BrianDorry55
Well-Known Member
So I had a surprising experience tonight.
About 70 hours ago I brewed my usual Berliner weisse. I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding a little acidulated malt to jump start the lacto and some oats hoping to add a little body. I pitched Omega lacto blend around 95 degrees into a keg...hit it with about 12 psi...I was keeping it heated in the high 80s but the heater kept tripping the breaker so I bailed on that and let it fall to room temp around 75 degrees.
I’ve used Omega lacto several times and never had the desired acidity in less than 72 hours. So tonight, I go to take a sample and it took me forever to get the keg purged...it just kept coming like I had been force carbing in it or something. I would get it purged and release the pressure relief valve and by the time I went to open it there’s pressure again. Finally I got the pressure out and very quickly opened it. No surprise, the beer looked carbonated...it’s fizzing everywhere but nothing id consider a Krausen.
It smells absolutely perfect...clean lemony lacto that I love about this strain. I take a gravity reading and I’m down from 1.038 to 1.031. It’s really sour. I wouldn’t call it undrinkable but there’s a lemon juice character to it that burns your throat a little bit and makes your mouth water. My wife wanted to just drink it then and there. I’m concerned that I really like the character and don’t want it to turn into something unenjoyable so I stuck the keg in my keezer. Tomorrow I’ll boil it and pitch onto Kolsch yeast as usual...hopefully it’s not too acidic for the yeast.
Anyone ever have anything like this happen? I guess I need to be more careful souring in the keg in the future. Could this be straight lacto fermentation or more likely a wild bug that got in?
About 70 hours ago I brewed my usual Berliner weisse. I tweaked the recipe slightly by adding a little acidulated malt to jump start the lacto and some oats hoping to add a little body. I pitched Omega lacto blend around 95 degrees into a keg...hit it with about 12 psi...I was keeping it heated in the high 80s but the heater kept tripping the breaker so I bailed on that and let it fall to room temp around 75 degrees.
I’ve used Omega lacto several times and never had the desired acidity in less than 72 hours. So tonight, I go to take a sample and it took me forever to get the keg purged...it just kept coming like I had been force carbing in it or something. I would get it purged and release the pressure relief valve and by the time I went to open it there’s pressure again. Finally I got the pressure out and very quickly opened it. No surprise, the beer looked carbonated...it’s fizzing everywhere but nothing id consider a Krausen.
It smells absolutely perfect...clean lemony lacto that I love about this strain. I take a gravity reading and I’m down from 1.038 to 1.031. It’s really sour. I wouldn’t call it undrinkable but there’s a lemon juice character to it that burns your throat a little bit and makes your mouth water. My wife wanted to just drink it then and there. I’m concerned that I really like the character and don’t want it to turn into something unenjoyable so I stuck the keg in my keezer. Tomorrow I’ll boil it and pitch onto Kolsch yeast as usual...hopefully it’s not too acidic for the yeast.
Anyone ever have anything like this happen? I guess I need to be more careful souring in the keg in the future. Could this be straight lacto fermentation or more likely a wild bug that got in?
