Escarpment Laboratories - Lactobacillus Blend

A blend of two Lactobacillus species, L. brevis and L. plantarum. This blend is designed to be usable at a wide range of temperatures, and is especially suited for kettle souring/sour worting. We recommend pre-acidifying wort to 4.5 with lactic acid, then pitching the Lactobacillus blend in a CO2-purged kettle or fermentor at 32-42ºC.

Instructions for kettle/quick souring: 

1. Pasteurize wort at 180F/82C for 10 mins prior to pitching Lacto (if you can't purge with CO2 in the next step, do a short boil here)
2. Chill to 45C/113F, purge with CO2, and pitch Lacto Blend
3. Cover/seal and Insulate kettle/fermentor/souring vessel - with this blend, it's OK if the temperature drops to 30C/86F over time.
4. Check pH or taste - typically, this blend hits the desired pH range (3.2-3.7 depending on beer style) within 18-36 hours. 
5. Boil to kill off the Lacto, chill, treat it like a normal beer from here on out (or don't - but we do recommend a full boil at some point in the process to reduce DMS in the wort).

• For more information and instructions on quick souring, please refer to the Milk the Funk Wiki as well as Escarpment's Kettle Souring SOP.