Puna Noni Sour

Time for some Radical Brewing!  When Bryan came to visit us from Oahu I asked him to bring an interesting and wild Hawaiian ingredient. Noni juice is what arrived. The noni fruit is loaded with carbs, dietary fiber, and a host of other micronutrients and phytochemicals. The Puna Noni juice label describes the product as a nutrient supplement with a suggested daily dose of about 1oz (should be about an ounce per serving of beer in the final product). Searching the web, you can find several noni homeopathic applications none of which have been thoroughly investigated.  From urinary tract infections to cancer inhibitors, noni juice seems to have a number of health benefits.  This beer might be the cure you're looking for! Apparently, the juice is already fermented prior to bottling so there might already be some interesting critters in the juice.  This would also explain why I didn't see a jump in OG after adding the juice.  For better or worse, I applied the juice after the boil so as not to disrupt the funkiness already present in this concoction.

Puna Noni Juice

This has got to be radical brewing, right Randy Mosher?  This fruit develops a strong odor as it ripens that give it nicknames like "cheese fruit" and "vomit fruit".  You'd never think that this species is in the coffee family!  According to the noni Wikipedia article, people will only eat this fruit during times of famine.  Well, let's see how it does in a homebrew.  Should be an interesting experiment and I have several glass carboys that are screaming for long-term projects.

Noni Fruit, Morinda citrifolia

Puna Noni Sour

Specialty Beer

BJCP: 23A	Date: 12/20/2011
Type: All Grain	Brewer: Sean
Batch Size: 5.00 gal	Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 90 min	Equipment: Chillindamos Brewhaus
Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG	Measured Original Gravity: 1.059 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.017 SG	Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.9 %	Actual Alcohol by Vol: 6.4 %
IBUs (Tinseth’s): 38.1 IBUs	Est Color: 14.3 SRM
Total Hop Weight: 3.80 oz	Calories: 196.2 kcal/12oz
Description: The noni juice is dark brown and very aromatic. The flavor and aroma are hard to describe since I haven't had anything like this before. Definitely funky! Should put most recipes found in "Radical Brewing" in the tame category. I'll categorize this brew in BJCP Category 23 - Specialty Brew for its unusual and exotic fermented fruit ingredient and no definitive baseline style.
Ingredients Amt Name Type # %/IBU 8.40 gal SD/RO 50/50 Water 1 - 0.50 tbsp pH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 90.0 mins) Water Agent 2 - 8 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 65.6 % 4 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 4 32.8 % 3.2 oz Carafa II (412.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.6 % 1.60 oz Tettnang [4.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 24.5 IBUs 1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 7 - 1.20 oz Saaz [3.80 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 8.4 IBUs 1.00 oz Saaz [3.80 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 5.1 IBUs 1.0 pkg Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565) [35.49 ml] Yeast 10 - 3.00 qt Puna Noni Juice (Primary 0.0 mins) Flavor 11 - 2.0 pkg Belgian Sour Mix 1 (White Labs #WLP655) [50.28 ml] [Add to Secondary] Yeast 12 -
Mash Steps Name Description Step Temperature Step Time Mash In Add 13.42 qt of water at 173.8 F 152.0 F 90 min
Mash Type: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out	Total Grain Weight: 12 lbs 3.2 oz
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F	Pre-boil Volume: 5.95 gal
Days in Primary: 14.00	Primary Temperature: 65.0 F
Days in Secondary: 365.00	Secondary Temperature: 60.0 F
Days in Tertiary: 7.00	Tertiary Temperature: 65.0 F
Carbonation Type: Keg	Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Pressure/Weight: 12.54 PSI	Carbonation Used: Keg with 12.54 PSI
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 45.0 F	Storage Temperature: 60.0 F
Notes: Added noni juice directly to the primary just before pitching WLP565. Saison I yeast was choosen for its known ability as an underachiever leaving food behind for the sour blend to do its work. 60 seconds of oxygen via diffusion stone also applied prior to pitching. No yeast starter used, single vial only. Started ferment at 65°F and insulated well to allow free-rise.  I will not ramp up the temperature like most saison fermentation profiles. Instead, I will let 565 do what it can before racking to secondary and pitching two vials of WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix I. Then, it will sit for a year.
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Image Source:
Rodríguez, Wilfredo. Noni Fruit (Morinda Citrifolia).jpg. 2008. Photograph. Morinda Citrifolia. Wikipedia.org, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. .

Flanders Brown Ale, July 25 2010

I'm not really into sour beer but this style, BJCP Category 17C. Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin, seems to be a good compromise for this fall's club-only competition.  An Oud Bruin has a sour component but doesn't necessarily overpower the rest of the beer.  Balance between sweet malt and sour is the goal.  Based on readings, brettanomyces and other souring critters take time to sour a beer.  The Flanders that I brewed today is highly likely not going to be ready for the club-only sour competition this fall (I'll submit it anyway) but may have potential during AFC and NHC next year.  Many sours can take a year to develop.  As a first, there's lots to be learned about funky beer.

After harvesting at our hop farm yesterday, we stopped at Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido to pick up some "research" for some upcoming brew sessions.  While there were a number of sours in stock, I couldn't find an exact match for an Oud Bruin or Flanders Brown Ale.  I think I picked up something close however, Ichtegem's Grand Cru, Flemish Red Ale, matured in oak barrels, Oud Bruin gerijpt in eiken vaten, 6.5% ABV.  The BeerAdvocate lists the style of Ichtegem's Grand Cru to be a Flanders Red Ale.  We'll sample this Monday.  Most likely, I'll give it a try and pass the rest over to Kara who loves sours.

Ichtegem's Grand Cru - an Oud Bruin matured in oak

Flanders Brown Ale, July 25 2010

5 Gallons, All Grain, Single Infusion Mash, 90 Minute Boil

9 lbs. German Pilsener
1.5 lbs. Vienna
1.5 lbs. Munich
1 lb. Red Wheat
0.75 lb. Crystal 20
0.5 lb. Caravienne
2 oz. Chocolate
2 oz. Black Roasted Barely

Single Infusion Mash 152°F

1 oz. Tettnanger 60 min.
0.3 oz. Spalt 60 min.
1 Whirlfloc tab 20 min.

White Labs WLP001 California Ale Yeast (vial to quick starter) Thanks, Kara!
White Labs WLP655 Belgian Sour Mix 1 added to secondary
WLP655 Includes Brettanomyces, Saccharomyces, and the bacterial strains Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.

OG: 1.072 @ 73°F
FG:
ABV:

With a grain bill this size, I thought I'd be nearing capacity.  Looks like room for a couple more L.B.s!

Update 8/6: Racked to secondary, current gravity is 1.0125.  Pitched the vial of WLP655 in the secondary.  I'm worried that WLP001 chewed away much of the sugar, not leaving a whole lot for the Belgian Sour Mix to chew on.
After brewing a barley wine today with 15 lbs. of grain and truly trying to keep the grain bed light and fluffy, it looks like this grain bed at 14.5 lbs. was a bit compressed.  I suppose it really depends on the type of malt and the thickness of the mash to determine how much grain a 5 gallon Rubbermaid Cooler can effectively hold.