Question about sour beer final gravites

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by GeoSteve, Jan 2, 2016.

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  1. GeoSteve

    GeoSteve Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2014 Maryland

    Looking for insight about final gravities using first gen WY Roeselare and lambic blends. I've got two separate beers brewed at different times that have been sitting at 1.012 for a while now.

    First beer was brewed end of January '15. 2# each pilsen and wheat DME plus a mini-mash with munich, vienna, oats and assorted dark crystal malts. Pitched roeselare, belgian ale, and dregs from Wicked Weed, Jester King, Side Project, and the Bruery, all on brew day, OG 1.056. Its been sitting at ~1.012 since May 10th.

    Second beer is AmandaK's extract lambic (3# each pilsen and wheat DME) with 8 oz maltodextrin. Pitched whitbread, belgian lambic blend, and dregs from Cantillon and 3F, all on brew day, OG 1.052. It has also been sitting at ~1.012 since May 10th, a mere two months after it was brewed.

    If this is the final gravity these beers are going to reach it seems awfully high to me and that they were reached very quickly. Both have been sitting in better bottles at ~67-73 F for their lifetimes. Hydrometer is working fine, water gives 1.000 and ECY20 has burned through another all-grain lambic down to a 1.005 reading in two months, so I'm getting different readings on different liquids. Anyone have any thoughts on this or similar experiences?
     
    #1 GeoSteve, Jan 2, 2016
  2. atomeyes

    atomeyes Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2011 Canada (ON)

    bottle it.
     
    #2 atomeyes, Jan 2, 2016
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  3. bgjohnston

    bgjohnston Initiate (0) Jan 14, 2009 Connecticut

    I have never done an extract sour. However, my experience with extract beers has consistently shown a higher FG result using extract over my comparable all-grain batches.

    I agree if it has been stable for months, then it is ready to bottle.
     
    #3 bgjohnston, Jan 2, 2016
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  4. GeoSteve

    GeoSteve Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2014 Maryland

    Yeah, I'm thinking they may be done, too. And I definitely agree about extract clean beers, but I expected that even with extract these would have gotten lower than 1.012. Any one else have examples of FGs from extract brett-lacto-pedio sours?
     
    #4 GeoSteve, Jan 2, 2016
  5. secondbase

    secondbase Initiate (0) Jun 3, 2015 Tennessee

    Based on the temperature they've been aging at and the consistent gravity readings, they are ready to be bottled. You might want to consider adding some fresh yeast at bottling. Champagne yeast is a popular choice for bottling sours.

    I've never made an extract sour. If you are concerned with the high fg, you could add some dregs or a brett blend to get some further attenuation.
     
    #5 secondbase, Jan 4, 2016
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  6. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    This isn't what you want to hear, but I've never had a Roeselare beer finish higher than 1.006. That's with extract or all grain and always brewed with malto-dextrin to give brett something to slowly metabolize long after the easy meals are gone.

    Extract n=3
    All grain n=14

    I gave up on brewing sour/funky beers last year. The results were good, but I lost the craving. Probably not forever.
     
    #6 Brew_Betty, Jan 4, 2016
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  7. machalel

    machalel Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2012 Australia

    What I always do if I'm uncertain of FG: Take a sample and put it in an empty container (like a soft-drink bottle etc). Put it somewhere warm (up around 80F), and every time you walk past or think of it, give it a good shake. After a week, test to SG and see if it has moved at all. If it is stable, or has only dropped a point or so, then ready to bottle. If it's down to 1.006 or something, then it must have stalled.
     
    #7 machalel, Jan 7, 2016
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  8. ryane

    ryane Initiate (0) Nov 21, 2007 Washington

    Ditto to your first comment, and on the second I'll admit Ive slowed in the past year or so as well. My interests were firmly locked onto sours for the last 8ish years, and now Im trending towards other things......its the slow drift of brewing interests I guess
     
    #8 ryane, Jan 7, 2016
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  9. Skelator

    Skelator Initiate (0) Apr 28, 2011 Canada (YT)

    might have somethin for ya.
     
    #9 Skelator, Jan 7, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 10, 2016
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  10. GeoSteve

    GeoSteve Initiate (0) Aug 11, 2014 Maryland

    I appreciate everyone's comments. I agree @Brew_Betty, I was expecting a FG somewhere around the range you've seen for Roeselare, especially given the healthy dose of commercial dregs it got. For that beer, I tossed in some fresh Crooked Stave and Russian River dregs a few days ago. I'm sure what bugs went in originally are still alive and well, but I'll see if the fresh additions bring it down any more before bottling or trying a forced ferment like @machalel suggests. @Skelator, actually posted this to Milk the Funk but didn't get anything really useful. The beer with the WY lambic blend is a bit younger so I'm happy to ride that out a bit and see if it gets down any further. Still curious if anyone using blends plus dregs has actually had a sour finish that high and bottled it without issues. @jbakajust1 ? @OldSock ?
     
    #10 GeoSteve, Jan 7, 2016
  11. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    I have only had one beer finish that high, it was a 1.078 OG Tripel that had an FG of 1.020 before adding Matilda and Consecration dregs and leaving alone for 9 months. Fairly high ABV before adding the fun stuff. I wouldn't expect an FG as high as yours with that diversity of bacteria and Brett from that low an OG, added from the beginning. What temps have these beers been at?
     
    #11 jbakajust1, Jan 7, 2016
  12. Hoppy_Time

    Hoppy_Time Initiate (0) Jan 3, 2016 Maine

    Go to/call some local pharmacies and see if any carry iodine tincture, thief a small amount of the beer and add a drop of iodine, if it turns purplish your mash was off and the amylase didn't fully work out your starches. If thats the case add some amylase and a little extra sugar to get things moving and you should be able to pull your FG lower.
     
    #12 Hoppy_Time, Jan 7, 2016
  13. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Lambics are made with a Turbid mash to make a wert high in dextrins and starches. The bugs and critters feed on those long chains once the sach. Is done.
    https://byo.com/mead/item/1711-turbid-mashing
     
    #13 hopfenunmaltz, Jan 7, 2016
  14. OldSock

    OldSock Maven (1,418) Apr 3, 2005 District of Columbia

    I've had a couple big sours finish over 1.015 with a huge range of bugs. Up to 1.020, although that one started at 1.120...

    My guess on that first one is you got really terrible conversion mini-mashing Munich, Vienna, Oats, and crystal together. Not much enzymatic power in there. Still need to take a gravity reading on my extract lambic with maltodextrin.
     
    #14 OldSock, Jan 7, 2016
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