Stink Bomb Berliner

[MikeMorrison]

Should I abandon a batch for the first time in 30 plus all grain batches? This is my 3rd kettle sour. The first 2 were good. 1 scored decently in this years Big Spruce comp. This time I was trying to make something akin to a berliner weisse. Right now it stinks like bad cheese and dumpsters. It's been in the carboy since dec 18th. Here's the rundown:

43% Wheat Malt
57% Pilsner
.5lbs dextrose in the boil
5.6 ibu from cascade at 60.
Lacto starter from DME and greek yogurt (same as the successful batch)
soured the wort for 2 days (forgot to write down ph but was probably going for 3.5 ish)
Boil day notes: "smells like puke. seriously disgusting" but I wasn't scared.
o.g. 1.032
Fermented with 1056 at 19 ish Celcius (ambient basement temps)
Jan 2nd - Gravity- 1.005 notes: "still pukey smelling- bland" Still not giving up
Feb 20 - notes: "fucking gross. Cheese, puke, diapers dumpster" Starting to question this one.

So should I age it and see what happens? Or is it likely to get any better? As I said, 3rd kettle sour and the first 2 were good but very different from one another.

Thanks!

[jacinthebox]

you can let it age for a long time...pitch some new bugs perhaps some brett? it may help.

next time...try to adjust your wort PH down to or just below 4.5 with lactic acid. that will limit growth of the other bugs. Butyric acid (Vomit smell) is caused by an infection (the wrong bug taking over your wort).

also make sure you purge the wort well with co2 before you start to sour. i use my carboys to sour in...fill right up to the neck. (I use a ferm wrap and temp controller to keep it warm).

[MikeMorrison]

Thanks for the response. If I pitch Brett do I need to give it more food? I think it's fermented out at this point.

[jacinthebox]

Thanks for the response. If I pitch Brett do I need to give it more food? I think it's fermented out at this point.

what is the gravity? you could always add some Belgian candy sugar or plain corn sugar...even some frozen fruit. it's a bit of an experiment, but since you already have the beer made might as well. give it a few months to a year...maybe the puke will go away

[MikeMorrison]

Can't remember exactly. Under 1010. I thought fruit might be worth trying. Maybe that and some Stillwell 3 dregs I harvested. Worth a shot!

[jacinthebox]

Can't remember exactly. Under 1010. I thought fruit might be worth trying. Maybe that and some Stillwell 3 dregs I harvested. Worth a shot!

for sure

[jacinthebox]

more info...i guess Brett will convert Butyric acid to Ethyl Butyrate.

" Brettanomyces can convert butyric acid into Ethyl Butyrate at low levels, which has a pineapple, tropical fruit aroma and flavor"

http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Butyric_Acid

[MikeMorrison]

Well that gives me some hope! Bought some frozen raspberries and made a starter. Let's give it a shot!

[oceanic_brew]

I've done many kettle and sour mash but my first one that went bad was for the boxing rock comp. My plan was to not enter that one and add Brett but surprisingly the vomit odor is nearly all gone. Now it's just a boring sour lol.

I second everything that was said above also. Lowering the PH to 4.5 and keeping everything under co2 and at 100f has never failed me. For the competition I had no way to lower PH (unless I made acid malt ... hmmm) and of course I get a bad sour!!

[MikeMorrison]

So I made a starter with harvested Stillwell 3 yeast, added 2 bags of frozen raspberries and a bit of dextose. It took off pretty quickly and is now bubbling away. If nothing else it looks much better. A lovely red colour. Now the waiting game!

[Jayme]

Honestly, your description is more than low level butyric acid... If it were me, I would have dumped it. Not all brett strains can actually clean it up, the ones that do will only clean up low level amounts, and it takes a long time for it to happen. The Sour Hour podcast episode with Chad Yakobsen talked about this.

Hopefully it works out for you but I am a firm believer that more home brewers should learn to cut their losses!

[MikeMorrison]

Yeah at this point it's an inexpensive experiment. I have lots of
Carboys so no biggie. I totally get what you're saying. I'm definitely not above dumping a
Batch but I am curious to see what happens here.