Bestmalz - Acidulated Malt

[BradleyW]

Morning all! After reading the excellent the water treatment post on here I tested the alkalinity of my water. It's a little high so in future I will be treating it with lactic acid. But at the moment my brew supplier didn't have any in stock and because I am desperate to get a brew on I bought some acidulated malt (BEST Acidulated Malt - BESTMALZ | German brewing malt – For the best beer). On their website it says a max 5% of grain bill. Does anyone have any experience using this?

 

[strange-steve]

If you know how much lactic acid you require then you can estimate the amount of acidulated malt to substitute, 35g is roughly equivalent to 1ml of lactic acid.

 

[foxbat]

I don't think the 5% max figure is important. Getting the quantity right by following the numbers given by @strange-steve is the key. After all, acid malt is just pilsner malt with lactic acid added as a workaround to allow German breweries to continue to claim reinheitsgebot compliance because the rules forbid adding acids to the mash. But apparently it's OK if someone else has added acid to the grain before they get it. Hmm.

 

[BradleyW]

If you know how much lactic acid you require then you can estimate the amount of acidulated malt to substitute, 35g is roughly equivalent to 1ml of lactic acid.

Great thanks!!

 

[BradleyW]

I don't think the 5% max figure is important. Getting the quantity right by following the numbers given by @strange-steve is the key. After all, acid malt is just pilsner malt with lactic acid added as a workaround to allow German breweries to continue to claim reinheitsgebot compliance because the rules forbid adding acids to the mash. But apparently it's OK if someone else has added acid to the grain before they get it. Hmm.

Always a loophole isn't there! haha

 

[strange-steve]

After all, acid malt is just pilsner malt with lactic acid added as a workaround to allow German breweries to continue to claim reinheitsgebot compliance because the rules forbid adding acids to the mash. But apparently it's OK if someone else has added acid to the grain before they get it.

I think originally the malt was naturally soured, in the sense that they used the naturally present lactobacillus for souring. I'm not sure if there are many maltsters that still do this rather than spraying with lactic acid, although I believe Weyermann do.

 

[foxbat]

I think originally the malt was naturally soured, in the sense that they used the naturally present lactobacillus for souring. I'm not sure if there are many maltsters that still do this rather than spraying with lactic acid, although I believe Weyermann do.

Sauergut is the natural souring technique. I'm surprised that anyone does that anymore because it must be hard to quantify the results when you're trying to sell it to a brewery customer.

 

[BradleyW]

If you know how much lactic acid you require then you can estimate the amount of acidulated malt to substitute, 35g is roughly equivalent to 1ml of lactic acid.

Using that number, can I run my sums past you? I have an alkalinity of 80ppm and I want to take around 20ppmm off. According to your table that would require an LA of 0.04ml/L
I make small brews of 10L, so my total LA would be 0.4mls, which would equate to 14g of acidulated malt?
thanks

 

[strange-steve]

Using that number, can I run my sums past you? I have an alkalinity of 80ppm and I want to take around 20ppmm off. According to your table that would require an LA of 0.04ml/L
I make small brews of 10L, so my total LA would be 0.4mls, which would equate to 14g of acidulated malt?
thanks

Yep that looks about right. Just remember that it's just an approximation because it depends on the specific lactic acid percentage by weight of the acidulated malt.

 

[BradleyW]

Yep that looks about right. Just remember that it's just an approximation because it depends on the specific lactic acid percentage by weight of the acidulated malt.

Great thanks Steve

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Can you make a sour beer by adding Acid Malt to the grain bill or do you need to add Lactobacillus?

 

[strange-steve]

Can you make a sour beer by adding Acid Malt to the grain bill or do you need to add Lactobacillus?

I've never done it but yes it can be done.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Thanks Steve. I bought some acid malt on a whim so I'll do a small batch trial now.

 

[strange-steve]

Cool, keep us updated thumb