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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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1 comment:

  1. UnknownApril 16, 2021 at 12:55 PM

    Oh wow, I am honestly impressed with your degree of dedication and patience, keeping a dozen fermenters throughout all this time. What an amazing project!
    It pains me to see that some of the beers did not develop the desired character. I have just a single batch of Flanders Red in the basement. I realize it might not be wise to have all hopes resting on just one beer, but city apartments do not provide ample space for fermentation projects, unfortunately :(

    May the brett be with you!

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