Too much oxygen for sour...

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by EyePeeAyBryan, Oct 3, 2013.

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  1. EyePeeAyBryan

    EyePeeAyBryan Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Arizona
    Trader

    Hey guys, I'm brewing my first sour (3 gallons) and let ferment 2 weeks with 1.5# of bleneded rasberries and then added 3/4# of blended strawberries. It's been about 5 days since I added the strawberries, the lid on the bucket has been opened several times (for tasting and additions) and the beer is turning pretty acidic, quickly (more than I'd like for this soon into the game). Current reading shows at 1.011 and the strawberries have been in for 5 days.

    Can I bottle now to help prevent the beer from turning even more acidic? I know that the gravity is a little high for a sour beer but I'm okay with risking it instead of ruining this batch...I didn't know allowing a lot of air into the fermenter basically will make me some vinegar.

    THX
     
    #1 EyePeeAyBryan, Oct 3, 2013
  2. mcc1654

    mcc1654 Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2011 Illinois

    How long since you brewed this beer? How did you sour it? What is the current gravity? Extended aging in a bucket isn't recommended because of the amount of oxygen a bucket lets in. And only 3 weeks on fruit isn't very long. I also suggest you stop opening the bucket.
     
    #2 mcc1654, Oct 3, 2013
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  3. jae

    jae Initiate (0) Feb 21, 2010 Washington

    [bottlebombsound]
     
    #3 jae, Oct 3, 2013
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  4. EyePeeAyBryan

    EyePeeAyBryan Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Arizona
    Trader

    It's still a baby for a sour fruit beer, only been 25 days. I used Roesalare 3763 from wyeast and currently the gravity is at 1.011. Definitley done opening the bucket! I know that the gravity is high for bottling but I've never had really good attenuation so for me, that's typical. However, I know these beers are supposed to almsot always be bottled under 1.010 and usually less...
     
    #4 EyePeeAyBryan, Oct 3, 2013
  5. EyePeeAyBryan

    EyePeeAyBryan Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Arizona
    Trader

    It's just turned very acidic over the past week and I'm hoping I can maybe help slow this or stop it somehow...
     
    #5 EyePeeAyBryan, Oct 3, 2013
  6. mcc1654

    mcc1654 Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2011 Illinois

    Wow. I would immediately transfer to a glass carboy or at the very least a better bottle. The beer will probably need at least 12 months more to finish off (Wyeast recommends 18 months). I wouldn't worry about transferring the fruit to secondary. You should really wait until the beer almost ready to package before adding the fruit. I don't think you'll have any problem with attenuation.
     
    #6 mcc1654, Oct 3, 2013
  7. jbakajust1

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

    The acid could be from under ripe fruits. Raspberries can be high in acid, so can strawberry. Does it taste like lemon juice/straight yogurt, under ripe berries, or vinegar? If it is under ripe berries, it is just the acid from the fruits, lemon/yogurt twang is lactic acid, vinegar is, well, vinegar. If it is vinegar, let it go and use it for cooking, then retire that bucket. If it is from the fruit or is lactic, follow the below:

    One of the first things is to ferment sours in glass or a Better Bottle. Second, the fruit doesn't get added to the beer until it is fully soured (read: at least after 6 months of aging). Don't bottle it as it will end up becoming bottle bombs. Move to glass w/ very little head space, let it do it's thing until next Summer, get new fruit, let it go another 3 months on the fruit, then consider bottling.
     
    #7 jbakajust1, Oct 3, 2013
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  8. EyePeeAyBryan

    EyePeeAyBryan Initiate (0) Dec 20, 2011 Arizona
    Trader

    Unfortunately it's a pretty unmistakeable vinegar taste (think Bruery Mother Funker with fruit just not nearly as bad).

    Yes, I need some glass and probably a container that is better in size (I only have the full size plastics and 2 gallons containers).

    Thanks guys for the help, I'm guessing this one can pretty much be marked as done.

    *Also, do you guys think this is from too much air getting in (lid off and on)?
     
    #8 EyePeeAyBryan, Oct 3, 2013
  9. jbakajust1

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


    The vinegar is probably from open close, and from the extremely permeable HDPE plastic bucket. I would just let it ride then put it into mason jars in a few months. Use it to cook with, a nice berry malt vinegar. Get glass for the next go round though.
     
    #9 jbakajust1, Oct 3, 2013
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