Has anyone tried the Philly Sour yeast strain for a sour beer? How does it compare to normal kettle souring? I am contemplating making a Berlinerweiss using that strain to make the brew day shorter and not having to do an overnight kettle sour. TIA
I’ve used Philly Sour in a fruited Berliner Weisse (feijoa, in this case)…so I can’t speak to how it would be in a straight-up Berliner Weisse (if that’s what you’re planning).
My notes say that my beer was fairly tart, but not puckeringly sour. Some doughy wheat quality came through behind that. Crisp, but not watery.
I unfortunately don’t have a direct comparison for kettle-soured Berliner Weisse. Some folks will say that Philly Sour is “one-dimensional” and that may be true versus some other methods, but I would say just give it a try and see if it fits your needs.
I like Philly Sour. I generally like the level of acidity I get from it. But I do get a consistent mild grapefruit note from it.
Obligatory Link to Sui Generis’ deep dive on Philly Sour.
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I’ve used the Philly Sour yeast strain for a Berlinerweiss, and I was really impressed with the results! It definitely provides a unique tartness compared to traditional kettle souring. The fermentation time was much shorter, which made the brew day so much easier. I’d recommend giving it a try if you’re looking for a more efficient method.
I’ve used it many times. I have found it is dificult to pinpooint how to handle the yeast to get a consistent level of sourness. Sometimes it is straight up sour, other times it is extremely sour. The been I have use dit on is a pineapple sour so I’m not sure how much the fruit is affecting the final sourness.