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First question: sour or not? I've used blackberries before, but they are going into an already sour beer. Whenever I use fruit its for a sour beers so I just freeze the fruit for a few days and then add it to the beer.

Dry hopping sours is something I'm planning on getting more into. I've brewed one before, using my standard procedure for sours. I personally think that bitterness clashes with sourness, so I opted for only flame out hops and dry hops. I also mash in the mid 140sF for a quicker sour (usually 2-3...

I just thought about this. What kind of chocolate did you use? I specifically bought powdered chocolate that has a low fat content and low alkalinity so that it doesn't mess with my beers pH. I've noticed that a higher final pH on a beer will cause your head retention and stability to suffer. It...

This is what I did for my FBS "clone" If you go to the tasting notes you can see what it looks like poured. The picture was taken after I filled a growler from my keggerator and brought it to a friend's house after it sat in a cooler in my car at work all day.

It could be the fact that you added the coffee in the boil, but the Crystal malt should cancel that out. When I did my breakfast stout clone I added chocolate in the mash and at the end of the boil and my coffee directly into the keg (whole beans). I didn't have any head retention issues. My...

There is no point in moving it unless you must. It will expose it to O2, which could lead to acetic acid production. I have some almost 3 year old "lambic" sitting in the same carboy I originally put it in for primary fermentation. I don't even think it's moved from the spot in my room I sat it...

Given time it will fall out

Definitely give it more time. When I add fruit to sours that have experienced extended aging it takes a week or so for fermentation signs. Sometimes the only noticeable change is the fruit raises to the top and a pellicle forms.

Brett forms a pellicle when it's exposed to oxygen. If you beer has only been in its primary fermenter than you may not see one due to all of the CO2 production.

I've never used that particular strain, however, I normally give my Brett starters a week and step them up to a large pitch. Brett goes though two lag phases, which is part of the reason it takes it longer to get going. One way to increase the speed however, is to lower the pH. Brett works...

I bottle cold all the time since I cold crash for clarity. The beer will warm up eventually and the yeast will activate again once warm. It might just take an extra 24 hours or so but it will happen.

I normally throw some of the pits from fruit into my fruited sours.

It doesn't really matter what yeast you use as long as its a strain that leaves some residual sugars for the bugs.

I use separate hoses (sometimes) and all of my bungs and airlocks are pretty much mixed up by now. I use glass and plastic carboys interchangeably and the same bottling bucket. I have had a few infections, but I've never had one when I've actually tried to prevent an infection. When I've had...

I use separate hoses (sometimes) and all of my bungs and airlocks are pretty much mixed up by now. I use glass and plastic carboys interchangeably and the same bottling bucket. I have had a few infections, but I've never had one when I've actually tried to prevent an infection. When I've had...

I've cold crashed fruit and it will drop out. Regardless if you don't do use a strainer you'll end up with some fruit bits in your bottles.

Crooked stave I think also sour mashes down to 4.5. I don't remember if Chad says he uses lacto post fermentation or if he admits that it's in his culture. HF uses black magic

I've done this with Trois in the past. http://fermentologist.blogspot.com/2012/12/brett-brux-trois-ipa-c3pa.html Itss just sacc so treat it accordingly, it's a great yeast.

The recommendation I got from Yuseff at Ballast Point was to use grapefruit skin (with as little pith as possible as it is bitter) as a dry hop. He recommended against using it at flame out because it will add extra harsh bitterness. He also suggested using hops that provide a grapefruit like...

Depends what you mean by 'witty' taste. Some strains of Brett can be spicy and some can be fruity. It has a lot to do with strain, temp of fermentation, and precursors in your wort.