ECY01 Bug Farm - Brewing Experiences

Sounds pretty interesting.

Mine is still in primary from the 19th of April. Has a pretty funky, yet subtle lactic aroma to it already. Haven't tasted it at all. Pretty cloudy still, but plenty done with the main sach work. No pellicle, and sitting in a 75* garage.

I plan to barrel it once I end up funking up the bourbon barrel I have right. Now.. Probably another 6 months before I barrel it. And will only keep it for a couple months before I pull it and let it chill out before I decide what to do with it.


Did your beer in primary clear up at all? Mine's still pretty dang cloudy and orange looking.

 

Good stuff to note. I too was contemplating leaving it on the cake the whole time untill I rack to the barrel, or putting it in another better bottle with jut a tiny bit of the trub transferred. I didn't pitch anything extra, just strictly Bugfarm as well.

 

So, to update it, I still haven't bothered to take a gravity reading, but mine sitting in primary still covered up and around 70*. It's FINALLY gotten a pellicle on the top. Small one with some large bubbles, but atleast I know it's doing it's thing. Took a taste of it the other week. It's funky for sure. The brett is doing some awesome stuff on it. Has some nice citrus to it, and getting sour for sure. No acetic notes to it, barely there on the finish. It's not quite as dry as I figured it would be, but it's pretty young. Only 2 months old I think.

Pitched ECY01 as the sole yeast in this beer. I'm really wanting to break the pellicle and take a taste of it now.

 

Interesting info @koopa

I recently tasted mine about 2-3 weeks ago.. It's very sour, not warhead sour, but getting close to perfect, IMO. The funk it out of control. Its really interesting. The sulfery smell is gone now, the pellicle is pretty much gone as well. Beer is still somewhat hazy/cloudy, but not that bad once it's in the test jar. Some patchy slicks on the top, but not a complete pellicle.

1.006 gravity at the moment down from 1.059 OG.

The beer is laden with citrusy, lemon notes, lactic acid, and a tiny, tiny bit of acetic acid to balance the funk a bit. Smells like a wet horse blanket/saddle, some cheese, and some earthy musty damp basement. Sounds unappealing to type it out, but it's pretty dang awesome. Has this white wine note to it, subtle, but has it in the nose. I've kept this culture pure, no dregs in it as well.

I do have another sour going with almost all dregs, and some ECY14 saison yeast. It's got UNREAL white wine notes, and some intense sour notes from Wicked Weed dregs, and some Stillwater Brux dregs in it. 1.075 OG beer I expect to get bone dry, so it's not really thought out, as the abv might be too high for my liking. Might be worth blending it back with a lesser/table strength saison, getting it to 1.000 if I can, so the bug won't have too much to work

 

Fermented it cool, around 65-68 controlled for two weeks, and then left ambient in the garage for a couple month, during the summer heat, I moved it inside, so it sat around 70* for the most part.

It's stored now in my laundry room, which when the door is closed, that room will get at night pretty warm, probably around 73-75 at the highest since it's in a small laundry room with one vent. So I would venture to say, again, probably around 70 consistently.

 

Quick update while It's on my mind..

The ECY01 I did, is still in primary, hasnt been moved or messed with much other than helping the temp out a little.

It's coming up on one year, within a week or two I think as well.

Took a sample today as I'm anxious to get it packaged or moved to whatever the plans are.

Beer was pretty clear, has a white-ish pellicle still on the top, but pretty much broken up and rafty looking. Crystal clear blonde hay colored beer under it though.

pH of the sample was done @20*C and was 3.36. Not quite as low as I would have expected, but pretty low.

Beer has some nice funk in the nose still, much tamer than the update a couple months ago. Very earthy, slight citrusy, lemon smell. No real acetic notes I can pick up.

Taste was pretty tame as well. Perhaps my allergies are kickin in, but I didn't feel the pH matched the sour taste. Beer was obviously sour, but a very smooth, balanced, almost blended sourness, instead of a warhead upfront citric sour note. Funk was again.. there, but minimal. Pretty spot on for an unblended lambic I'd guess, and one at 12 months of age. My notes from the last check, had it pretty sour, so I think it's my tastes at this point.

Impressed, but has somewhat higher hopes for it at this point. It's still young. Gravity is at 1.002 I think it was, was the same when I check it around the middle of Feb.

Debating what to do with it now. I want to drink it and bottle it up.. Leave it as is, and let some bottles age away.

I have a very young sour saison that used some dregs and some commercial bugs that is at a slightly lower pH, and it's a great candidate for peaches in a couple weeks!

Also- have a YeastBay Melange and ToD and Black Angel dregged sour stout that I just measured the pH of, it's been brewed since Oct I think, and it's at 3.02 pH @ 20*C. It's VERY sour, and you can smell it even along with some great cherry pie and roasted notes.