What’s new -Part 4

I was looking for information on the modern times thing going on this weekend and stumbled on this-

As stated Clostridium spp. can be/likely are the dominant butyric acid producers in sour mash beers, so I’ll just address the "why".

Clostridium is known for making spores. These spores are resistant to hot temps, such as those found in the mash and mash out. Many of the vegetative cells present in the mash (of this genus and others) are going to get killed, especially if the mash pH is where it should be (ie, pasteurization is more effective at acidic pH values). But once the mash temp drops, the spores can germinate and exert their influence in the mash. Additionally, the higher levels of amino acids present in mash (compared to wort) are also said to favor Clostridium activity. Last, if the mash temp drops much below 100F, these germinated spores go to town. Essentially, Brewers who do a sour mash and don’t keep the temp up are providing a perfect environment for these microbes to proliferate and make butyric.

With that said, I don’t see any reason to do a sour mash for beer. The historical use of this technique (Kentucky common) has been called into question and it makes bad beer more often than not. So why do it?

I’ve made three sour mashed beers and they turned out clean both times. pH, lots of healthy Lacto cells, little to no oxygen, and the right temperature and it’s possible to make good ones.

Originally posted by rcubed
I’ve made three sour mashed beers and they turned out clean both times. pH, lots of healthy Lacto cells, little to no oxygen, and the right temperature and it’s possible to make good ones.

I find more complexity in sour mash when it’s done right. I use a combination of various iso-ed Lacto strains plus some acidulated malt. For homebrew it’s difficult to get a setup for kettle souring compared to an insulated cooler mash tun where the grain really helps retain the heat needed. Ultimately it depends on your setup.

Anyway, first batch of beers at Resident Brewing are great, especially the pale ale and IPA.

Stopped at a bunch of places this weekend.

Riip is making decent IPAs, at least the Neltra (Nelson + Citra) and the Dan K were enjoyable. I’ll fix it in a minute but the address listed here on Saturn Dr is their production facility, and I use that term loosely because it’s a 3 bbl system, where as the tasting room is right off PCH.

Brouwerij West is apparently where the Shelton festival was. They have half of a huge building for what looks like a tiny 20 bbl system. Beers are all nerdish (bretted, using weird ingredients, contain the word "sour", etc). Not bad over all.

Strand has also moved to a large building and has a brewing setup that looks similar what the Bruery started with (funny looking mash tun on stilts). Beers are just OK. Nothing too exciting.

Same exit from 110 as Alpine Village so I stopped there on the way back for some jaeger schnitzel and a glass of hefe. They have 20something US taps on and nothing German... had to settle for a Franziskaner in the bottle. I was the youngest person there by 30 years easily. The band was polka-fying non-German songs for the old people to dance to, I even heard Hank Williams at one point.

Hop Saint is a diner in a strip mall. Nice place but the beers are kind of meh.

Still have a pile of breweries around LA to get to and as always I’m struggling to keep the unvisited SD breweries in single digits (after adding Pure Project, Bolt Little Italy, and Bitter Brothers to my list I’m back to 9).

Casa Agria (in Oxnard) now has public hours. Not sure when that started to be honest.

Remember Daryl’s Couch? Its looking like a real place. Not a brewery but a bar, in a residential complex.

https://www.facebook.com/darryls.couch/info/?tab=page_info

Yeah. I might actually be stopping there this afternoon just because.

Bro, do you even work?

Originally posted by t0rin0
Bro, do you even work?