New to sour brewing, have questions...

[BigLeeFromSC]

Hi Guys

Been brewing all grain quite a while, but tried my first Gose this weekend that left me with questions. Here's the situation:

1. mashed with a 60/40 wheat/pale
2. cooled to 115F
3. added lactic acid to drop ph to 4.5
4. added 8oz GoodBelly Probiotic
5. maintained 110F for 24hrs ; ph now at 3.5

no real sour taste when sampling wort- is this normal?

figured i would go ahead with boil as normal, had a little funk in boil smell but nothing overwhelming.

When souring in this fashion, is it to the point i would notice when tasting?
Any additional help or info would be great if someone has done this method in the past.

Thanks in advance

 

[RPh_Guy]

no real sour taste when sampling wort- is this normal? .... When souring in this fashion, is it to the point i would notice when tasting

The sweetness masks the sourness.
Nothing to worry about, it'll be sour when it's fermented.

Cheers

 

[BigLeeFromSC]

The sweetness masks the sourness.
Nothing to worry about, it'll be sour when it's fermented.

Cheers

whew....Thanks for the reply! That's what I was hoping for

 

[lslbrew]

I can’t help you with your sour but I like your icon. T-I-G-E-Rrrrr-S.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Yeah, the lactic acid masks the sourness, but after experience you'll know it's there. Also, 24hr or a pH of 3.5 isn't too "sour" - some of us like the sourness/tang of the low 3s (3.1-3.2), which usually comes with 48-72hrs of souring. Once you get down there, you'll definitely be able to tell something (good) has happened to your sweet wort.

 

[brownni5]

Also, if using Good belly (or any other L. Plantarum), no need to hold high temp. Room temp will work just fine.

 

[BigLeeFromSC]

Also, if using Good belly (or any other L. Plantarum), no need to hold high temp. Room temp will work just fine.

Good to know. It was a pain keeping it that temperature. Will be much easier with my next 10g batch.

 

[isomerization]

Yeah, the lactic acid masks the sourness, but after experience you'll know it's there. Also, 24hr or a pH of 3.5 isn't too "sour" - some of us like the sourness/tang of the low 3s (3.1-3.2), which usually comes with 48-72hrs of souring. Once you get down there, you'll definitely be able to tell something (good) has happened to your sweet wort.

Just to clarify, it’s the residual sugar (unfermented wort) masking the sourness, not the lactic acid (which is actually what is driving the pH decrease).

Edit: I’d also recommend shooting for a lower temp (say 80-90F) and checking pH at 24 hr. You can then let it ride another 24 hr if you want increased acidity.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Absolutely, thanks Iso. Typo - lactic on my mind.

 

[isomerization]

Absolutely, thanks Iso. Typo - lactic on my mind.

I figured that was the case