Sanctification Clone

I am in love with the Russian River sour beers. They inspire me. Vinnie has created a line of sours that are fermented with Brettanomyces and other bacteria. This line includes Sanctification, Supplication, Consecration, Beatification, and Temptation. Sanctification is the least wild of the bunch in that it's not aged in special oak barrels. It's refermented in the bottle and carries the great flavors and funk of brettanomyces. I have a bottle of this I am saving for when my clone/inspired by fermentation is over. Beer Advocate reviewers say that the flavors should be reminicent of sour grapes, sour apples, funky brettanomyces. I would agree with this, I don't have tasting notes from the amazing beer flight from pliny day but I remember finding this beer good and drinkable.

Awhile ago I found an article online at Embrace the Funk where Vinnie reveals the grain bill and yeast composition of sanctification's recipe. His grain bill is 85% Pale, 5% Vienna, 5% Acidulate, and 5% Wheat. The yeast measures out at 50% Brux, 10% Clau, 10% Lamb, and 30% Funky Blend (house culture; can be cultured up from beatification dregs). Hops are Styrian Golding 90 minute and Sterling 15 minutes. OG: 1.058 TG: 1.010-1.006 IBU: 25. This got me thinking that I could brew that or a beer close to that and use that as the base for my sour program.

(read more after the break.)

I copied his recipe as exactly as I could:

9 lbs 9.0 oz          Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
9.0 oz                  Acid Malt (3.0 SRM)
9.0 oz                  Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)     
9.0 oz                  Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
0.75 oz                Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 90.0 mi
0.75 oz                Sterling [7.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min

For my yeast instead of trying to replicate the exact blend I decided to go with ECY Brett Blend #9. A blend of Brettanomyces that produces a dry, leathery, horsey and/or goaty profile. Can have a pronounced barnyard character and be added at any stage of fermentation. Funk is in the house, so let it out. This looks like the description of a brett blend with a high portion of Brettanomyces Brux, we'll see when I side by side the beers later. I'll be culturing some beatification dregs next weekend and I will add it to my sanctification beer and ignore it for a few months.

Brew day:
The wort turned out nice and a little bit cloudy; I didn't add a whirlfloc tablet to this brew. I over boiled the wort because I was distracted all brew day. My final volume wasn't what it should have been. The pacers were on, my sister stopped by, I had chores, and Derek came by. Everything else went smoothly and this beer is fermenting away in my mother's basement.