[jc24]

I'm attempting my first sour brew - just kettle souring. I was surprised at how expensive the Wyeast 5335 was and was wondering if there is any advantage in purchasing that over making a starter from some active yogurt? Has anyone had experience with growing lactobacillus from base malt, yogurt, probiotics vs. bought strains?

[dmtaylor]

A handful of raw grain in the beer has worked well for me.  These days I might use sour cream or yogurt instead to get a more pure pitch.  It doesn't take a lot.  Just needs time to act.

[jc24]

Thanks for the reply - have you ever used a bought a 'brewer's' strain that you could compare and comment on?

[kramerog]

I use a l. plantarum probiotic providing something like 10 billion cells.  I usually do a 2L starter to drop the pH of the wort below 4.5 to keep out the nasty bugs from doing their damage.

I used to just throw in some malt, but the probiotic is more convenient.

Also Wyeast 5335 is a very mild lacto.  It is not capable of creating an intense sour as it only eats glucose, but on the positive side by the same token it doesn't pose much of risk of infecting your non-sours. 

[reverseapachemaster]

The wyeast and white lab strains are pretty unimpressive for kettle souring. They work okay in the blends those labs sell. One of the best non-brewing lab sources is Goodbelly juice, which has l. plantarum. Cheap, widely available.

If you wanted to buy from a lab, Omega's lacto cultures are used a lot for kettle souring.

[Stevie]

Good belly shots are cheap and reliable. Two shots to 5-6 gallons is reliably soured in 24-36 hours. Four shots cost between $5-6.

[kramerog]

Good belly shots are cheap and reliable. Two shots to 5-6 gallons is reliably soured in 24-36 hours. Four shots cost between $5-6.

I use the GoodBelly pills - same lacto.

[jc24]

Thanks all - sounds like probiotics is the way to go


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[ynotbrusum]

I think all of the suggested Lacto approaches are fine, since they all provide a good source.  Brett on the other hand should be from the yeast makers to make sure the pitch is pure, IMHO.