← All brews

25B Saison

Sour Citra Saison III

Brewed 2025-01-08 Batch · 21 L Owen Paterson
ABV4.8% OG1.049 FG1.007

Grain bill

Gladfield Pilsner Malt 4.5 kg 78.9%
Gladfield Wheat Malt 1 kg 17.5%
Gladfield Medium Crystal Malt 0.2 kg 3.5%

Adjuncts

Yeast nutrient half tsp @ 10 min
Whirlfloc half tablet @ 10 min
Ground coriander 30 g @ 10 min

Hop schedule

Hop 60 min30 min15 minWP 80°CDH#1
Citra 5g10g10g25g50g

Yeast

WildBrew Philly Sour1.5 packets

Water additions

Calcium Sulphate 1 tsp in mash
Calcium Chloride half tsp in mash
Lactic acid (88%) 5 drops in sparge

Tasting notes

pH 3.6, ABV ~5%. Clean sour with Citra fruitiness and coriander spice. 1.5 packets Philly Sour hit the right sourness level.

About This Beer

Third iteration of Owen’s Philly Sour saison: light, tart and hop-forward, using WildBrew Philly Sour to produce lactic acidity alongside a conventional ale fermentation. No kettle souring and no mixed culture, just Philly Sour doing both jobs.

Two changes from the previous version. An extra half kilo of Pilsner to push the gravity up, and the yeast dialled to 1.5 packets. One packet was not sour enough and two was too much; 1.5, measured on kitchen scales using the leftover half from the previous batch, hit the balance.

Citra runs throughout, from a small bittering charge to a day-5 dry hop. Ground coriander at 10 minutes adds a subtle earthy-citrus spice layer that works with both the hop character and the sourness. Mashed at 64°C for a thinner, drier body.

Fermentation

22°C for nine days, raised to 23°C for two more until terminal, then cooled gradually to 6°C over the final three days. Finished at pH 3.6.

Bottled 22 January 2025.