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FAQ
,added kettle souring QnA
A: It depends on your species of ''Lactobacillus''. For example, ''L. plantarum'' (both the Omega Labs OYL-605 Lacto blend and plantarum probiotics) tends to prefer 70-95°F, and temperatures of 110°F+ can kill it. Check out our recommendations on the [[Lactobacillus#Culture_Charts|Lacto Culture Chart]], [[Alternative Bacteria Sources]], and the [[Wort Souring]] pages.
==I have a question about kettle souring==
Q: How do I kettle sour, why did my kettle sour turn out bad, or is this mold?
A: There is a lot of poor information on the internet regarding kettle souring. We recommend starting with reading our [[Wort_Souring#Souring_in_the_Boiler_.28Kettle_Sour.29|detailed guide to kettle souring]]. We also recommend listening to our step by step instructions in our [https://www.milkthefunk.live/podcast/2018/4/2/episode-004-kettle-souring-with-adi-hastings-from-omega-yeast-labs podcast interview with Adi Hastings from Omega Yeast labs].
In general, here are our biggest tips:
# Don't use WLP677 for kettle souring, it's very slow and not meant for quick souring.
# Don't use any hops until after the souring has finished. Even 1 IBU will inhibit a lot of Lacto strains.
# Try to keep the souring time within 48 hours. Lacto leaves a lot of residual sugars, so the longer it is left the more potential there is for off-flavors from contaminations.
# Sanitation is very important. Make sure the wort is boiled for at least a minute, and the sides of the boil kettle and lid are pasteurized/sanitized. Using CO<sup>2</sup> is not necessary.
# For your first kettle sours, we recommend using a ''Lactobacillus plantarum'' culture of some sort. For commercial cultures, see the [[Lactobacillus#Culture_Charts|''Lactobacillus'' culture charts]]. For example, the [https://omegayeast.com/yeast/bacterial-cultures/lactobacillus-blend Omega Yeast Labs OYL-605] has had a lot of success among MTF'ers. Yogurt and probiotics have also become a popular source for fast souring Lacto; see [[Alternative Bacteria Sources]].
# If your wort develops a krausen or significant CO<sup?2</sup> production, then you probably have a yeast contamination. Lacto does not compete well with yeast, so the sourness might not be as much as you wanted. Sanitation practices can lead to yeast contaminations, but this has also been known to come from yeast lab products themselves (it's hard to prove unless you look at the Lacto culture under a microscope using aseptic techniques).
# Mold looks like patches of often fuzzy/hairy, off-white, green, red, or black growths on the surface of your beer. This can happen with kettle sours can if your sanitation is not good enough. We recommend dumping kettle sours that have significant mold growth. See the [[Mold]] page for more details on the risks of mold.
# If you can't find the answers to your questions, feel free to ask your question in the MTF Facebook group.
==What pitching rate do I use for Lacto or Brett==