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Author Topic: Growing up a Lacto starter  (Read 2773 times)

Offline hoser

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Growing up a Lacto starter
« on: July 02, 2013, 08:25:33 pm »
So, next month I plan on doing a sour german wheat beer.  I am intending to do the quick souring method.  Mash, bring to a quick boil, cool to 100-110F and pitch a lacto starter and hold for a day or few to my desired pH. Then brew as normal.

I plan on building a lacto starter so that the souring occurs quickly.

My question(s) is this:
1. Should I make a moderated sized starter (2000-4000mL) from one of the commercial yeast manufactures?

2. Make a similar sized starter from some grain added to starter wort and propagate a starter this way?

Or:
3. Do both 1 and 2 and blend on brew/souring day?

I know I can kinda cheat with acidulated malt, but prefer not to.

Thanks in advance,
Brian Hoesing

Offline kylekohlmorgen

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Re: Growing up a Lacto starter
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2013, 06:09:22 am »
No reason to buy lactobacillus. Grain is covered in the stuff.

Do a sour starter with grain a week or so ahead of time. The March/April 2011 Zymurgy has a great article on this topic that includes a step-by-step procedure.
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Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Growing up a Lacto starter
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2013, 06:30:03 am »
If you through 1lb of grain in 5 gal of 100F wort, it will be very sour in 24 hrs. A starter is really not needed.
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Offline lornemagill

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Re: Growing up a Lacto starter
« Reply #3 on: July 03, 2013, 07:32:59 am »
you can mash about a third to half of your grains, don't sparge, let cool to 130 or less, throw in a hand full of grain, cover surface with saran wrap, maintain a temp 100-130.  add boiling water to keep temp up as needed, sour for 1-? days.  drain tun add remaining grains and continue mashing and sparging on top of sour grains.  I have done this a few times and I like the result for Berliner weisse.  I have soured for as long as 3 days, another club member has soured as long as 8 days.

Offline troybinso

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Re: Growing up a Lacto starter
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2013, 08:20:00 am »
I've made starters with Wyeast's Lactobacillus before. I chose a commercial version to be sure of what I was getting, and to try to control the process a little better. I did a three liter starter for one smack pack and kept it at about 100 degrees. After about 3 days it started to flocculate and fall to the bottom of the jar. I chilled the starter for two days and decanted the spent beer, and pitched this into 10 gallons of 1.056 beer. Same process - 100 degreees, about 3 days of activity, cool to 68, rack and pitch yeast.