Apricot Kettle Sour (AM)

First time doing a kettle sour.

Brewed 5.0 gallons on 2016-05-14

Preboil gravity: 1.03

Original gravity: 1.034

Final gravity: 1.002

ABV: 4.2%

Apparent Attenuation: 94.1%

Inspiration for

Process notes

2016-05-14

Bought 13 pounds of apricots. Split them in half, took out pit, put in back, and put in freezer.

2016-05-14

After 12 hours, pH was 4.6, so maybe initial reading was off.

2016-05-15

After 36 hours, pH was 4.3.

2016-05-16

After 48 hours, pH was 3.3 and had some tartness. So, I began the boil at 9:00pm, got to 180° and set aside since it was too late.

2016-05-17

Did the main boil.

2016-05-28

Added the apricot. This has been fermenting ~71°.

2016-06-18

Kegged. Hazy orange color. light stonefruit, tart aroma. Sweet floral aroma. A bit tart, some apricot flavor. Dry, astringent. Easy drinking, light beer; balanced. Should be good.

Boil for 60 minutes

At 60 minutes

1 ounce of 6.8% Alpha Acid Cascade pellets

At 15 minutes

1 Whirlfloc Tablet

Mash

[89.66%] 6 pounds 8 ounces of Goldpils Vienna (Briess)

[6.90%] 8 ounces of Caramel 120L (Briess)

[3.45%] 4 ounces of Honey Malt (GambrinusMalting)

Single infusion mash. Mashed with 3.25 gallons (1.79 quarts per pound) of reverse osmosis water for 60 minutes. 7lb 4oz of grain was used in the mash. (Yellow Balanced Water Profile.)

Strike water temp: (0.2/1.79) * (152 - 69) + 152 = 161.3

1.30g calcium chloride, 1.00g gypsum, and 0.50g epsom salt added to water

After 0 mins

mash is 151°; pH is 5.45

After 30 mins

mash is 151°; pH is 5.30

After 60 mins

mash is 149°; pH is 5.35

Sparge

Sparged for 60 minutes with 4.5 gallons of 170° reverse osmosis water. (Stopped the sparge ~2gallons below normal line. 1.038 SG and 5.35 pH before topping off. 1.030 SG and 5.3 pH after topping off. Then added 7.25mL of Lactic acid to drop pH to 4.51 before adding Lactobacillus.)

1.80g calcium chloride, 1.40g gypsum, and 0.70g epsom salt added to water

After 0 mins

pH is 5.22; specific gravity is 1.065

After 20 mins

pH is 5.25; specific gravity is 1.055

After 45 mins

pH is 5.40; specific gravity is 1.010; Slowed down the sparge at this point.

After 60 mins

pH is 5.44; specific gravity is 1.008; Stopped the sparge early

Yeast

2016-05-14

Pitch 6 packs of Lactobacillus Plantarum (SwansonVitamins) at 120°. (After topping off the wort and adding the lactic acid, the 6 pills of lacto was added to sour the wort.)

2016-05-17

Pitch 1 pack of 3711 French Saison (Wyeast) at 73°.

Dry additions

2016-05-28

13 pounds of Apricot. (Defrosted apricots in big pot. Headed to ~120°. Mashed up w/ ladle. Strained juice w/ strainer and added only juice (not remainder of fruit) to carboy. Probably 1.25 gallons. This raised temp to 77°. Took sample before adding fruit, SG 1.004. Slight apple cider, grapefruit aromas. Hard cider aromas is most prominent. Slight tartness, but not as much as I was hoping. Nothing off, some lemon. Like a lemon juice cider.)

Tasting notes (7.00/10; 1 rating)

2016-09-15

[7/10] Drank at NCHF Happy Hour.

Beer competition results

Placed 3rd and scored 33 in 2016 Chili Cookoff w/ WoW.