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Recipe: Urban South Drip au Lait
With thanks to Urban South head brewer Alex Flores in New Orleans, here is a sample recipe for their strong, gently tart beer that combines the pleasures of fruit and coffee.
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Experiment with your own combinations; releases from Urban South include Honduran coffee with Valencia orange and almond cream, Ethiopian coffee with boysenberries and raspberries, and espresso with coconut and chocolate.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.068
FG: 1.013
IBUs: 0
ABV: 7.2%
Experiment with your own combinations; releases from Urban South include Honduran coffee with Valencia orange and almond cream, Ethiopian coffee with boysenberries and raspberries, and espresso with coconut and chocolate.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.068
FG: 1.013
IBUs: 0
ABV: 7.2%
[PAYWALL]
MALT/GRAIN BILL
5.9 lb (2.7 kg) two-row pale
3.5 lb (1.6 kg) white wheat malt
1.1 lb (499 g) malted oats
1.1 lb (499 g) flaked wheat
ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
10 oz (283 g) dextrose at 10 minutes
5 lb (2.3 kg) boysenberries at secondary
2 oz (57 g) Ethiopian whole-bean coffee at tertiary
2 oz (57 g) Ethiopian coarse-ground coffee at tertiary
YEAST
Lactobacillus blend and Chico strain, such as White Labs WLP001 California Ale
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 154°F (68°C) for 30 minutes at a ratio of 1.3 qts/lb (2.7 l/kg). Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as necessary to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Hold the wort at 180°F (82°C) for 20 minutes, then allow it to cool. Once it has cooled to 100°F (38°C), pitch the Lacto. Purge the kettle of oxygen using CO2 and seal to maintain an oxygen-free environment. Monitor the pH, aiming for 3.4–3.6. At target pH, bring to a boil, add the dextrose, and boil for 10 minutes. Chill to about 66°F (19°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast.
Once primary fermentation is complete, add the boysenberries or other fruit of choice. After about 7 days, once the gravity has stabilized again, rack into a secondary fermentor and add the whole-bean coffee in a weighted, sanitized, nylon sack. After 24–36 hours, remove the beans and add the coarse-ground coffee in the same method. Remove the ground coffee after 24–32 hours, then crash, package, and carbonate.
BREWER’S NOTES
Fruit + Coffee: The berries-Ethiopian combination is just one example—experiment with other pairings. Consider brighter-flavored coffees with more intensely flavored fruits, or darker roasts with berries and sweeter fruits.
Purging: To avoid off-flavors, it’s important to eliminate oxygen pickup during the souring process. Purge your kettle or souring vessel before adding wort and Lacto.
Hops: They’re not necessary, but if you add any, do it after the souring process, or they’ll inhibit the Lactobacillus.
Yeast: By trying out different strains, you can add depth to fruited kettle sours. One of my favorites for heavily fruited sour beers is an American Hefeweizen strain (White Labs WLP320), under-aerated and fermented on the warmer side. The sweet banana notes and residual body can really elevate these beers.
