Good Belly for souring - ph still high

[theQ]

Hello,

I decided to do a gose last week, my first one. So I brew 11 gals 50/50 wheat/pilsner barley.

I chilled it 95, lowered the pH to 4.5, put in the fermenter and added 1/2 liter of goodbelly, orange. After few days the still stayed at 4.5 (original) and I kind off panicked a bit. I went got shots of goodbelly, added 6 of them, and I see the pH is 3.6 after 9 days. I hope drops to 3.3 by tomorrow.
I tasled it's slightly tart, eventually getting there.

Anyone seen, experienced anything like that ?! Not sure I want to goodbelly again if the lacto is not that viable.

 

[VikeMan]

You chilld to 95F, but what temp did the wort drop down to after you pitched the goodbelly? That Lactobacillus strain in Goodbelly (L. plantarum) works fastest when held at 95 or a bit higher.

My usual "kettle" sour (actually a dedicated souring keg) routine is 2 shots of Goodbelly into 5 gallons of wort that has been brought down to roughly 4.5 pH with lactic acid. These worts, held at 95/96F nomally get down to ~3.5 in about 48 hours. I've never had an issue with non-viable bugs in Goodbelly products, even a month or two after buying them.

Are you sure your pH meter is good? Did you calibrate it before each use with fresh buffer solutions?

You say the wort tasted slightly tart. This is somewhat subjective, but "slightly" is about as tart as it gets while it's still full of sugar. IMO, you really can't go by taste at this stage.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I used to follow the process that @VikeMan laid out, except I would actually do it in the kettle. I'd keep it on my kitchen stove to be able to adjust the temperature if it got to cold. I always kept it around 90-93F. The only time I had an issue is when I accidentally let it get to hot keeping it warm on the stove. The temp got up to 100F if memory serves me correctly and the OYL-605 lacto that I routinely use and always gets down to 3.2 pH only got down to 3.7 I think. Ended up trying to get it down to 3.2 with store bought lactic acid and it ruined the beer. That was a big mistake. Perhaps your temp was a bit higher than 95F when you pitched?

These days, I co pitch in the fermenter. Sacc yeast and lacto (I always use OYL-605 lacto) go in the fermenter at the same time and I let it ferment at 69-70F and by the time fermentation is done, pH usually falls between 3.2 - 3.4.

 

[theQ]

thank you @VikeMan @Rob2010SS


The shots did better than original, will never use the tetra packs/fruit flavored ones.
I think the issue here is that face I cannot keep the temp up, pitched at 95F. Also was closed container, no oxygen, I know lacto and souring bugs like oxygen to get sour. I added some cantaloups and let it be, will be a good refreshing beer. It's my first kettle sour.

 

[VikeMan]

Also was closed container, no oxygen, I know lacto and souring bugs like oxygen to get sour.

No oxygen is good. Lactobacillus does not need oxygen to make lactic acid. Keeping oxygen out discourages other bugs from joining in.