Fri Jan 16, 2015 12:28 pm
No dangers if the pH dropped. You tell us about repercussions...I expect it will be fine. I had a long lagtime with a barrel fermented beer and it's developing nicely, verging on very nicely. 10 gallon barrel filled with traditional turbid mashed wort fermented with a 500mL starter of dregs from 8 Lambics. The starter took 2 weeks to show activity. 1.050 OG and 5.20 post boil pH of the turbid mashed wort. Took 2 weeks to get noticable gas evolution out of the barrel's blow-off tube. After that 2 weeks, it had fermented down to 1.039 and pH dropped to 4.32. The next measurement, 4 months later, was 1.007. It was brewed last winter so the barrel room was low 60's. The room is temp controlled during the summer to mid 60's. Next time (this spring), I will wait until it's warmer to do the same to the next barrel to get action quicker. I've been trying to isolate species from my favorite sours this winter to prepare instead of the straight dreg attack.
Next:
Fermenting: Cider, Azacca Oat Pils, Egregious-ish, Lambic, Carrot Blossom Cedar Mead, Brett Helles
Drinking: RIS, Doppelbock, Sauerkraut Gose, Lambic, Brett Blonde, Kriek, Saison, Rye Berliner
Barrel aged: RIS, Rye Barleywine, Tripel