According to a recent mailing, there are two new Sour Blends and a large Brett Blendbecoming available through The Yeast Bay on August 1st at 12 PM PST:
Mélange - "If you dig using a diverse array of unique organisms to create balanced sour beers, this delightful medley of microbes is sure to please!
Mélange is our most varied mix of fermentative organisms, intended for use in the production of sour beers in which a balance of funk and sourness is desired. This blend contains two Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates, Saccharomyces fermentati, five Brettanomyces isolates, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus delbreuckii and Pediococcus damnosus.
Expect this blend to take 3-6+ months to create desired levels of funk and sourness, depending upon the temperature. We recommend starting with a fermentation temperature of 70-72 ºF for the first few days, and then raising the temperature to 75-80 ºF to encourage development of funk (Brettanomyces) and sourness (Lactobacillus, Pediococcus). "
Farmhouse Sour Ale - "Farmhouse Sour Ale is a blend of Saccharomyces and Lactobacillus. It was formulated for brewers wishing to create a saison with a balanced acid profile that complements the complex esters of our unique farmhouse/saison yeast strains, but without the Brettanomyces funk.
This blend contains two farmhouse/saison Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolates, Lactobacillus brevis, and Lactobacillus delbreuckii. The two Saccharomyces strains will combine to create a delightful ester profile of grapefruit and orange zest, accompanied by a mild earthiness and spiciness. The two Lactobacillus strains will produce a balanced acid profile, given a suitable supply of accessible carbohydrates that remain after the bulk of fermentation has been completed by Saccharomyces.
Expect this blend to take 1-3 months to begin creating appreciable levels of acidity, depending upon the fermentation temperature. Higher mash and fermentation temperatures will produce elevated levels of acidity."
Amalgamation - "Amalgamation is the union of our six favorite Brettanomyces isolates from our microbe library. Each isolate produces a unique bouquet of bright and fruity flavors and aromas, and the combination of all of them into one blend results in the coalescence of these unique flavors and aromas into something truly special.
Expect this blend to create a dry beer with a bright and complex fruit-forward flavor and aroma, accompanied by some funk on the nose."
Also an unique, high attenuating Belgian Golden Strong Ale strain:
Dry Belgian Ale - "Dry Belgian Ale is single strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from a unique golden strong ale. The profile is a complex and balanced mix of apple, pear and light citrus fruit with some mild spicy and peppery notes. The apparent attenuation of this strain ranges anywhere from 85-100%, depending upon the mash profile and the grist composition.
For a yeast that's as dry as it is, it creates beers with a surprising amount of balance even without the use of specialty grains or adjuncts. While we haven't completed our own tests in house, this yeast is used at the brewery from which it was isolated to make big beers that are in the neighborhood of 12-16% ABV and sufficiently dry. Use Dry Belgian Ale as a primary fermenter in any big Belgian beer, or to unstick that pesky stuck fermentation.
To achieve high attenuation, we recommend fermenting with this strain at 70-71 ºF for the first 2-3 days, and then bumping up the temperature to 74-75 ºF for the remainder of fermentation."
Lots of sours in the works!
