I know it has been discussed, but just looking for more thoughts. I am planning on a 10 gallon batch of Saison that will be split into 2 fermenters that will secondary on either blackberries or lemon balm. Following a recipe I have used before from @AmandaK: 90% pilsner and 10% Munich II. Getting down to pH of 5.22 requires 6mL of 88% lactic, putting the finished beer at roughly 204ppm lactate in the finished product(per Bru’NWater estimates.) Kai states generally being confident that under 400ppm should have no taste effect on the product/consumer. Does this sound like a good place to be? From past attempts, I know I added 3.8mL to a 5.5g batch last year, but in the end that batch caught something wild from my raspberries so I am not certain how much the lactic affected the batch. My other batches of saison I did not take good enough notes(no record of how much lactic I used.) Any thoughts on this plan?
I use about 5 ml of lactic acid in a 5 gal batch without hesitation in pale styles. I haven’t had reason to use more than that.
Thanks, good to know. That’s definitely more than I have used for anything besides saison. I’m more comfortable now
It will be fine. If anything the saison will have a slight tartness to it, even if you can barely pick it up.
Keep in mind, the blackberries will add some acidity as well.
That was my thinking as well. Planning on 7.5# of them in one half and I don’t know how much fresh picked lemon balm in the other. In the past, this has been bittered to 45 IBUs with Willamette and Nelson, just wondering if I should lower that at all with the secondary elements as well?
6ml in a 10 gal batch is fine. Even if it was a light lager, only a super taster might detect it… maybe
Thanks Jim, that’s where I will be going then. And I am certainly no super taster by the way, so no issues there even if they were there to be found