JZ's Flanders Red, 6 months in the carboy, what next?

[stadelman]

I brewed JZ's Flanders Red recipe. It's been souring for six months.

I sampled it last night and it tasted great. Of the four commercial samples I've had of this style it already tasted better than two of them.

For my taste, it could use more sourness and a little bit of sweetness.

I have about a liter and a half of this beer that is in a growler and has not been soured.

Possible Strategies-
1. Let it sit for a few more months. Presumably the sourness will increase. Add the unsoured portion back to add a bit of sweetness. Keg and refrigerate.
2. Add some additional fermentables to increase sourness. Cane sugar, Belgian Candi Syrup or DME. Possibly add the unsoured portion back for a bit of sweetness.
3. Something else.

Thanks for your ideas.

[MikeB]

I guess I'd be concerned that since it tasted on the dry side that you may have run out of food to create more sourness. Did you take gravity reading?

I would think that adding more sugar might work. You should get more sourness, and maybe you'll hit the alcohol threash hold where the microbes and yeast poop out, which might give you some residual sweetness.

I just brewed my first sour yesterday, so I'm curious as to what more experienced sour brewers have to say. I may need this advice 6 months from now.

[stadelman]

I didn't take a gravity reading, but it tasted dry.

I guess my concern is that the added sugar would be fermented by the faster acting yeast instead of the slower acting bacteria, but maybe the yeast is basically out of the picture.

Maybe the thing to do is add a more complex sugar like maltodextrine. Any still active yeast wouldn't be able to ferment this more complex sugar.

I guess I'd be concerned that since it tasted on the dry side that you may have run out of food to create more sourness. Did you take gravity reading?

I would think that adding more sugar might work. You should get more sourness, and maybe you'll hit the alcohol threash hold where the microbes and yeast poop out, which might give you some residual sweetness.

I just brewed my first sour yesterday, so I'm curious as to what more experienced sour brewers have to say. I may need this advice 6 months from now.