Bailing, Not Failing: Kettle Sour Experiment

Sometimes you don't get to the summit. The weather rolls in, darkness is falling, you or your partner have reached the end of your courage. Whatever the reason, sometimes you gotta bail, rap down, coil the rope, pack your bags and walk away.  Some folks see bailing as failing, but really it's a process of learning. That route will be there (probably) in a week, a month, a year. You will come back earlier, stronger, better prepared. You will bring a headlamp, a lightweight rain shell, more experience or more fitness. Some day you will send that route, but you may have to bail a few times before it goes.

I'm naming this beer series "Bailing not Failing" because I imagine that, just like a good route, we may need to back away a few times, dump a batch here or there before we achieve what we are dreaming of. Recipe and process after the break:

Note: This is not a one-day brew. The lactic acid needed to get your souring pre-kettle takes some time to set up before brew day. Here is what I did for this batch: 

Day -12: Mix up starter wort a-la Jamil/Palmer: 200g DME to 200mL wort. Chill to 110F and pitch Lacto Brevis tube from White Labs. Set Ranco temp control for 110F and place starter in cooler with a heater blanket. (Note: heater blanket only kept starter at about 96F. Will have to look for a stronger heat source next time) 

Day -7: Mash as below. When mash is complete, run out to two corny kegs purged with CO2. Pitch 100mL of starter into each keg.

Day 0: recombine wort into boil kettle, boil as usual. Chill into fermenter and pitch Brett Trois (or whatever the new name is) from White Labs.

Brewing Steps: Fast Sour Experiment

Gueuze (not really but there is no style yet in BeerSmith for American Sour Beers)

Type: All Grain	Date: 14 Jun 2015
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.00 gal	Brewer: Jim Parker
Boil Size: 13.44 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Stainless Kegs (10 Gal/37.8 L) - All Grain
Final Bottling Volume: 9.25 gal	Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage	Taste Rating(out of 50): 30.0
Taste Notes:

Prepare for Brewing
	Clean and Prepare Brewing Equipment
	Total Water Needed: 16.84 gal
Mash or Steep Grains
	Mash Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 40.0 % 8 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 40.0 % 2 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 10.0 % 2 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 4 10.0 %
	Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 29.00 qt of water at 162.0 F 152.0 F 60 min
	Fly sparge with 9.59 gal water at 168.0 F Mash Hops Amt Name Type # %/IBU 1.00 oz Galaxy [14.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 5 34.5 IBUs
Boil Wort
	Add water to achieve boil volume of 13.44 gal
	Estimated pre-boil gravity is 1.044 SG
	Estimated Post Boil Vol: 11.44 gal and Est Post Boil Gravity: 1.053 SG

Cool and Prepare Fermentation
	Cool wort to fermentation temperature
	Transfer wort to fermenter
	Add water to achieve final volume of 10.00 gal
	Measure Actual Original Gravity _______     (Target: 1.053 SG)
	Measure Actual Batch Volume _______     (Target: 10.00 gal)
Fermentation
	14 Jun 2015 - Primary Fermentation (14.00 days at 67.0 F ending at 67.0 F)
	Dry Hop and Prepare for Bottling/Kegging
	Measure Final Gravity: _________  (Estimate: 1.013 SG)
	Date Bottled/Kegged: 28 Jun 2015 - Carbonation: Keg with 12.54 PSI
	Age beer for 30.00 days at 65.0 F
	28 Jul 2015 - Drink and enjoy!
Notes
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