Souring Wort

Brewing processes and methods. How to brew using extract, partial or all-grain. Tips and tricks.

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Push Eject
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Souring Wort

Post by Push Eject »

Has anyone tried brewing with soured wort?
For some stouts and lambics I understand it is necessary to achieve authenticity.
One handbook I found recommends cooling the wort (post mash/pre boil) to 125F in a sanitized bucket, adding 1/2 lb crushed pale malt and allowing to sit, sealed, in a warm place for 12 - 24 hours.
Then strain out grain and brew as usual.
Has anyone done this?
Any thoughts on this or any other method are much appreciated.
Cheers!
Ollie
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Post by l48shark »

Some replies to this post got whacked when the site was experiencing opportunities the other day. I had posed the question, "why do people brew stouts with soured wort?" I have heard that this is done, but I would like to know why. Anyone?
Cheers,
Ford
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Fraoch?

Post by Push Eject »

You had a good reply... care to paraphrase?
Ollie
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Try again

Post by Fraoch »

Yeh did post a reply to souring wort but it got lost and then comp problems on my side.
I've attempted this several times and with widely varying results. Basically I was trying to recreate that " Guinness" flavour, the chalice of stouters, I found that a pint of wort with a handfull of crushed malt chucked in for a week was the best way to achieve the taste you may be requiring. I read that lactic acid solution of 88% will do the same. I tried this @ 1/2ml to 750ml stout at bottling stage. The 2 flavours never really married and I was disappointed at the result, it always tasted as beer+ - something. Seems to me that its all very hit and miss, how sour depends on ambient temp etc. If you do sour the wort then be sure to bring to boil before adding to the finished product to kill off the nasties. I've tried without the grain and with, the way to go is with. Ive always added at the end of fermentation, and this may not be the way to go, maybe by including it at secondary or even primary, experimentation will tell. It gives a really interesting "extra" to the finished product. By the way, most beer was sour to some extent in the days when beer substituted water, the sour was more expensive than the "new" due to storage costs.Guinness still holds this tradition and as far as i know the original "souring infected" fermentation vessel. I did try this with an English bitter brewed with wyeast 1028 and the results are fantastic. Dont expect to win prizes with this though, but you will get a beer more akin to what we would have raved about at the turn of the 20th century. By the way I'd be very interested with any results from others who may/ have tried this. Best of luck and let me know, if it's real good I'll use your method.
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