My first sour *Pics*

[aeviaanah]

10.6.13- I brewed 6 gallon of 1.061 IPA with 63 IBU's. I decided to take a gallon from that and take a stab at spontaneous fermentation. I racked 1 gallon of wort into a 1 gal carboy and covered with a paint strainer and rubberband.

10.6.13-10.9.13- I set it outside after the heat of the day for the rest of the night and brought inside in the morning. Temps were probably 55-45 F at night and 70-71 during the day.. It lived a night under the peach tree a night under the orange tree and a night under the grape vine. I have lots of fruit trees in my backyard.

10.10.13- I noticed I had fermentation taking place. So i added an airlock and put in my fermentation fridge which is set to 62. During fermentation beer smelled very funky but not rancid.

10.21.13- Tasted beer while I was racking my IPA to keg. Tasted very good and not what I expected (not a big fan of the sours Ive tried). It was on the sweet side which is probably due to attenuation. Didn't taste like an IPA at all. I didn't take a gravity reading and kept the rest of the beer in the carboy. Thought id let it ferment a bit longer just in case yeast were still active.

12.7.13- Ok beer has got to be fully attenuated now. Still has similar smell to what it was back in October. Not sure what I should do with this beer. I'm thinking of using a neutral yeast and bottling. Possibly add some wood chips or something before. Does anyone recognize the floaties below?

Where would you go from here?

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

i wouldn't bottle it this soon. I'd give it at least a good 6 preferably 8 months to mature and let whatever wild yeasts/bacteria that are present do their thing. also, at that level of IBU's, I'd be surprised if you've got any souring going on at all. most likely just brett.

 

[aeviaanah]

i wouldn't bottle it this soon. I'd give it at least a good 6 preferably 8 months to mature and let whatever wild yeasts/bacteria that are present do their thing. also, at that level of IBU's, I'd be surprised if you've got any souring going on at all. most likely just brett.

Do the floaties look like brett? Whatever is in there it definitely fermented.

8 months in primary...itll be ok to sit on trub right?

 

[BootsyFlanootsy]

don't know if one can accurately ascertain what sort of bacteria/yeast one is working with based on photos, but my guess would be brett.

8 months on trub should be fine IMO

 

[Calder]

Take a gravity reading now, and one in a few weeks time, and that should tell you if you can bottle.

You mention adding a new yeast at bottling. Why? If you do add one, you probably want to do it well before bottling, especially if the beer has not attenuated well. The new yeast may munch through many of the sugars your wild yeast left behind.

 

[aeviaanah]

Take a gravity reading now, and one in a few weeks time, and that should tell you if you can bottle.

You mention adding a new yeast at bottling. Why? If you do add one, you probably want to do it well before bottling, especially if the beer has not attenuated well. The new yeast may munch through many of the sugars your wild yeast left behind.

Good point. Thanks for the heads up.

I was wanting to add new yeast just in case the priming sugar wouldnt wake the yeast up. Will it after being in primary for 6 months?

 

[Calder]

Unfortunately you don't know what you have in there with a wild yeast. It might be done already due to the level of alcohol. Many Brett strains can keep chugging along for years.

I think it would be wise to add some additional yeast. Maybe a champagne or wine yeast. Add it a few weeks before bottling to ensure it eats any available sugars in the wort before you add the priming sugar at bottling.

 

[aeviaanah]

Unfortunately you don't know what you have in there with a wild yeast. It might be done already due to the level of alcohol. Many Brett strains can keep chugging along for years.

I think it would be wise to add some additional yeast. Maybe a champagne or wine yeast. Add it a few weeks before bottling to ensure it eats any available sugars in the wort before you add the priming sugar at bottling.

Thats a good idea. Thanks!