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25B Saison

Sour Citra Saison III

Brewed 2025-01-08 Batch · 21 L Owen Paterson

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 — a light, tart, hop-forward sour using WildBrew Philly Sour to produce lactic acidity alongside a conventional ale fermentation. No kettle souring, no mixed culture: just Philly Sour doing both jobs.

Changes from the previous version: an extra 0.5kg of Pilsner Malt to push the OG higher, and the yeast quantity dialled to 1.5 packets. One packet wasn’t sour enough; two was too much. 1.5 packets — measured using kitchen scales and the leftover half from the previous batch — hit the right balance.

Citra runs throughout: 5g at 60 minutes, 10g at 30 and 15 minutes, 25g in the whirlpool, 50g dry-hopped on Day 5. Ground coriander added 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.

Fermented at 22°C for nine days, raised to 23°C for two more days until terminal gravity settled at 1.007. Cooled gradually to 6°C over the final three days. pH 3.6, ABV approximately 5%. Bottled 22 January 2025, final volume 21 litres.