Grrr, Sour Beer

[idolan]

I've been lurking here for a while, but this is my first post. I think I've got a double screw-up on my hands (made the same mistake twice!).

I brewed an 80 shilling as a starter for a Wee Heavy & pitched the latter right on top of the cake for the 80 shilling. When I went to measure the FG, it had fermented out just fine (1.042 to 1.008), but tasting the beer it had a sour after taste. It's not like a lemon sour, & it's not a mediciny/oxidized sour (don't know how to describe it, but it's neither of those). I didn't make a starter & am a bit concerned that it might by autolysis, but that seems strange on such a low OG (used WLP028). My fermentation temp was a bit high (74). Sanitation was, as far as I know good - glass carboys, iodophore to sanitize everything. The nose is fine as is the initial taste, but the after taste is definitely off. The same off flavor presents in the Wee Heavy.

Here are my questions:
1) Ideas on the source of the problem?
2) Will time in cold storage (e.g. fridge @ 40 degrees) help?
3) Would going ahead & infecting it help (throw some bret on it in a corny keg)?
4) Am I just SOL?

I've been brewing for 2 1/2 years, & these are the first 2 batches I've thought I might need to throw out

I'm calling on the BN Army for help!

Thanks,
-Richard

[bub]

try it cool and carbonated...
then try it cool and carbonated a month later...
you should know by then.
bub

[bashcraft]

I just tapped a Brown ale that the FG sample tasted sour. I kegged and carbonated it, and a week later it tastes fine.

[Bugeater]

Sounds like "yeast bite". Once the yeast fully settles out you should be fine. Chill it down good, carb it and let it sit for a week or two.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[boobookittyfuk]

I'm not sure about the sourness but, why use (or re-use) a yeast cake for an english/scottish style beers?

you almost want to pitch low with those styles or else you are going to be missing the ester profile that they should have.

[idolan]

Re. the pitching on the yeast cake, that was for the Wee Heavy, which was around 1.075, and I didn't want to too severely underpitch - but, I'm also relatively new to brewing this style, so I'll take any advice I can get!