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Sunday, August 25, 2019

Sour Blonde Blend (2019)

I'll be making a 6 gallon blend of Sour Blonde beer today using batches I've brewed over the last 4 years.  I have 13 to choose from (see Tasting Notes here) and will be shooting for the most boldly flavored and complex blend I can get.  Last year's blend was nice but it wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped for and was not really comparable to the commercial Lambic beers that are the inspiration for these Sour Blondes.

My early batches of Sour Blonde used the Wyeast 3278 Belgian Lambic Blend.  I re-pitched onto the same yeast cake multiple times in hopes that the product would get more complex.  These beers all ended up fairly mild in flavor and haven't been as interesting as I'd hoped.  In the last couple years I've brewed batches with a couple East Coast Yeast blends, a couple Bootleg Biology Blends, and an Omega Yeast Brett blend.  These beers have given me some more interesting options to put to use in this year's Sour Blonde Blend.


I have chosen the following beers to use:
  • Fermenter #11:
    • Overview:
      • Brewed with Bootleg Biology Funk Weapon #2
      • Grainbill was a mix of Pilsner and Raw Wheat.  To attempt to better simulate a cereal mash I drew off a quart of very starchy wort from the cereal mash and added this to the boil
      • No hops in this batch
      • Aged in a bucket with a solid bung
    • Tasting Notes:
      • Aroma:  Very interesting fruity aroma from this beer.  I get citrus, peach, and pineapple maybe.  Also get a bit of brett funk
      • Appearance:  Golden and slightly cloudy
      • Flavor:  Medium sourness with a very fruity flavor.  Also has a bit of funk going on.
      • Mouthfeel:  Light-medium bodied and dry.  Slight prickling
      • Overall:  This beer has a very bold fruit flavor which is unlike any of the other beers.  Very pleasant with good complexity.
    • Volume:
      • 3 gal
  • Fermenter #8:
    • Overview:
      • Aged with ECY01 Bug Farm.  This is the second pitch
      • Grainbill is a mix of Pilsner and Raw Wheat
      • No hops in this batch
      • Aged in a bucket fermenter with a solid stopper
    • Tasting Notes:
      • Aroma:  Overripe fruit and earthy funk.  Pretty potent aroma
      • Appearance:  Light gold and slightly cloudy
      • Flavor:  Firm sourness along with earthy brett and fruit.  Also get a bit of malt coming through in the finish.  Fruit caries into the finish with the sourness and almost gives the impression of sweetness
      • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and dry.  Has a bit of bite in the finish
      • Overall:  Bold flavors and quite a bit of complexity.  I think this one is very nice.
    • Volume:
      • 2 gal
  • Fermenter #2:
    • Overview:
      • Aged with Bootleg Biology Funk Weapon #1 and a bit of Wyeast 3278 Belgian Lambic Blend
      • Sitting on Toasted and Chardonnay soaked oak for the last year
      • Grain bill of Pilsner and Raw Wheat
      • No hops in this one
      • Aged in a mostly full glass carboy with a vented silicon bung
    • Tasting Notes:
      • Aroma:  Fruity (citrus or peach maybe) with a bit of earthy funk.  Very pleasant
      • Appearance:  Light gold and pretty clear
      • Flavor:  Lightly sour.  Earthy funk and a fruity flavor are most prominent
      • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and dry.  Slight prickling in the back of the throat
      • Overall:  Bold flavor and aroma on this one.  Has a nice amount of complexity which makes for an interesting beer.  I really like this one.
    • Volume:
      • 1 gal

These three beers were the standouts in the tasting.  They each had really bold flavors that I think will marry well together.  I am going to aged this blend with 2 oz of oak which I toasted and then soaked in Chardonnay.

Blending Notes:
  • 8/25/19 Blending Day:
    • First transferred in 3 gal of beer from Fermenter #11 into bucket fermenter
    • Next added 2 gal of beer from Fermenter #8
    • Then added 1 gal of beer from Fermenter #2
    • Added 2 oz of oak
    • Set the beer up with a 3 piece airlock
  • 5/2/2020 - Bottled this beer today with re hydrated Red Star Premier Cuviee Champagne yeast and 5 oz of priming sugar.  I used corked and caged 750 ML bottles for the beer - got 29 of them.  The beer formed a nice pellicle and the oak sunk to the bottom.  It is a nice smelling beer - very fruity (I didn't taste much of a sample).  I corked using a hand corker and Belgian corks - ruined a few corks learning the correct method but I didn't spill a drop of beer, so that's good.  Took quite a bit more time than normal bottling.
  • 1/30/22 - Tasting Notes - Boldly flavored and very complex beer.  The fruitiness of the beer and the acidity provide a very pleasing combination.  I also think the brett character of it plays nicely in the mix. It's balance is quite a bit more towards the acidic character than on Brett and I'd say it's a bit more sour than the famous Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze which has become more accessible here in Pennsylvania in the last couple years.  My beer is good but I think Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze is better
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Saturday, August 24, 2019

Sour Blonde Status Report - 2019

Time for the yearly checkup on my collection of Lambic inspired Aged Sour Blonde beers.  I currently have 13 fermenters of beer that has been aged between 1 and 4 years.  It is interesting to see how these have developed over time (see my 2017 and 2018 tasting notes).  This tasting will be the basis for blending - I will be making a Plain, Cherry, Raspberry, and Nectarine versions this year (read about last years Plan, Cherry, and Raspberry)

All the beers were made using a mix of Pilsner Malt and Wheat but I've experimented quite a bit with various mash techniques (short standard mash or Cereal mash) and additives (maltodextrine and flour) to get extra starch into the wort in simulation of a turbid mash (haven't attempted an actual turbid mash yet).  Additionally, I've used multiple yeast/souring microbe blends in an attempt to get interesting blending components.  Many of these beers underwent primary fermentation with a blend of yeast and lacto bacteria which has typically made a base beer with acidity but also with a SG where there is something left for the aging microbes to eat (1.010-1.015 typically).


I've been ignoring these beers for the last 15 months like a good boy.  I love making things that develop without need for action on my part!  I am excited to be trying these out.

Fermenter #1:
    • Aroma:  Earthy with a mineral character.  Slightly wine like aroma as well
    • Appearance:  Light gold and slightly hazy
    • Flavor:  Lightly sour with a lemon-like character.  Also get a bit of mineral flavor and bit of earthy funk
    • Mouthfeel:  Light-medium bodied.  Fairly dry.  Pretty smooth - no real prickliness.
    • Overall:  The flavors are pretty bold - particularly the lemon like sourness.  Not all that complex as the supporting flavors are fairly far in the background.

Fermenter #2:
    • Aroma:  Fruity (citrus or peach maybe) with a bit of earthy funk.  Very pleasant
    • Appearance:  Light gold and pretty clear
    • Flavor:  Lightly sour.  Earthy funk and a fruity flavor are most prominent
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and dry.  Slight prickling in the back of the throat
    • Overall:  Bold flavor and aroma on this one.  Has a nice amount of complexity which makes for an interesting beer.  I really like this one.

Fermenter #3:
    • Aroma:  Light, cheesy, funk and a bit of overripe fruit.  Also some mineral
    • Appearance:  Straw colored and very clear
    • Flavor:  Only the faintest sourness has developed.  Light malt flavor with a bit of funk.  It has a slight bitterness.
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and pretty dry.  Smooth drinking
    • Overall:  Light flavors with little complexity

Fermenter #4:
    • Aroma:  Funky with a bit of fruit and an almost solvent like smell
    • Appearance:  Straw colored and little murky
    • Flavor:  Very slight sourness with a bit of fruit flavor.  Slight funk along with a bit of mineral
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied.  Has a slight bit of sweetness.  Prickles the back of the throat
    • Overall:  Mild in flavor without all that much complexity.  Rough drinking with the astringency.

Fermenter #5:
    • Aroma:  Fruity and wine-like with a bit of funk.  Also get some malt coming through  Pretty bold aroma
    • Appearance:  Light gold and very clear
    • Flavor:  Quite sour.  Malty with a bit of fruit flavor and some earthy/leathery funk.  Some bandaid like brett character comes through in the finish
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and dry.  Slight prickling in the back of the throat
    • Overall:  Bold flavors with a fair amount of complexity.  A bit too sour on it's own but could be a very nice part of a blend with a milder beer

Fermenter #6:
    • Aroma: Slightly earthy aroma along with a bit of mineral.  Very mild smelling
    • Appearance:  Light gold and very clear
    • Flavor:  Medium level of sourness.  Bready malt with some brett funk (bandaid like) 
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and very dry.  Slight prickling
    • Overall:  Fairly bold flavors but not very complex

Fermenter #7:
  • Beers:
  • Overview:
    • Beer has been aged with Wyeast 3278 Belgian Lambic Blend
    • Prior to this it spent a few months on my Belgian Yeast and Lacto house culture
    • Made with a mix of Pilsner and Raw Wheat
    • No hops
    • Aged with some toasted oak that I soaked in Chardonnay
    • Kept in a Bucket Fermenter with a solid stopper
  • Status Notes:
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Aroma:  Light fruity and wine like aroma mixed with a bit of earthyness
    • Appearance:  Straw colored and very murky.  Quite a bit of yeast in suspension - I may have drawn from too deep in the fermenter.
    • Flavor:  Medium sourness with a citrus and fruity character.  Has a bit of malt character in the background along with a slight earthy brett character
    • Mouthfeel:  Light-medium bodied.  Dry with a slight prickling.
    • Overall:  This is a really ugly looking beer but the flavors are pretty bold and quite nice.  Not a whole lot of complexity

Fermenter #8:
    • Aroma:  Overripe fruit and earthy funk.  Pretty potent aroma
    • Appearance:  Light gold and slightly cloudy
    • Flavor:  Firm sourness along with earthy brett and fruit.  Also get a bit of malt coming through in the finish.  Fruit caries into the finish with the sourness and almost gives the impression of sweetness
    • Mouthfeel:  Light bodied and dry.  Has a bit of bite in the finish
    • Overall:  Bold flavors and quite a bit of complexity.  I think this one is very nice.

Fermenter #9:
    • Aroma:  Slightly fruity (overripe) with a bit of brett funk.  Maybe smells a bit like a white wine.
    • Appearance:  Light gold and pretty clear
    • Flavor:  Lightly sour with a fruity flavor and a bit of earthy brett character.  It has a bit of bready malt in the finish.
    • Mouthfeel:  Light and dry.  Pretty smooth drinking.  Leaves the mouth kind of sticky somehow (or maybe that's due to how many beers I've tasted so far).
    • Overall:  Nice bold flavors with a nice level of sourness and complexity

Fermenter #10:
    • Aroma:  Fruity with a bit of cheesy funk.  Has a sort of wine like aroma.
    • Appearance:  Light gold and a bit cloudy
    • Flavor:  Fairly firm sourness.  Citrus fruit fairly bold followed by a bit of earthy brett.
    • Mouthfeel:  Light and dry.  Slight prickling
    • Overall:  This one is pretty boldly flavored but not really that complex

Fermenter #11:
    • Aroma:  Very interesting fruity aroma from this beer.  I get citrus, peach, and pineapple maybe.  Also get a bit of brett funk
    • Appearance:  Golden and slightly cloudy
    • Flavor:  Medium sourness with a very fruity flavor.  Also has a bit of funk going on.
    • Mouthfeel:  Light-medium bodied and dry.  Slight prickling
    • Overall:  This beer has a very bold fruit flavor which is unlike any of the other beers.  Very pleasant with good complexity.

Fermenter #12:
    • Aroma:  Musty and funky aroma along with a slight fruity character
    • Appearance:  Golden and slightly cloudy
    • Flavor:  Lightly sour with some fruity flavors and a bit of brett funk
    • Mouthfeel:  Light-medium bodied and slightly sweet.  Smooth drinking
    • Overall:  Fairly mild in flavor but it has some interesting and fairly unique elements compared with the other beers.

Fermenter #13:
  • Beers:
  • Overview:
    • Spontaneously Fermented after cooling off in my side yard next to Raspberry Plants
    • Mix of Pilsner and Raw wheat malt
    • Hopped with high AA hops for 15 min of boil
    • Aged with 3 piece airlock which has run dry several times in a better bottle
    • Aging on Oak Cubes which have been soaked in Chardonnay
  • Status Notes:
    • NSTR
  • Tasting Notes:
    • Aroma:  Lightly fruity aroma with a bit of musty and earthy smell
    • Appearance:  Light gold and pretty murky
    • Flavor:  No sourness has developed.  Has a pretty firm bitterness in the finish and a bit of fruity Belgian like yeast character
    • Mouthfeel:  Light and very dry.  Pretty smooth drinking
    • Overall:  Not very interesting or very tasty unfortunately.  Interesting that it's so bitter after almost 2 years of aging.
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