Problem with making sourdough bread and beer in same room?

Hello everyone, I've started brewing this summer with a couple can kits. I also make sourdough bread several times a week.

Now sourdough starter is a mix of local yeasts and lactobacillus bacteria. None of the batches I've made have gotten lactobacillus infections, but I imagine the risk might be there. The wild yeasts I'm taking care of might make the jump as well.

Should I quarantine my sourdough starter?

Could I inoculate a batch with this starter and make a sour beer?

Or am I just a little crazy to be worried? Maybe I should just RDWHAHB and start making sour beers.


Ps. I know the can kits aren't too great, but 1oz hops goes for 10$ at my LHBS...

Dauntless said:

Hello everyone, I've started brewing this summer with a couple can kits. I also make sourdough bread several times a week.

Now sourdough starter is a mix of local yeasts and lactobacillus bacteria. None of the batches I've made have gotten lactobacillus infections, but I imagine the risk might be there. The wild yeasts I'm taking care of might make the jump as well.

Should I quarantine my sourdough starter?

Could I inoculate a batch with this starter and make a sour beer?

Or am I just a little crazy to be worried? Maybe I should just RDWHAHB and start making sour beers.


Ps. I know the can kits aren't too great, but 1oz hops goes for 10$ at my LHBS...

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ur LHBS charges $10 an oz for hops? wow that's criminal

The yeast won't "make the jump" as you described. As long as you tend to sanitization and don't cross contaminate containers, spoons or other utensils I wouldn't worry about it.

And order your crap online if your lhbs charges that kind of money for hops. They are likely overcharging for other crap as well.

Dauntless said:

Ps. I know the can kits aren't too great, but 1oz hops goes for 10$ at my LHBS...

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Holly crap! You're in Canada right...... not Antarctica. I can't see why the hops would be so outrageously expensive if the other brewing ingredients aren't marked up just as much. I would be finding another supplier.

Also, welcome to homebrewtalk.

Thanks for the input. I got bread and beer starting fermentation tonight.

As for my LHBS, they sell equipment for less than what I see online and have malted grains for 2$ a pound. I did get a "deal" today and got a half ounce of cz saaz hops for 2$. I'll be dry hopping with it.

I actually want to purposely use a sourdough starter in my next batch. its going to be a one gallon experiment...

Would you just make a wort like usual and add a few tablespoons of starter? Before pitching, after pitching, instead of pitching?

It might try and follow your lead on such a project. See what the results are from two opposite ends of the continent. My starter has a very strong leavening power even though it has never come in contact with commercial yeasts.

Been thinking the same thing. I have a good SF sourdough starter going. Thinking about using a half oz or so in a starter.

My plan (for a one gallon test batch) is to mash one pound of two row in a quart of water, cool, then pitch about 1/2 cup of sourdough starter. Let this concoction sit for 24 hours or so. Then on brew day mash another pound of two row, with a few ounces of something else for color (thinking maybe biscuit or some crystal 40). once done with this mash start boil. then i plan on straining the sourdough slurry into the boil through a fine sieve. a bit of hallertau at 30 minutes, bit of whirfloc at 15, then cool and pitch neutral ale yeast (probably culture a bit of the cali cake from my beer in primary now). I think I'm going to start this one soon, I've got a starter from neighborhood bakery!

So you'd be souring half the beer (grain wise) for 24 hours, sterilizing, then brewing as usual. Sounds like fun.

You're in Canada right...... not Antarctica.

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No, he's in Quebec. If you don't understand the difference, don't go there.

OP - Planning sours beers sounds like a good move, because lacto gets into everything.

david_42 said:

No, he's in Quebec. If you don't understand the difference, don't go there.

OP - Planning sours beers sounds like a good move, because lacto gets into everything.

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Don't say that ughhhh..... I haven't been brewing because of time/child constraints but I have started a nice sourdough. I'd hate to have to get rid of it because of lacto infection in my beers. I don't mind the occasional sour beer but have no intention of souring half my beers, especially at random.

Dauntless said:

So you'd be souring half the beer (grain wise) for 24 hours, sterilizing, then brewing as usual. Sounds like fun.

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Yeah, I want to try that approach first. If this turns out well then I may just try using a sourdough starter for my whole fermentation. we'll see

I'm sure someone has come across this in the GAP thread.

eschatz said:

I'm sure someone has come across this in the GAP thread.

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Looks like I have a little light reading (200 ish posts) to go with this coffee.