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'''Blending''' is the process of pulling samples of various, matured sour beers (and optionally clean beers), measuring out different proportions of each, mixing them together, and tasting the blended samples. The idea is that different sour beers can contribute different flavors, and balance different flavors. Since precise measurements are required, investing in [https://www.google.com/search?q=farhenietplastic+to+celciusbeakers&ietbm=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=tshop&rlssa=org.mozilla:en-US:officialX&clientved=firefox2ahUKEwixsarLrsb0AhVfDjQIHQE-aDiMQ_AUoAXoECAEQAw&channel=sb#safebiw=off2378&rlsbih=org.mozilla:en-US:official1162&channeldpr=sb&tbm=shop&q=plastic+beakers 1 cheap plastic beakers] or a precise scale (0.1 g or better) is necessary. The taste tester should take thorough notes on all aspects of the beer as different proportions of blends are sampled. Note that in the USA, blending beer with wine, mead, or cider (post fermentation blends) is not legal for commercial breweries and may not be legal in other countries as well, although it is legal for homebrewers <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1568455919849283/?comment_id=1568622383165970&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D Private correspondence with Kyle B-rowsky by Michael Fairbrother shared on MTF. 01/31/2017.]</ref>.
==Practical Tips==
On a homebrew system, using a luggage scale is useful for weighing out the final blend. Blending can be done in a vessel, preferably one that can be purged of oxygen such as a keg in case there is extra headspace. Weigh the empty keg before hand. Each gallon of beer will weigh around 8.3 pounds (3.76 kilograms). Use the luggage scale (or another type of scale) to weigh out how much beer has been added to the vessel.
===MTF Threads===
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2045983758763161/ General tips thread 1] and [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/3463384690356387/ thread 2].
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2962557787105749/ MTF members share their tips blending on the homebrew scale.]
==Bière de Coupage==
Historically the term bière de coupage (biere de coupage) referred to any blended beer, including beers containing sugar syrups, tartaric acid, or vinegar. In the best case it referred to blends of an older, perhaps sour beer, and a fresh beer to achieve a balance in flavors, or to improve head retention and aid in carbonation. The term has been applied to the various blending methods of lambic, specifically lambic and [http://horscategoriebrewing.blogspot.ca/2015/11/biere-de-mars-lambic-version-and-lambic.html ''Bière de Mars'' (Biere de Mars], as well as to [[Flanders_Red_Ale|Flanders red]] and [[Oud_Bruin|brown]] ales, and [http://www.browneandbitter.com/2014/07/brew-day-nineteenth-century-keeping.html 18th/19th century porters] <ref>[http://www.browneandbitter.com/2016/02/biere-de-coupage-some-background-and.html Bière de Coupage: Some Background and History, by Amos Browne]</ref>. Recently the phrase 'bière de coupage' has been used to refer specifically to the blending of an older sour beer with a younger saison. Examples include [http://jesterkingbrewery.com/beers/#beers_185 Jester King's "Das Wunderkind!"] and [http://jesterkingbrewery.com/introducing-salt-lick-pecan-wood-smoked-saison Salt Lick Pecan Wood Smoked Saison], [http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/paradox-beer-shoga-kosho-biere-de-coupage-farmhouse-ale/263795/ Paradox Beer Company's "Shoga Kosho Biere de Coupage Farmhouse Ale"].
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171217112400/http://www.browneandbitter.com/2016/02/biere-de-coupage-some-background-and.html "Bière de Coupage: Some Background and History," by Amos Browne.]* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170320033534/http://www.browneandbitter.com/2016/05/biere-de-coupage-contemporary-versions.html "Bière de Coupage: Contemporary Versions," by Amos Browne.]* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170320233521/http://www.browneandbitter.com/2016/05/biere-de-coupage-kettle-sours.html "Bière de Coupage: Kettle Sours", by Amos Browne.]* [http://www.horscategoriebrewing.com/2018/11/saison-from-1911-finishing-hops-and.html "Saison from 1911 - finishing hops and coupage," by Dave Janssen.]
===Additional Brewing Articles===
* [[Jester_King#Biere_de_Coupage_Process|Jester King Biere de Coupage Process.]]
* [http://www.alesoftheriverwards.com/2015/06/mein-kiwi-exploration-of-flavors.html Ale of the Riverwards article on blending a ''Brettanomyces'' saison with Wallonian saison.]
* [http://funkfactorybrewing.blogspot.com/2018/05/biere-de-coupage.html "Bière de Coupage" by Funk Factory.]
==Online Articles On Blending==
* [http://brouwerij-chugach.com/?p=482 Practical Blending] by Brian Hall.
* [http://www.alesoftheriverwards.com/2014/06/gueuze-blending-101-and-i-am-student.html|Gueuze Blending 101] by Ed Coffey.
* [http://homebrewingfun.blogspot.com/2013/12/lambic-solera-update-17-part-2-three.html Lambic Solera Update #17 Part 2 -- Three Years (Finally!)] by Adam Kielich.
* [http://sourbeerblog.com/ask-dr-lambic-blending-flavor/ Blending Out an Off Flavor] by Matt Miller.
* [http://beerandwinejournal.com/gueuze-blend/ Blending A Gueuze] by Chris Colby.
* [http://www.homebrewtalk.com/sour-funky-mead-making-blending.html Sour, and Funky Mead Making Part III : Blending] by David Doucette.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160619135434/http://www.browneandbitter.com/2015/10/autumn-2015-blending-red-and-brown-sours.html Blending Red and Brown Sours] by Amos Browne.
* [http://horscategoriebrewing.blogspot.com/2015/04/pale-sour-blending.html Pale Sour Blending] by Dave Janssen.
* [http://sourbeerblog.com/sour-beer-blending/ Sour Beer Blending; Sour Beer Blog] by Matt Miller.