Sour Saison, a 1 gallon Test

For quite a while, I have been wanting to make a sour saison, which is the more traditional form (either sour, or heavily hopped).  I actually want to do both, a dryhopped sour saison.  However, because I have a new yeast I wanted to play with, plus need to test the use of probiotic lacto in brewing, I decided to do a 1 gallon test first.  I originally meant to hop it to around 5 IBU, but forgot to grab my hops on brew day.  I figure I will let it ferment for a week or two, then either leave it plain, add berries, dry hops, or something else I haven't yet thought of, depending on the flavour.

The one gallon test batch is also to serve as a starter for the full batch of sour saison, since I am not pasteurizing the wort after souring. 

Sour test saison - Saison
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Batch Size: 1.000 gal
Boil Size: 2.000 gal
Boil Time: 60.000 min
Efficiency: 70%
OG: 1.064
FG: 1.016
ABV: 6.3%
Bitterness: 4.8 IBUs (Tinseth)
Color: 9 SRM (Morey)

Fermentables
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                  Name  Type   Amount Mashed Late Yield Color
             Acid Malt Grain 2.000 oz    Yes   No   59%   3 L
         Aromatic Malt Grain 4.000 oz    Yes   No   78%  26 L
       Wheat Malt, Ger Grain 7.000 oz    Yes   No   84%   2 L
 Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel Grain 1.700 lb    Yes   No   80%   3 L
Total grain: 2.512 lb


Yeast
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                   Name Type   Form     Amount   Stage
      49th State Saison  Ale Liquid 1.333 tbsp Primary
 Wyeast - Lactobacillus  Ale Liquid  0.528 cup Primary





 Mashed in with 2 gallons of water hitting a strike temp of 125.  Quickly (faster than intended) raised the temperature to 149 and left it to mash for about 1.5 hours.  Heavily squeezed bag, with 1.024 at 135 (1.04 adjusted). One hour boil, with no hops.

Once it cooled a bit, I pitched 4 capsules of "women's" probiotics (a variety of lactobacillus cultures, a couple Bifidobacteri, Streptococcus thermophilus. See the Sui Generis Brewing article on choosing probiotics for brewing).  The carboy (full carboy with only a gallon or so....I know) is wrapped in several layers of wool over an electric blanket.

5-1-16; Brewing commenced. 

5-3-16; There has been no motion in the airlock, other than from changes in temperature.  There does appear to be a whitish....substance clinging to the walls and on the bottom of the carboy, which I suspect is the lacto (similar stuff appeared in my naturally fermented pickles).  I added some of the yeast, leaving the temperature at around 90 degrees.

5-10-16; SG is 1.014.  I couldn't rack properly because it was less than a gallon in a 1 gallon carboy, so hopefully the oxygen doesn't do nasty things.  I added one tbsp of white sugar, to give the yeast something to chew on and metabolize some of the oxygen.

6-22--16; About a month ago I added a pint of frozen raspberries.  Today it was bottled--rather lackadasically (not remotely clear, and there are small pieces of berry), I might add.  However, based on the dregs I'm sipping, I want to make more (however, next time I'll grind the berries through a chinois and strain so I'm only dealing with juice).
I only got a few bottles, and it is happily not pretty enough to share....so it's all mine!

© John Frey, 2016. The Author of this work retains full copyright for this material.  The recipes and other contents therein may not be used for any commercial purposes.