When can I start sampling my beer in carboy?

[klowneyy]

Hello I am making a sour beer.

Recipe:
0.75 lbs cara 45L
0.75 lbs special B
0.125 lbs de-bittered black
6 lbs pilsen malt syrup
3 lbs wheat dry malt extract
Wyeast lambic blend and so dregs from a few of my favorite sour beers.

This is my first sour beer. It has been fermenting great for about 6 days now.

My question is when should I taste it or sample it or take a gravity reading? New to sour beers so don't know if I can just open it and not worry or fallow the normal clear beer way and just let it sit

 

[masonsjax]

Forget it exists for about one year. 18 months might be better. Get several other sours started asap. Once youve waited a year, you won't want to wait another for the next one to mature.

 

[klowneyy]

I took a sample yesterday. Its already has a funky/vinegar smell. Has a good sour after taste. Just needs to go longer. Gravity was at 1.030 and p.h. 3.6

 

[Calder]

The best thing to do is have patience and forget it.

Many people leave it on the trub the whole time. I like to remove mine from the main trub, and transfer it early to ensure I get a lot of yeast across.

I transfer mine about day 6; when fermentation has slowed, visible trub (I use a glass carboy), and still very cloudy. I take a sample at this time (hydrometer and taste), to see how it is doing - it will not be sour at this time.

Once transferred, it gets forgotten about for at least 12 months. That reminds me I have to go and check on my airlocks.

You have a lot of specialty grains (0.75 lbs cara 45L, 0.75 lbs special B, and 0.125 lbs de-bittered black), for a sour. These probably have left a lot of 'bits' in the trub. I think I'd transfer yours just to get remove it from this for the long haul.

 

[Calder]

I took a sample yesterday. Its already has a funky/vinegar smell. Has a good sour after taste. Just needs to go longer. Gravity was at 1.030 and p.h. 3.6

That is never a good sign. What does it taste like?

 

[klowneyy]

It reminded me of 10 barrel bellingham crush. Still had sugars in wort but behind that were sour notes that I exactly wanted and was looking for.

 

[klowneyy]

The best thing to do is have patience and forget it.

Many people leave it on the trub the whole time. I like to remove mine from the main trub, and transfer it early to ensure I get a lot of yeast across.

I transfer mine about day 6; when fermentation has slowed, visible trub (I use a glass carboy), and still very cloudy. I take a sample at this time (hydrometer and taste), to see how it is doing - it will not be sour at this time.

Once transferred, it gets forgotten about for at least 12 months. That reminds me I have to go and check on my airlocks.

You have a lot of specialty grains (0.75 lbs cara 45L, 0.75 lbs special B, and 0.125 lbs de-bittered black), for a sour. These probably have left a lot of 'bits' in the trub. I think I'd transfer yours just to get remove it from this for the long haul.

I'll remove it now. I was going to wait because I used brettanmacyes and it eats the dead trub/yeast.

 

[klowneyy]

The best thing to do is have patience and forget it.

Many people leave it on the trub the whole time. I like to remove mine from the main trub, and transfer it early to ensure I get a lot of yeast across.

I transfer mine about day 6; when fermentation has slowed, visible trub (I use a glass carboy), and still very cloudy. I take a sample at this time (hydrometer and taste), to see how it is doing - it will not be sour at this time.

Once transferred, it gets forgotten about for at least 12 months. That reminds me I have to go and check on my airlocks.

You have a lot of specialty grains (0.75 lbs cara 45L, 0.75 lbs special B, and 0.125 lbs de-bittered black), for a sour. These probably have left a lot of 'bits' in the trub. I think I'd transfer yours just to get remove it from this for the long haul.

I'll remove it now. I was going to wait because I used brettanmacyes and it eats the dead trub/yeast.

I know pedicucus can fast sour beer sometime as little as 3 weeks. Witch I used. But could be mistaken

 

[klowneyy]

The best thing to do is have patience and forget it.

Many people leave it on the trub the whole time. I like to remove mine from the main trub, and transfer it early to ensure I get a lot of yeast across.

I transfer mine about day 6; when fermentation has slowed, visible trub (I use a glass carboy), and still very cloudy. I take a sample at this time (hydrometer and taste), to see how it is doing - it will not be sour at this time.

Once transferred, it gets forgotten about for at least 12 months. That reminds me I have to go and check on my airlocks.

You have a lot of specialty grains (0.75 lbs cara 45L, 0.75 lbs special B, and 0.125 lbs de-bittered black), for a sour. These probably have left a lot of 'bits' in the trub. I think I'd transfer yours just to get remove it from this for the long haul.

I was going to wait because I used brettanmacyes and it eats the dead trub/yeast.

I know pedicucus can fast sour beer sometime as little as 3 weeks. Witch I used. But could be mistaken

 

[Calder]

I was going to wait because I used brettanmacyes and it eats the dead trub/yeast.

That's why I like to move it while there is still a lot of yeast still visibly in suspension.

I know pedicucus can fast sour beer sometime as little as 3 weeks. Witch I used. But could be mistaken

I think you will find it is the Lactobacillus that does the initial souring. It takes months for Pedio to build up it's colony to the size that it starts to contribute to souring.

 

[klowneyy]

I built up dregs for months