Lacto Planterum Question

[MrFancyPlants]

I just brewed a 10G split batch of a wedding ESB base beer of my own recipe.

5G I left un-hopped and pitched a carton of Good Belly coconut w Lacto plantarum. I already pitched s-05, but was wondering if that was a mistake and how much acidity will be likely to develop and with what timeframe? I'll probably pitch some Orval dregs when I rack to a keg for long term storage and just see how it develops over time.

The other 5G, I didn't add any hops for the boil, but did a hop stand with 8oz glacier, 4 oz Galaxy and a (still warm) dry hop of 4oz Citra. When I rack to a keg.. again Orval dregs, just because I am really starting to love the fruitiness that develops with Orval Brett before the barnyard takes over. I'll have another oz of galaxy for dryhopping in the keg as that is the only way I seem to be able to retain hop aroma. I know it's a lot of hops..I was pretty much cleaning out my supply since I am moving out of the house. I might not get a chance to brew again for quite a while.

 

[daksin]

You may have lost out on some acid formation by pitching the US-05. A lot of lacto has trouble in alcohol-rich environments, while most yeast can handle some serious acidity. I'd wait it out and see how it goes- I'd imagine you'll still get some good tartness. Sounds like some interesting beers.

 

[BobOki]

Not relevant to this at all, and I appologize for slightly hijacking your thread.... but I could not help myself...

All I can think of is a classroom full of kids with wands repeating "Lacto Plantarum" trying to make their butter beers talk....

 

[ArthurDigbySellers]

Not relevant to this at all, and I appologize for slightly hijacking your thread.... but I could not help myself...

All I can think of is a classroom full of kids with wands repeating "Lacto Plantarum" trying to make their butter beers talk....

To keep the hijack going, I laughed harder at this than I should have. Probably because I just spent 3 days at Universal doing all things Harry Potter with my daughter.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Too bad I never make labels for my beer or I could copy write infringe on Harry Potter with some Daniel Radcliff action. With the chilly weather and fermenting in the shed and having pulled the sour beer off the boil first, I could intentionally leave some Diacetyl to make the butter beer more to style? Or dry hop with some microwave popcorn if head retention wasn't a thing?

 

[BobOki]

You're a drinker/drunkard Harry!

Lacto Plantarum, charm to ward off sobriety.

Lacto Plantarum, what is your spirit beer?

Lacto Plantarum: (Surgeon Ministries Warning: Drinking may cause blackouts, slurred speech, and unwanted pregnancy. May be Hazardous to Dementors health.)

 

[Calder]

You may never get any acidity, as the alcohol will slow or stall the lacto.

I think you are looking at a good 6 months or more if you get any.

Having zero hops will help.

Report back and let us know what you get.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Just to throw another variable in there, I pitched the Lacto about 12 hours before the S-05 when the wart was chilled but still warm to the touch, I realized that I had about the same chance of shocking the lacto into submission as giving it a warm headstart, but pitch I did.

And due to cold weather, as of yesterday morning, the yeast has not started krausening yet, so I put some foil around the carboys to keep light out and to boost the temp a bit.. High of 61F today and they are in the shed. Assuming they are going when I check on them after work today I'll probably deposit into a water bath for some temp regulation.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Sorry for the crappy pics, but you can see the lacto is starting to look a little dusty on top despite being kept pretty cold. The air lock hasn't started bubbling even a little from the S-05, and I imagine once it does it will blow any pellicle away. The opaque IPB is sort of bottom fermenting with Panama jacks English ale yeast. The airlock is barely moving. I kept the foil on both of them and kept them out of the water bath since we have more cooler weather ahead.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

And the sour

 

[MrFancyPlants]

The Ipa is finally moving with the temperatures coming up, but this planterum batch is barely holding positive pressure in the airlock. Although I didn't see the airlock bubble, I could watch the bubbles on the surface inflate and pop like bubble gum. Hopefully the yeast picks up soon.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I put a frozen two liter in my swamp cooler for today since the temps will get up in to the 80's today. It turns out the Planterum batch was bubbling away, likely the whole time. I just twisted the airlock around and spritzed it with some star san and it sealed up right. I was getting some pleasent peachy nose, probably due to the S-05 and low temps the last couple weeks, but I am hopeful that it will work with the Lacto tartness that I am expecting. I've heard lacto doesn't necessarily develop a pellicle, but the surface does just have a different sort of bubbles than I've seen on my Sacc. brews.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

This turned out quite pleasantly tart and fruity with the warm head start and extended pre fementation lagering. Not bad at all for my first sour. The Bitter turned out at 1.014 and the sour at 1.012. It could have been the lacto that brought it down although I also gave the bitter some extra boil time from the split batch.
Now if someone would only come by and pick up all my old equipment before I have to trash it.