Another Sour Beer

My first sour beer (not a gose, just a sour) turned out really well, thanks to the support provided by Jake of Crooked Run Brewing.  Having had some initial success, I wanted to try out hopping a sour beer, going for a sour IPA, using some of the Medusa hops I've got.

So, I took a look at the recipe that Jake posted to his blog, and using a conversion of 31 gal (US) to a barrel, I came up with total hop additions of 14 g @ whirlpool, and about 20 g @ dry hop.  This being the first time, I'm going to be a bit conservative, but it's a good start.

Brew Day: 1 Nov 2016

*Early in the day, begin warming the heating pad, and set out (2) Goodbelly Straight Shots.

Partial Mash:
1 lb white wheat malt, crushed

*Partial mash using my regular process

Boil #1 (20 min):
1 lb Pilsen DME

*NOTE: No hops or yeast at this point!

Chill the wort to approx. 100 deg F (it will cool further during the transfer), and transfer to a glass fermenter.  It is okay to fill above the 1 gal line on the container.  Shake the Straight Shots and add each one directly to the fermenter.  Cap the fermenter, insert a blow-off tube (the bacteria does not form a krausen, this is just to isolate it...), wrap the fermenter in a towel and place on the heating pad.  Allow to remain there for approx. 48 hrs.

Boil #2 (20 min): 4 Nov 2016
Starting the boil this morning (very early), I caught a whiff of the wort...as before, it sort of smells like apple juice.  This one is definitely going to be interesting, as the only real thing I'm changing about this is that I'm hopping it.

Hops: 10 min hop stand with 14 g of Medusa  hops (AA: 3%)
Yeast: Safale US-05

As a bit of a side note, some thoughts on brewing these beers...

First, the bacteria doesn't create a krausen; as such, when I get the fermenter ready to sit on the warming plate, I tend to fill the fermenter all the way up to the neck, leaving about an inch or two at the top.

Second, even though the second boil is not intended for volume reduction (it's meant to kill the bacteria), this will happen.  As such, adding some water to boil to make up for any loss in volume is fine.  This is particularly true if it's accounted for during the first boil, with the addition of a bit more fermentables.

Addendum, 14 Nov: Dry hop with 14 g of  Medusa hops (AA: 3%)

Addendum, 17 Nov: Bottled today; got 8 good 12 oz bottles.

Addendum, 4 Dec: First taste of the sour IPA.  Straw yellow color with light carbonation.  Excellent flavor, definitely sour with an ever-so-slight sense of sweet fruit that comes through the nose at first.