[yso191]

As I have posted elsewhere on this forum, I am planning to brew a Gose.  I've been wrestling with the mash and fermentation dynamics, and now find myself wondering why I should use acidulated malt at all.  What would be the difference if I just dosed the beer after fermentation with lactic acid?

[dmtaylor]

You might want to use a little acidulated malt to get the mash pH closer to the ~5.3 desired.  Gose tends to be a very pale beer without a ton of specialty malts, so without the acidulated, your mash pH might be high at like 5.8-6.0, so you'll likely find that a little acidulated malt is a great idea for pH control, even more than it is for flavor contribution.  Otherwise I'd agree, a bit of lactic acid added after the mash is done would be okay to add the desired tartness in flavor.  Or better yet, go the route of a sour mash or partial sour Lacto fermentation or whatever, and don't add any acid at all.

Anyway........ the one authentic imported gose from Germany that I tasted was not very tart or salty at all.  It was more like a witbier than anything else.  I get the feeling that everyone in America just loves to overdo everything.  So, consider whether maybe you don't need to bother with anything too fancy, yet it might turn out even more authentic in the end.

[hopfenundmalz]

You might want to use a little acidulated malt to get the mash pH closer to the ~5.3 desired.  Gose tends to be a very pale beer without a ton of specialty malts, so without the acidulated, your mash pH might be high at like 5.8-6.0, so you'll likely find that a little acidulated malt is a great idea for pH control, even more than it is for flavor contribution.  Otherwise I'd agree, a bit of lactic acid added after the mash is done would be okay to add the desired tartness in flavor.  Or better yet, go the route of a sour mash or partial sour Lacto fermentation or whatever, and don't add any acid at all.

Anyway........ the one authentic imported gose from Germany that I tasted was not very tart or salty at all.  It was more like a witbier than anything else.  I get the feeling that everyone in America just loves to overdo everything.  So, consider whether maybe you don't need to bother with anything too fancy, yet it might turn out even more authentic in the end.

There is a specialty bottle shop in Regensburg, Germany. We had a very nice Gose there, the salt is light, not over the top. The owner said he had a Westbrook Gose, and it was like drinking sea water.

[mabrungard]

The sad misconception of Gose, is that brewers think it should taste salty since they have salt in them. They should not!!!!!  The salt adds a sweetness in the same way as salting a slice of watermelon would. NUANCE!

With respect to acid malt, it may be a more authentic option since I'm thinking that most commercial acid malt is infused with sauergut which has a variety of organisms and has more flavor. Lactic acid can be too one-dimensional.

[dmtaylor]

There is a specialty bottle shop in Regensburg, Germany. We has
D a very nice Gose there, the salt is light, not over the top. The owner said he had a Westbrook Gose, and it was like drinking sea water.

I have a 6-pack of Westbrook.  It is indeed exactly like drinking seawater.  Tastes fishy to me even.  I've been giving it away to others as an example of how gose should NOT taste, and they tend to agree with me.

[HoosierBrew]

There is a specialty bottle shop in Regensburg, Germany. We has
D a very nice Gose there, the salt is light, not over the top. The owner said he had a Westbrook Gose, and it was like drinking sea water.

I have a 6-pack of Westbrook.  It is indeed exactly like drinking seawater.  Tastes fishy to me even.  I've been giving it away to others as an example of how gose should NOT taste, and they tend to agree with me.

Wow, that sounds horrendous. Short of boiling seafood in it, I can't imagine a use for that.

[Alewyfe]

Wow, that sounds horrendous. Short of boiling seafood in it, I can't imagine a use for that.
[/quote]

Brilliant suggestion!