Are Brewers "cheating" by just dumping lactic acid in?

Reads 7034 • Replies 84 • Started Monday, May 18, 2015 7:10:24 AM CT

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Message MacBoost beers 2074 º places 37 º 07:10 Mon 5/18/2015 Do you feel like a brewer is "cheating" if they simply dump lactic acid into the beer instead of producing lactic acid by way of bacteria? Or is it on the same level as using liquid hop extract instead of real hops, hop pellets or whatever? Thoughts? *Disclaimer: I am by no means a competent brewer at any level besides a few mediocre homebrews
Message FrumptyDumpty 07:22 Mon 5/18/2015 What brewers do you think are doing this?
Message MacBoost beers 2074 º places 37 º 07:31 Mon 5/18/2015 Originally posted by FrumptyDumpty What brewers do you think are doing this? Per the "forum guidelines", specifically under numbers 2 and 3 of the "DONT’s" section, I can’t and won’t answer this question. http://www.ratebeer.com/ForumRules.asp
Message VsXsV P beers 5000 º places 92 º 07:36 Mon 5/18/2015 It must be OK to link it if it literally says "Lactic Acid" in the name? http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/alesmith-lil-devil--lactic-acid/158434/

Message MacBoost beers 2074 º places 37 º 07:41 Mon 5/18/2015 hmm. that’s interesting, but not one of the examples I was thinking of.
Message joeneugs beers 6372 º places 240 º 08:10 Mon 5/18/2015 I know of a couple who definitely have done this in the past. I won’t call them out on here though.
Message HaStuMiteZen99 beers 1111 º places 27 º 08:18 Mon 5/18/2015 Not really. I wouldn’t like it if they were being dishonest about it, but I mostly just care about the taste of the end product. In reality, you’re not going to be able to make good sour beer by pouring in lactic acid. But if someone did, I don’t think I’d mind too much.
Message TheHOFF43 P beers 2045 º places 169 º 08:18 Mon 5/18/2015 If it tastes good I do not care, at all.

Message joeneugs beers 6372 º places 240 º 08:27 Mon 5/18/2015 I would say it’s only cheating if they’re trying to charge $20+ a bottle as if they spent 6+ months maturing the beer.
Message CLevar places 23 º 08:28 Mon 5/18/2015 Originally posted by TheHOFF43 If it tastes good I do not care, at all. Pretty much this.
Message b3shine P beers 12179 º places 372 º 08:29 Mon 5/18/2015 Originally posted by TheHOFF43 If it tastes good I do not care, at all. I agree. I know of at least one brewery using acidulated malt, and I like their beer. I think it saves time and money, and that would explain why their beer is significantly cheaper than a lot of the other sour beers out there. That said, I have yet to try anything from them that rivals authentic geuze/lambic.