Liquid or powder extract?

What are the practical differences between liquid and powder extract?

Side question: If you were going to make a hop sour/tart would you use an IPA kit or just add late hop additions to another style?

I wouldnt use an ipa unless you alter the kit. You want the ibus to be low like 15~. dry hop.or add late hops but keep the ibus low.

I was unsure of whether ipa kit used a certain type of extract or yeast that would be desireable. What kind of kit would you choose?

I used the American wheat kit from NB for the Gose I made and it was great. Next time I make it I’m going to dry hop it and see what happens. I think it will be good.

Cheers,

Ron

Powdered extract (DME) has a longer shelf life I think. And it might produce a little lighter color. Other than that I really don’t know. DME is kept around by most brewers to add in the boil to boost gravity without drying the beer out, and for making starters. Since it keeps well as long as it’s dry, it’s a better choice for those than liquid.

Cheers,

Ron

LME is essentially DME with 20% water. Due to this, DME has a much better shelf life. Therefore it doesn’t exhibit the stalling effects that LME does.

You can use any kit to create a “sour”. Traditionally they have been wheat forward beers. I just made a sour using late hop additions. Obviously you would want it to sour before adding any hops as most lactobacillius is inhibited by hops.

Thanks for both responses.

I was planning on doing a late hop addition and whirlpooling more before chilling. I’m planning on making a graf and a lacto with the same ingredients (besides the apple juice) and seeing which I like best.

For a hoppy sour, I wouldn’t bother with a kit. Just get some light DME to about 1.045-1.050, short boil to pasteurize, and then chill to 100°F. Pitch your lacto, let it sour, and boil the next day. Dump in about 40# or so of your favorite IPA hops, whirlpool for about 25 minutes, and chill/aerate/pitch yeast.

Kidding about the 40#, but 4-5 oz would be nice. The low pH tends to suppress hop flavor and aroma, so I err on the high side. Definitely dry hop as well, if you want to maximize the hoppy goodness.

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I see what ya did there! :sunglasses:

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Busted… :blush:

Would be a helluva way to go through them though!

Haha I was hoping @porkchop would visit. Thanks for the nice concise rundown. If you were looking to go 8-9 abv what og you looking for? How much dme would you start at?

Oh and do you have an amazon link for lactoB? There’s so many strains lol

Get some Goodbelly Mango at any organic grocery of maybe even some regular grocers. Use about a pint to sour 5 gallons of beer. (Got mine at Wholefoods)

Cheers,

Ron

About 10-12# DME will get you in that ballpark for ABV. Goodbelly is the easy way to go, but Swanson probiotics lacto plantarum tabs also work great. Omega yeasts’ oyl-605 also works well if you’re ordering from NB.

With that high of an OG, it may take a bit more time and more cells to sour quickly. Make yourself a lacto starter, 1 liter of 1.040 wort, and pitch one pack of omega lacto or about 6 of the lacto plantarum tabs. Let that go for a few days before brew day.

Alright thanks both of you. I can get good belly nearby while i wait for shipping on tabs.

With that high of a gravity, you’ll want to pitch the whole carton of goodbelly. Mango flavor is pretty neutral, and any flavor carryover would go well in a hoppy sour. Also, you’ll want a VERY large pitch of yeast, since it’ll be high gravity and low pH. May be tough to get it to ferment fully.

But once you realize how easy this kind of beer is, you’ll never buy another overpriced bomber of a simple lacto sour in the store again! And there are lots of Very. Overpriced. Kettle sours out there.

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Yeah my every day drinks are sierra nevada otravez and epic sour ipa. Nothing beats coming home for work or mowing the lawn and having an ice cold sour. It just sucks when a case is north of 50 dollars.

Im gonna try for 7-8 abv this time around I really want to order some sorgum malt extract and see how that is soured.

I’m usually funk averse, but have sort of come around to an occasional Gose or Berliner Weiss. I can usually only do one at a sitting, though… any other commercial gateway drugs you’d recommend for developing a taste for sours?

If you want to make something similar to otra vez, drop your starting gravity to something like 1.045. Add some grapefruit peel at flameout and dry hop with cascade. You want something crushable! Not something 8-9% ABV.

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If you want to develope a taste for it I’de try lindemans framboise its sour but also sweet enough to keep drinking. That is what got me addicted to sours and it is available pretty much everywhere. Otta vez is also sour but doesnt scratch ur throat up