I've a quince saison sitting in secondary for about 4 months now.
Recipe's kinda simple, apart from the quince additions:
For 5gal of SG 1.060:
6.6 lbs pale malt
3.5 lbs of wheat malt
0.8 lbs of pilsner
1 lbs of carapils
mashed at 167 for an hour, boiled for 75' with
25g EKG at FWH
45g at T-15
Fermented with Belle Saison at room temp with no temp control.
After a week, with primary starting to slow down, racked into secondary onto the following, which I'd prepared a few days in advance:
8 quinces, cut into roughly 1inch cubes. Cored, but unpeeled.
1lbs of sugar
.5 lbs of honey
1 vanilla pod
2 star anise
5 cloves
1/2 stick of cinnamon
15 grains of all-spice
Simmered until bright pink and soft.
Also pitched a pack of Brett brux (Wyeast 5112).
Now, 4 months later, most of the Belle Saison vibe is gone/transmogrified by the Brett and the beer smells very fruity and is opaque and pink. I'm picking up a hint of sourness but very mellow and in the background.
My plan is to add about a half pound of homemade membrillo paste I've stocked in the fridge to deepen the color and boost the quince aromatics.
Two things I'd appreciate your advice on:
1) when to rack the beer off the fruit and add the membrillo (if in fact I shouldn't just add the membrillo and not bother racking at this stage).
2) will the Brett add sourness this way? I've been tempted to stir a bit of oxygen into it just to provoke it into creating a bit of acetic, but I'm thinking it's lactic I want instead of vinegar.
Your 2cents very much welcomed