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Author Topic: Sour Mash  (Read 11448 times)

Offline MrNate

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #15 on: May 30, 2010, 09:21:14 pm »
yes and no... I'd say there's a difference between a spontaneous fermentation and a sour mash. Spontaneous fermentation to me means more of a wild yeast plus random critter fermentation.
“If one's actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others, only their rational perception.”

Offline tankdeer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #16 on: May 30, 2010, 09:56:02 pm »
You're absolutely correct in that there is a difference. You said try it au natural and i was trying to figure out what you mean. I have in fact done several sour mashes and I much prefer using a lacto culture, which is why I mentioned that. It gives much better results without as much chance of your beer tasting like cheese afterwards.
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Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2010, 10:35:29 am »
I am making a small batch (2gal) of sour mash beer right now, 50% wheat malt and 50% pale ale malt.  I let it sit overnight in the MLT, it had a skim of acetobacter on top the next evening.  I lautered it into a bucket and its sitting there for further souring.

I have a number of questions.

Should I boil this after it sours adequately?  There are no hops so far, I was thinking to at least boil a portion with some hops.

How do I know when it is sour enough?  Taste?  The stuff has a funky smell now but its not sour.

Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline tankdeer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #18 on: June 02, 2010, 10:52:51 am »
Should I boil this after it sours adequately?  There are no hops so far, I was thinking to at least boil a portion with some hops.
Depends on if you want it to sour further. Boiling it will have the benefit of "setting" the sourness/funkiness at whatever level it's at now. Not boiling will allow the bugs to continue working until they decide to stop.

How do I know when it is sour enough?  Taste?  The stuff has a funky smell now but its not sour.
Taste is pretty much the only way. If it's not sour enough, let it sit longer.

That is the problem with sour mashes - sometimes you get nice clean sourness, sometimes you get intense funk and no sourness, and pretty much everything in between. It's too variable for me, which is why I stopped doing it.
No TV and no beer make Homer something something...

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #19 on: June 02, 2010, 01:20:13 pm »
This batch is small enough that it won't be a great loss if it has to be dumped.  I did have some luck before with using whey to innoculate lactobacillus.  Come to think of it, I have some cheese culture starters in the fridge that might be useful.  I'll have to look into that.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline babalu87

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #20 on: June 03, 2010, 09:54:50 am »
Just hoping I dont spill mine, friend and I were joking about that yesterday.

Yes, daddy still loves mommy but I spilled a sour mash and we had to go our seperate ways  ;D

I'm getting it to 120 or so and putting the 5 gallon drink cooler in the attic

Tin foil over the top should be sufficient correct?
Jeff

On draught:
IIPA, Stout, Hefeweizen, Hallertau Pale Ale, Bitter

Primary:
Hefeweizen,Berliner Weisse, Mead

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #21 on: June 03, 2010, 11:26:11 am »
Just hoping I dont spill mine, friend and I were joking about that yesterday.

Yes, daddy still loves mommy but I spilled a sour mash and we had to go our seperate ways  ;D

I'm getting it to 120 or so and putting the 5 gallon drink cooler in the attic

Tin foil over the top should be sufficient correct?

Yes you'll be poisoned long before the Alzheimers sets in.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline MrNate

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #22 on: June 03, 2010, 03:34:25 pm »
That is the problem with sour mashes - sometimes you get nice clean sourness, sometimes you get intense funk and no sourness, and pretty much everything in between. It's too variable for me, which is why I stopped doing it.

I guess what I was saying is that I haven't run into that problem yet. Not with my beer method, anyway.

Interesting thing is that I took some sour mash to make a sourdough starter, and sitting out at room temps it varied quite a bit in sourness and leavening. I imagine the lacto and yeast were waging some massive turf wars. When conditions were right for yeast, it was yeasty. When they were right for lacto, it was sour. As far as I can tell, a lot of it depended on the thickness of the slurry.
“If one's actions are honest, one does not need the predated confidence of others, only their rational perception.”

Offline dean

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #23 on: June 03, 2010, 04:45:47 pm »
Sheesh... I was inspired to making a go at a sour beer... now I'm not so sure.   :-\

Offline tankdeer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #24 on: June 03, 2010, 04:52:51 pm »
Sheesh... I was inspired to making a go at a sour beer... now I'm not so sure.   :-\
Don't let my b****ing stop you. Please, DO IT! The good thing about a sour mash is, you get a finished beer in roughly normal ale turnaround times. I'm just of the opinion, having done several different methods, that sour mashing is not for me. I much prefer the results that I get with other methods, both spontaneous and by pitching bugs. I say start with a sour mash and move on from there. It's easy and quick.
No TV and no beer make Homer something something...

Offline tomsawyer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #25 on: June 03, 2010, 07:40:40 pm »
I pulled a sample of my wort to check gravity, it is 1.042 which is about where I wanted (would have settled for 1.036).  Anyway I took a taste and it has a nice bit of sourness!  I don't know why I'm so surprised.

I also added a small amount of a mesophilic cheesemaking culture containing S lactis and S. cremoris.  I thought it would work like it does on milk, but since I added it I've decided it isn't the right stuff since there is no lactose in this wort.  I need lactobacillus, which apparently I had in the sour mash.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline dean

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #26 on: June 04, 2010, 07:26:24 am »
tankdeer, it wasn't just your opinion but your opinion does sound pretty convincing.   :D  I'll try it anyway, I was just whining.   :D  ;)

Offline tankdeer

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #27 on: June 04, 2010, 09:30:25 am »
As long as you are not just pouring lactic acid straight into your finished beer, I say go for it.  ;D
No TV and no beer make Homer something something...

Offline dean

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #28 on: June 06, 2010, 08:37:31 am »
If doing a sour mash with no boil, how do you add bittering?  I was thinking of pulling a gallon or so and boiling an ounce of 7 AA to 8 AA hops for 20 minutes and then adding it back to the collected unboiled wort to get something in the high teens for BU's?  Something is afoot today... not sure what I'm gonna end up with but I'll see soon enough.

7.75 pound grain bill for 5.5 gallons of runnings/wort... sound about right to you guys?

Offline babalu87

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Re: Sour Mash
« Reply #29 on: June 06, 2010, 09:13:03 am »
Sour mash with wheat = STICKY STICKY STICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hit my OG of 1.040 , yeast will be pitched later today
Jeff

On draught:
IIPA, Stout, Hefeweizen, Hallertau Pale Ale, Bitter

Primary:
Hefeweizen,Berliner Weisse, Mead