Hi fellow brewers, I recently received 2 wyeast de dome sour blend 3203, I'm looking to do 3 gallon on peaches and 1 gallon each on raspberry and plum. Primary is under way what is the best way to go about adding the fruit? The originator said it can be done in one to two months at 80 to 85 degrees, I'm at 73 so thinking 4 months in secondary is that to long to let it sit on fresh fruit? Btw has anyone finished a batch with this yeast yet and if so how did it turn out. Thanks for any replies.
Is your beer done fermenting yet? The process that I use is similar to the way a Belgian lambic producer would use. I let my beer sour and fully attenuate, then I add fresh fruit. Basically I don't add my fruit until at least a year after brewing a sour, then I add fruit and leave it on the fruit for 3-6 months, depending on how it taste. If you add the fruit early the bugs will eat all the sugars and you'll lose the fruit flavor over time while the beer is aging and souring. Its easy to make a beer sour quickly, but you lose the complexity from extended aging.
I have pitched this onto a fresh batch of a Flanders Red recipe that I brewed last year. I tried it because I was told it would produce a sour beer "quickly". I will be comparing the same recipe at a year with the Roselaire Blend and about 4 months with De Bom in a couple of months. If it does seem to work faster, then I will be re-pitching it for sure. As for the fruit part, I agree with everyone who says that you should be satisfied with the base beer before adding. Certainly your primary fermentation should be done first, and a bit of conditioning time would be beneficial in determining whether you want to go ahead or try something else.
