Are you tired of fruity beers that taste like soda? Tired of waiting six months at a time to find out how the sour culture worked? Think about the acidification in the cauldron. Yes, gose and berliner weisse have been in vogue for a couple of years now, but there are other styles besides these German traditional ones. This is an interesting and not-so-difficult experiment for the home brewer.
Experiment with lactobacilli – it can be a culture from a home brew store or even some regular yogurt. Just mash and filter as usual, bring the wort to a boil to sterilize it, and then cool to 40-43 degrees Celsius. Introduce the lactoculture and go ahead. The wort will need to be monitored and perhaps even heated. In industrial settings, we stop acidification based on titratable acidity, but you can also just taste the wort and see if it’s sour enough.
Even small amounts of naturally formed lactic acid can improve many beer styles. A mild level of acidification will also minimize the time it takes for the process to take place. Try to reduce contact with oxygen in the process – close the boiler and expel the oxygen with carbon dioxide if possible. This will help prevent other bacteria from getting into the wort, which can give unwanted side flavors. When the right level of acidity has been reached, bring the wort to a boil and treat it like any other – introduce healthy and fresh yeast and other additives you’d like. Although I’ve never been particularly fond of fruit beers, fruit goes well with kettle saurus. Mmmm, cherries, lactic acid and turkey!
One last tip for Thanksgiving – don’t try to go on a flight with a homebrewed beer. I had all my homemade pumpkin ale confiscated at the Missoula airport in 1992 (don’t judge me, I told you, it was 1992!) and my family was so upset… Well, they said so.