Acid malt

[Tobor_8thMan]

Recently brewed using a small amount of acid malt. Ale is light, crisp and refreshing. Everyone claims it's the best beer I've every made.

I am hoping I haven't introduced souring material into my brewery. Is acid malt (lactic acid) cause for souring concerns?

Thanks.

 

[GrogNerd]

Recently brewed using a small amount of acid malt. Ale is light, crisp and refreshing. Everyone claims it's the best beer I've every made.

I am hoping I haven't introduced souring material into my brewery. Is acid malt (lactic acid) cause for souring concerns?

Thanks.

Depends on the amount.

I think a few % is good for lowering your pH & won't affect taste

Anything above 10% (? The more knowledgeable among us should have a better idea of how much) would start to introduce a sourness aspect

But it wouldn't cause it to become more bitter over time, or cause problems with subsequent batches, if that's what you're asking

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Sorry, I'm asking if I've soured my equipment by using the acid malt and from this point forward I'll be making soured beers (even though they are not wanted).

 

[Qhrumphf]

No.

All grains are covered in lactic bacteria (among others) naturally. If acid malt were a concern all grains would be. The difference is that acid malt has lactic acid added to it.

I prefer dosing with straight lactic acid anyway. It's more consistent (the acid content of acid malt is highly variable), and a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

[SteveH aka shetc]

If it was a small used to adjust your pH then #RDWHAHB

 

[GrogNerd]

Exactly. It's lactic acid, not lactobacillus

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

OK. Thanks. Just concerned about making unwanted, unintentional sours going forward.

The small bit of acid malt must have adjusted the water pH enough as I recorded my highest brew house efficiency to date.

 

[JimRausch]

Tobor- It looks like you were asking if using acid malt would introduce lactic acid producing bacteria as a contaminant to your equipment. If that's true, then sleep soundly, your boil will kill any possible bacteria. As Q mentioned above, all grain has lactobacillus as a contaminant. If you do your mash and leave the wort unboiled, the lactobacillus will grow and start souring the wort, but that takes many hours to days.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Tobor- It looks like you were asking if using acid malt would introduce lactic acid producing bacteria as a contaminant to your equipment. If that's true, then sleep soundly, your boil will kill any possible bacteria. As Q mentioned above, all grain has lactobacillus as a contaminant. If you do your mash and leave the wort unboiled, the lactobacillus will grow and start souring the wort, but that takes many hours to days.

Thanks!

 

[GrogNerd]

and if you happen to leave your spent grain in the mash tun for a day or two, outside in the heat of a Virginia summer...

it will smell worse than if a skunk vomited rotten eggs in a septic tank and died a year ago and the septic tank ruptured today

 

[catdaddy66]

and if you happen to leave your spent grain in the mash tun for a day or two, outside in the heat of a Virginia summer...

it will smell worse than if a skunk vomited rotten eggs in a septic tank and died a year ago and the septic tank ruptured today

I can attest to this 100%.