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For more on brewing kettle-soured beers with extracts, see Jester Goldman’s No Rests for the Wicked from Issue 40.
EXTRACT
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.046
FG: 1.011
IBUs: 8
ABV: 4.5%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
6 lb (2.7 kg) wheat dry malt extract (DME)
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
0.5 oz (14 g) Perle [8% AA] at 20 minutes
0.75 oz (21 g) fresh mint leaves, crushed, at 20 minutes
8 fl oz (237 ml) pomegranate concentrate at flame-out
YEAST
White Labs WLP 693 Lactobacillus plantarum or similar, pre-boil
SafAle US-05 American Ale
DIRECTIONS
Dissolve the wheat DME in 5.75 gallons (21.8 liters) of water. Check the pH and add lactic or malic acid as necessary to bring it down to 4.0–4.3. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes to sanitize the wort, then chill to about 110°F (43°C). Pitch the Lactobacillus and seal the kettle, covering with plastic wrap and lid. Hold the wort between 95–113°F (35–45°C) for 24 hours. Once the wort is soured, unseal the kettle, and bring it to a boil. Add the hops and crushed mint, and boil for 20 minutes. After the boil, stir in the pomegranate concentrate, and chill the wort to about 65°F (18°C). Once cool, aerate the wort and pitch the ale yeast.
Ferment at about 65–70°F (18–21°C).
BREWER’S NOTES
One of the most challenging parts of brewing a kettle sour is controlling the temperature during the souring stage. At the very least, you should insulate your kettle with a blanket. If you don’t have a heating blanket, consider putting a 25- to 40-watt incandescent bulb under the blanket to help keep it warm.