# Sauergut



## TimT (29/5/14)

Was thinking of making some sauergut for an upcoming brew. One, because it's fun. Two, because I'd be able to get some interesting flavours into my brew. And three, yeah, because it's fun.

Has anyone else tried this? Care to offer any advice?

I gather the basic idea is to leave the grain at about 47 degrees C for an extended period of time - 12-24 hours - and lacto-bacilli that are present will go to work and sour/acidify it naturally. Should I be able to assume that malted grain from the store will have this bacteria on it - or might it be advisable to introduce a starter to the grain to begin the acidification process?

Might it be advisable to use tank water rather than tap water, since acidity will come from the sauergut anyway?

Throwing this one out there; maybe other folks have tried this and can offer advice (even if it's "are you crazy? Don't!")


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## Not For Horses (29/5/14)

I have a bag of culture sitting in my fridge that I keep meaning to do this very type of brew with.
Said culture appeared, as if from thin air, one week after leaving my mash tun full of spent grain.
Smells much too funky and delicious to throw away so I've been holding on to it.

There is plenty of lacto on store bought grain. Chuck a handfull of crushed grain in you will have a lacto pool party.


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## scon (29/5/14)

I have actually just done something like this for a berliner weiss - I boiled last night. I used the Hybrid Sour Mash - A Predicable Method which involves using acidulated malt to lower the pH after the main mash and leaving it out overnight (I actually left it for 72 hours because it's cold and I have no way of keeping my mash warm). I batch sparged last night and the wort tasted clean with no off flavours.


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## GalBrew (29/5/14)

Google "sour mash" It's a pretty standard way of making a sour beers like a Berlinerweisse. Your grain in covered in Lactobacillus so no problems there. Just be prepared for the hellish stank that a sour mash can produce.


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## spryzie (29/5/14)

I did this once attempting a Berliner Weisse. It's easy.

Make a 1030 wort. I did half ale malt / wheat malt. shouldn't matter though. I also didn't boil but that might not matter either. 

500mL into a coopers PET bottle. Throw in a handful of ale malt grains. Uncrushed - straight in.

Squeeze air outand screw cap on.

Keep at about 40 degrees. I useda yogurt maker.

Thebottle well puff up. Release the pressure now and again. When it no longer expands you have your lacto starter.


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## spryzie (29/5/14)

Oh, it should smell sour but not like vomit.

You have to be really clean if you're not boiling...


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## TimT (29/5/14)

Excellent!

In my experience all lacto-ferments of this type will throw off different smells anyway, presumably because of the differences between bacterias. One of our sauerkrauts, for instance, had a smell that reminded me a bit of the sewer.... tasted ace, though.


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