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My Lou Reed Moment

Northern Brewer General
#1

I had a brew day yesterday. I had purchased a Dawson’s Kriek extract kit from NB. Swapped out the cherries for raspberries. I asked the good folks there if this would otherwise affect the brew and they assured me it wouldn’t.

This is my first sour. I am going to follow the instructions to the letter, since I’ve never brewed a sour before, but I thought sours sit on their yeast? That is not what the instructions say, so I will just trust to Mr. Dawson. Any insights to sours would be appreciated.

I will be making this a short aging of the minimum 3 months to let the raspberries dominate.

Anyway, I brewed the beer yesterday and pitched the Wyeast lambic.

Then I said, hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side…

Again, I would like some feedback here, from those versed in sours.

#2

About 4 or 5 months ago I made a lambic with pils malt and flaked wheat. I split it into two carboys. Into one carboy I pitched Wyeast Lambic Blend, and into the other I pitched a starter I made with a bunch of wild beers (Boon, Hannsens, Bruery, Jolly Pumpkin, Allagash Interlude). I tasted the two beers yesterday, and the Wyeast version was rather bland. I feel it needs fruit or something to tart it up. The dregs batch was unbelievable. Sour and funky, just like a good lambic.

If you want this VERY sour, you can always add dregs in addition to your lab yeast.

#3

Follow the directions, theres nothing really advantageous about leaving the beer on the yeast cake. There’ll be enough yeast that drops out later, to feed the bugs if they need it. Dawson’s Kriek was my first wild brew and it turned out exceptional, people were amazed that an extract kit could turn out like that. I’m sure it will be good as a framboise. At three months its going to have a little funk and not a lot of sourness. I’d age at least half of it for a year.

Wahoo, give it time. At a year it’ll be good and sour.

#4

[quote=“tom sawyer”]Follow the directions, theres nothing really advantageous about leaving the beer on the yeast cake. There’ll be enough yeast that drops out later, to feed the bugs if they need it. Dawson’s Kriek was my first wild brew and it turned out exceptional, people were amazed that an extract kit could turn out like that. I’m sure it will be good as a framboise. At three months its going to have a little funk and not a lot of sourness. I’d age at least half of it for a year.

Wahoo, give it time. At a year it’ll be good and sour.[/quote]

Thanks! I am shooting for a crowd pleasing Framboise without too funky a complexion. its for an occasion. Good to know I will carry enough yeast in suspension to feed the bugs. I plan on giving this batch the test run, and if its successful, I plan on aging longer next time. I like sours, but I never thought I’d be brewing one.

#5

Walk On The Wild Side is a song about a transvestite. I don’t know if that’s sour, but the thought is not pleasant.

#6

I said, “hey sugar, take a walk on the wild side”… 8)

So I racked it over today. Bit of funk to the smell, no acid smell whatsoever. Its sitting on 8# of raspberries now. Got the blowoff ass’y sitting on standby just in case.

#7

Sounds like you’re on track for a good result, if you have lactic acid you could always bump up the tartness if it needs it.

#8

We have thought about brewing this kit with Raspberries also, would love to know how it turns out.

#9

Secondary is well underway, with the raspberries kicking off the yeast again as expected. Nice light pink krausen forming.

As long as it doesn’t go too crazy, now the waiting game begins.

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