnt turn out terrible, but certainly isnt something I would try to brew again at this point.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Just as an addendum to this thread, 3203 is no longer mentioned on the Wyeast website, so it looks like it was a one-off in 2014 that won't be repeated...

 

[gometz]

The bacteria and yeast colony I use for sours started off with de bom, so I likely still have some of it alive in there. Haven't pitched a new beer into it since Harvey though, but I think the bugs should still be alive.