Sour taste in lager

[falcon250]

G'day all,

I have had a few issues with lager tasting sour, does anyone know the possible cause of this?

Cheers.

 

[GalBrew]

Infection most probably. Lacto, pedio, acetobacter, wild yeasts......take your pick. Does it just taste sour or does it have a vinegar like thing going on?

 

[falcon250]

Haven't really had a good crack at it yet, just put it in a 9L keg today will be able to tell in a few days when I have a good session on it, the same thing happened to the previous lager I did, I'm making a few recipes from the 'Clone Brews' book in 9 Litre form for a small corny keg, could boiling light dry extract for 60 mins also be giving me issues?

 

[GalBrew]

Or you could just rename it a Berliner Weisse??

 

[Nick JD]

Lacto infection in your fermenter.

 

[Bribie G]

On the two or three occasions I've had a "sour, vinegar" type infection, the fermenter has gone into the recycling. If you are doing smaller batches or even up to 20L, you can get great little fermenter style vessels from Bunnings for around $15 so it's no tragedy to get rid of a suss fermenter and start again.

 

[cremmerson]

My first extract lager was sour but not infected. I think I pitched too high. I would suggest in the 30s but not commit to it for the rage and ridicule it would inspire (32C) (ok, 33C) (34C).

It died down after a bit of bottle conditioning. Or I acclimatized and moved on to the next brew.