Sour Stout with Bottle Dregs: update #3

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Based on my post here: https://beaconhillsbrewhouse.wordpress.com/2011/08/26/sour-stout-with-bottle-dregs/    and here : https://beaconhillsbrewhouse.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/sour-stout-with-bottle-dregs-update-1/ , I just tried a sample of this beer and the taste is absolutely fantastic! Since I fermented this beer in a keg, after it was done fermenting with the primary yeast strain, I added the Jolly Pumpkin and Brooklyn Local 1 dregs and then threw the lid on the keg. What I was hoping for did in fact happen, it carbonated itself!

Before I added the dregs to this stout, I was very disappointed with the flavor. It really took off when the dregs were added to it. It has taken on a whole new flavor with notes of oak, (no doubt the Jolly Pumpkin) and a nice rounded sour twang to it that compliments the roasty stout very well. It’s obvious to me  that the jolly pumpkin completely took over the last bit of fermentation. I actually wasn’t expecting it to add little if any flavor at all. I surely didn’t expect for it to carbonate to beer at the same time. Looks like a win-win for me. It really does taste awesome though and it is now essentially a sour-cask ale with natural carbonation. I urge any adventurous brewer to try this , it really does work! Just make sure you try to get a fresh bottle of whatever bottle you plan to use. I will say that with Jolly Pumpkin, you can’t go wrong.

As of this week, I have tried it again with some Unibroue Maudite dregs. It did ferment out but at first it smelled like cooked corn(DMS). But instead of being too impulsive I allowed it to sit at room temp all week. But a few days ago I lifted the lid and got a whiff of some great Belgian yeast character coming from the starter. I plan on adding some fresh wort to the starter this weekend and I’ll see what happens form there. After all its free yeast… just keep that in mind. Cheers.

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