Hi, plenty of these threads around but they all seem to indicate the lactic taste threshold doesn't kick into about 5% or so.
I use Weyermann acid malt and can definitely taste it once it goes over about 2% of the grain bill. Its like a slightly sour candy like tang that tends to mask hops and malt. It gets a little more noticable after kegging and carbing. Beer is still drinkable with expected body and mouthfeel, but the flavour is nowhere near where It should be. I've been persisting with acid malt because I like the idea of it, but think I'm going to switch to phosphoric to remove this off-flavour (which has worked well for me in the past). By the way I've spent a lot of time in Germany (especially Franconia) and and this is well in excess of any pleasant level of lactic character supposedly present in German beer. I think a lactic character in German beer is more in the imagination than reality.
I'm wondering whether different water profiles impact the lactate tasting threshold. I have unusual water that has Cl=170 and Na=120. Rest is typical/low with Ca & SO4 = 30 and alkalinity about 100. Perhaps the sodium is reacting with the lactic acid ? Any chemistry experts want to chime in on that?
I use Weyermann acid malt and can definitely taste it once it goes over about 2% of the grain bill. Its like a slightly sour candy like tang that tends to mask hops and malt. It gets a little more noticable after kegging and carbing. Beer is still drinkable with expected body and mouthfeel, but the flavour is nowhere near where It should be. I've been persisting with acid malt because I like the idea of it, but think I'm going to switch to phosphoric to remove this off-flavour (which has worked well for me in the past). By the way I've spent a lot of time in Germany (especially Franconia) and and this is well in excess of any pleasant level of lactic character supposedly present in German beer. I think a lactic character in German beer is more in the imagination than reality.
I'm wondering whether different water profiles impact the lactate tasting threshold. I have unusual water that has Cl=170 and Na=120. Rest is typical/low with Ca & SO4 = 30 and alkalinity about 100. Perhaps the sodium is reacting with the lactic acid ? Any chemistry experts want to chime in on that?
