How should I use Wyeast 5335 in my Flanders Brown?

I'm brewing a Flanders Brown, primarily to make a yeast cake for a bigger beer (a Belgian IPA I'll be brewing soon afterwards).

I'd like to add Wyeast 5335 - Lactobacillus to give it some sour. Obviously I can't put the Lacto in the primary if I want to use that yeast cake on a non-sour beer.

My current plan is to brew the Flanders Brown recipe below, then transfer to a secondary and pitch the Lacto at that point. Will this give me a good result?

One recipe called for souring part of the mash separately with the Lacto, then pasteurizing it and adding it to the fermenter. Is this necessary?



Recipe Specifications (Subject to change)
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.89 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.76 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.51 gal
Estimated OG: 1.068 SG
Estimated Color: 32.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 78.7 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs 5.8 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 81.1 %
14.4 oz Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 2 5.9 %
9.6 oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.9 %
2.0 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 4 0.8 %
1 lbs 4.0 oz Candi Sugar, Dark (275.0 SRM) Sugar 5 8.2 %
1.25 oz Styrian Goldings [6.60 %] - Boil 90.0 mi Hop 6 24.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Bastogne Belgian Ale (White Labs #WLP510 Yeast 7 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs 3.8 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 20.68 qt of water at 170.5 F 156.0 F 45 min

I don't like your plan for the following reasons: IBUs are on the higher threshold for lacto and lacto like it warm (100F).

What you could do is make an unoxygenated starter, pitch your lacto into that, and keep that at 100F for three days or whenever TG happens. You can then blend that to taste with your finished Brown ale. You would have complete control of the finished taste and do not pollute your yeast cake. You win on both accounts.

weremichael said:

I don't like your plan for the following reasons: IBUs are on the higher threshold for lacto and lacto like it warm (100F).

What you could do is make an unoxygenated starter, pitch your lacto into that, and keep that at 100F for three days or whenever TG happens. You can then blend that to taste with your finished Brown ale. You would have complete control of the finished taste and do not pollute your yeast cake. You win on both accounts.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I'm a complete newb to lacto, and I'm having issues finding clear information on how to properly use it in this style of beer.

Some additional research revealed this method by the Mad Fermentationist, which seems very similar to the approach you're advocating.

There's definitely a lot of options here, and a ton of info to absorb. This is going to be fun.