Help: Quick Sour Not Souring

[HopsForDays]

I have made 6-7 quick sours in the past couple of years. Each time I have used the SourBeerBlog's method of boiling for 10-15 min - cooling down to and holding at 100ish into a glass carboy with a air lock and pitching some acid and then goodbelly for 2-3 days depending on PH. The first few came out really good and the past couple did not, so I decided to try something new.

I made a simple wort, cooled to 100 into a keg (figured i could blow off the oxygen and make a cleaner beer). I also pitched the yeast bay's lactobacillus brevis TYB282. I held between 100-105 for a day and took a sample, and again after 48 hours, then again on day three. THe Ph had hardly dropped.

Anyone know if this was due to me taking samples from the bottom of the keg (maybe pulling off the bugs in the process) or if lacto can not do its work under pressure (it created a lot of pressure that I would release every time I thought to do so)?

I ended up pitching goodbelly on it and it has been dropping slowly. I have come to the conclusion that his will be a dump (I actually took it off heat for a week) it has been about 2 weeks and I put the heat back on it tonight just to see if I could make anything out of it.

TIA for any wisdom.

 

[SanPancho]

my experience is that brevis didnt really like hot temps. when most lacto has been stored for a while it does better when you make a starter. poor storage or age can lower cell count alot.

pressure may have been an issue. supposedly large pressure drops like venting a pressurized ferment too fast can kill yeast, dont see why lacto would be any different.

sounds like there's a bunch of possible answers.

as to your overall process, i would say ditch the 15 min boil and just hold around 170-180 for 20 mins before you sour. and make a sour starter a week in advance if using dry lacto or a lab vial. check milk the funk for starter details. or use live culture like yogurt, goodbelly, etc. and go right in.

 

[HopsForDays]

It was a new vial. The website suggested to pitch between 100-120.

What is the reasoning for the 170-180 vs. boil for 20 min?

 

[SanPancho]

DMS for one. pils or two row can produce it over 180ish. although you boil again at the end so not sure thats too critical. but at 170 you are killing pretty much everything, so why bother with the extra heat and cooling and time it takes?

theres also a school of thought that says lacto are happier if you dont do a full boil. enzymes, proteins, lifeforce, etc. dont recall exactly but its not necessary by any means.

if you want to boil go for it. but its definitely not necessary. pastuerization temps are enough.

and while you can pitch that high, you dont necessarily need to keep it there. check out milk the funk's lacto page. most of their results show best acid production below 90F. lots of strains.