I have never brewed a sour before. I want to start off with something that is mildly sour to introduce my fiancée and a few friends to sour beers. I was wondering how much success people on here have had using a clean ale yeast for primary fermentation, then adding fruit, lactobacillus, pediococcus, and Brett in a secondary. I was thinking that the Brett and bugs could use the sugar from the fruit, as well as the remaining dextrins to give a slight sourness rather than a very aggressive sour... Something like: 50% Pils 50% Wheat No Hops 154 degree mash OG- 1.040 Primary with Wyeast 1056 Secondary with 1 lbs of blackberries per gallon, Brett brux, Pediococcus, and Lactobacillus
Sounds good, I've never used 1056 for a sour but I have used a Kolsch yeast. I personally would hop it to 5-10 (But no more than 10) IBUS. Then just leave it in secondary till you are happy with the amount of sourness. There are definitely more qualified people around that hopefully will chime in, but that's my 2 cents.
I have done this. I had an American Blonde that was about 17 IBUs, fermented with WY 1469 W Yorkshire, FG was 1.008, then secondary with dregs. After a year, they are quite tart. I brewed 2 beers with WY 3726 Farmhouse, about 23 IBUs, FG on both was 1.004-1.005, bottled with RR dregs, left in the bottles in a warm cellar for 19 months, both are refreshingly tart, light funkiness, more approachable than a Cantillon for a noob. No hops will lead to a much more sour beer as there is nothing to keep the Lacto from going bonkers. 1056 is too clean for fermenting a sour/wild unless you want a lower Brett character in the finished product as Brett takes esters, acids, and alcohol and transforms them into new acids and esters over time. A more expressive yeast will give more complexity in the end.
I'd make sure some of that wheat is NOT malted and/or you mash even higher. The 1056 is going to tear through it...some starch/big sugars are actually good for sours as the bugs will have something to chew on after the 1056 is done. What is your time frame for the primary and secondary? (if short, forget what I just said) What you've got there actually sounds like a Berlinerweisse of sorts. MMmmmm. Cheers
Primary, probably 4 or 5 days... Nothing is getting fermented after that until I add fruit and bugs anyways, so I don't see a point in letting it sit longer unless I just want less saccharomyces in the secondary. Secondary, I can be patient for a year to a year and a half... Long enough to not worry about bottle bombs I guess.
Keep in mind that the higher your FG and the more starch in there the more sour/wild character you will have in the final product. If you want a beer with a lighter tartness and not a lot of funk then you will want the lower FG and no starch or even dead Sacc.
I would advocate for adding dregs from unpasteurized commercial sour beer for some bug "diversity". Jolly Pumpkin is my favorite. Orval, GI, Crooked Stave, ect.
If you intend to put it on blackberries, try to find them as local as possible when in season and then vacuum seal and freeze until you are ready to use them. Off season supermarket blackberries are ridiculously expensive, insanely bitter, and just not that good at all.
Mash high (I usually mash around 158). Hop to ~ 10-15 IBU. Use a less attenuative yeast if you want to do a mixed secondary ferment. And secondary with bottle dregs only!
Yeah, I'd look for fruit that is "in season".. Reason I want to get a good sour going soon enough, so this summer and late summer, I can add fruit in season. I have access to amazing peaches, and black berries, straight from the ground without touching anything but my hands and a basket.
