Fruit Floaters....

[Jbug]

If you are planning on keeping it for 6 mos, then you might have been better off racking into a small carboy to reduce the headspace which can lead to oxidation. Plastic buckets are notorious for allowing oxygen to enter through their walls over a period of time. This can lead to acetobacter producing vinegar-like notes in the beer if too much oxygen gets in over time. Just be aware.

The fruit will eventually fall to the bottom of the fermenter (well at least peaches and raspberries will). Cherries tend to float, at least in my observations. You could gently swirl the fermenter to submerge the fruit which will help the wild ones to feast on them.

I've had the bucket/O2 problem in the back of mind... may give it a month or two and rack to one of my carboys.. may just buy a 5 gal carboy just for these beers.
The bugs are really getting after it, I'm getting a bubble every 20 sec or so.

Will lacto and pedio scrub O2? Brett?

[spiderwrangler]

Although if you rack it back to the carboy, you are gonna leave fruit behind...

[Jbug]

Although if you rack it back to the carboy, you are gonna leave fruit behind...

Good point... if I'm not mistaken did Mike ( Cuda ) say on the session that all of his sours in buckets finish sooner than glass? I may need to go back and listen to that one again...

[anday6]

They might finish sooner, but after doing a 5 month bucket sour, it's better to get a good foothold in a bucket for a short time (2-3 months) an Ethernet let it finish by taste in glass. The acetobactor can start to dig in and it starts to drive the flavor profile.

[Jbug]

OK ... listened to Cuda's session again. He says you need a good seal on your bucket and a topped off airlock, from what I understand that minute positive pressure slows the O2 seeping in...