Topics

1

Yeast and Fermentation / Sour Worting

« on: July 20, 2012, 12:28:00 AM »

On a recent vacation I met with a Head Brewer at a brewery that shall remain nameless (I didn't check if I could share his technique).  He was making a Lacto soured beer.  The technique is to keep the wort in the kettle holding the temp somewhere between 100 F and 120 F and innoculating with a Lacto culture from Wyeast.   Once he reaches his desired sourness he boils the wort and ferments it.  This way equipment is not in contact with a live Lacto culture.  I liked the idea so I decided to replicate it home brew style.  I mashed my Berliner Weiss tonight.  Ran it off into my kettle, held a temp of 180 F for 15 minutes (thank you Chad from Crooked Stave and the BN), cooled it to 120 F and then ran it into an extra 5 gallon round Igloo I had.  The Igloo is filled to the top, the temp is 117 F.  I pitched the White Labs WLP677.  I had read in Wild Brews that it is critical to keep oxygen levels as low as possible for Lacto or to prevent Acetobactor.  So I took plastic wrap and covered the wort; pushing the wrap down until it touches the wort.  I then placed the Iglo top securely on and left it.

Now my question-Will the Lacto produce a gas like CO2 that might build some pressure?  I'm concerned if it does it will blow the lid or something.  Long story short question. 

2

Yeast and Fermentation / Lacto and/or Brett Pitching

« on: April 24, 2012, 09:34:59 PM »

I made 5 gallon Berliner Weisse (BCS recipe) using a 1 liter starter of WLP630 Beliner Weisse Blend on February 25th 2012.  Fermentation seemed normal.

I tasted it recently and was very disappointed with the sourness (not much) .  It taste like a low alcohol wheat beer.  Not great/not bad, not sour or even tart.  I'm sure my air temperatures where the carboy has been stored have been in the mid 60s or low 70s during this time. It is still in the primary.  Should I wait longer?  I haven't seen a pellicle or anything.  The 3 piece gas exchanger isn't movng at all.  Can I pitch another vial of WLP677 Lactobacillus and/or WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii right in the primary to get some sourness going? Should I make a starter first? Should I move the beer to a second carboy and then try pitching a vial of WLP677 and WLP645 to get it off the dead yeast?  I'd like to make something similar to the Bruery's Hottenroth (a Berliner Weisse with lacto and brett).

Let me know your thoughts.

3

Other Fermentables / Spanish/Basque/Asturian Sidra (Spanish Cider)

« on: March 09, 2012, 10:10:41 PM »

Is anyone familar with the cider (sidra) produced in the Basque and Asturian regions of Spain?  I am very interested in trying to reproduce it here.   

This is what I know- They use an indigenous yeast (maybe wild).  It's then fermented and aged in very large barrels underground.  So I'm thinking they use a brett and saccharomyces mix fermented in wood (maybe oak) at cool temperatures.  Not sure about the apples used or the acid levels.  They don't carbonate the cider.  Instead it is poured into a glass from height in order to infuse oxygen.  Just curious if anyone has had this cider or experimented with making something like it.

4

General Homebrew Discussion / Water Adjustments post boil or post fermentation

« on: March 02, 2012, 05:06:19 PM »

I just realized I did not add gypsum during my mash or even during the boil for my APA.  I know gypsum helps the hop flavor pop a bit more.  I will be dry hopping this weekend.  Is it possible to boil a little water and disolve the gypsum in the boil; then add the disolved gypsum/water when I dry hop.  I guess I want to know if it makes a difference to do a water adjustment for flavor purposes post boil or post fementation?  Do I need to add the same amount as I would do preboil/mash, less or more? Will it make a difference either way?  Should I just "chalk" this one up as an error to learn from? Does anyone have experience with this problem?

5

Homebrew Clubs / AHA helping Brew Clubs with membership

« on: February 24, 2012, 02:28:08 PM »

Is it possible the AHA can provide contact info to clubs for individual AHA members in set zip codes so clubs can contact those that aren't members to attend a meeting?  Or to protect privacy a club could give the AHA a list of zipcodes and the AHA can send an email to all members in those zipcodes regarding an upcoming meeting for the club in that region? 

I know I was unware of my local club until I started competing locally and they contacted me.  Now I'm a member.  I wonder how many more are out there like me.  Had I known I probably would have gone to a meeting to check it out earlier.  It can only help the hobby to strengthen our clubs.  Seems like it could be a feature or service that could be provided to clubs.  Just looking for a marketing tool for the clubs to increase membership.

6

General Homebrew Discussion / Sour Beer Sanitation

« on: February 24, 2012, 11:36:54 AM »

I'm brewing my first sour this weekend.  Using the Berliner Weiss recipe in Classic Styles.  I am concerned about sanitation.  I would rather not dedicate equipment to sours; especially since this is my first one, based upon results might be my last.  Seems like a waste to buy double equipment at this point for anything that is in contact with the bugs.  I would think as long as I clean with PBW and use StarSan as directed bugs will die.  Isn't that why we use a santizer to kill all the bugs out there?  If santizers didn't work wouldn't we all have sour beer results just from the stuff in the air that lands on equipment?  I just wonder if we all might be paranoid about the ability of these bugs to survive StarSan.  I did a search for sour sanitation on the forum but didn't really get an answer from anyone that has experience just cleaning and santizing rather then have dedicated equipment.  If there is someone out there that has or is just cleaning and sanitizing please speak up and let me know your experieince.