So I brewed my gose, as a recap, I mash, sparge and boil 15 minutes, no hops. Pitch lacto and hold at 90 until pH drops to 3.8-4.0 and then follow with traditional boil, hops, etc. Once done, cool to 60 and pitch proper starter of WY 1007 to ferment at 60. Every time fermentation takes off in about 12-24 hours with no issues.
This time around I am at 72+ hours, got nothing, no krausen. I did take the primary out of the chamber to let it warm a bit but am concerned there’s nothing going on.
Any advice on this since the pH is on the threshold of proper fermentation, what else could I pitch to get things going? I’ve never had this problem. I’m not panicking yet as it might still take off once warmed up but looking for ideas…
I’d just let that sucker warm up a bit, but that is odd. 1007 should work fine at 60 and is also supposed to be able to handle low pH. Was your starter active when you pitched?
Make sure to update on what happens here, very curious.
There is a wine yeast, I believe a champagne yeast, that will ferment complex sugars. If memory serves that yeast would work as champagne yeasts are tolerant of harsh conditions. Of course the flavor would be different.
To follow up, the good news is the gravity is down to 1.018, so no active krausen but fermenting. I’m expecting another 9 points so we shall see. Thanks for the responses!
What strain of lacto? Perhaps its one that creates alcohol in addition to acid, and so when you pitched the sac yeast there just wasn’t as much sugar there as normal?
Hey Jim,
I use WY5335 and that would be a thought but my process wouldn’t allow that to happen really. I mash as normal, sparge and boil for 15 minutes, chill to 90 and pitch the lacto to sour. My pre-boil was spot on and for only 15 minutes remains virtually unchanged. Once the beer sours over 5-7 days I then proceed with a normal boil for 60 minutes and this kills off the lacto so it doesn’t’ allow for any fermentation other than the WY1007 I pitch.
My following pre-boil after souring was the same as post mash and my post boil gravity was spot on as well at 1.049 so now the beer is at 1.018 as of this morning and in previous batches has finished at 1.009 so I’m hoping it keeps slowly chugging along even though I see no krausen…Hope that made sense:)
I’m really digging your process. You are souring in the kettle, correct? What are you using to keep your 90 degree temp? I have boil coils and a Tower of Power controller, but I don’t know if I can/should keep that on for a week and I don’t know if the fermwrap is up to the challenge of 90 degree temps either.
Thanks JT, I would like to claim the process as my own but it’s not. The recipe actually comes from the great folks at Boulevard and they also provided the souring process they use. It was also a suggested method from a BJCP judge from a local comp that helped me tweak the recipe a bit.
I actually sour in a bucket as I use a CFC chiller so I just pass through the chiller into the bucket. I have a small secondary ferm chamber that I simply place a 90 watt bulb in with an temp controller to keep at 90, works really quite well.
So today I not only took a gravity reading but also Re calibrated my hydrometer. Sitting at 1.018 still. Sample tasted a tad sweet but not overly and appears to be done. I’m sure if I bottle it it will be a good Gose but not what I usually get. Its sitting at 68F right now and still no movement.
What can I pitch to get this lower aside from Brett which would take time and change the flavor profile. Maybe another starter of 1007 at high krausen? Ideas? Kinda bummed on this…
Pretty sure, this is the 5th time I’ve brewed this beer, same process, all readings have been spot on consistently, all fresh ingredients including the yeast with properly sized pitch rates, temp control, etc. All previous batches finished the same, within a point or two and the last two comps entered and scored and took second places with an average score of 40.
If I can’t get it lower I’m resigned to bottle it and enjoy it, I’m sure it will be tasty, I’m just kind of at a loss as to why this batch went astray. Even the pH readings came in the same from mash to souring, its weird to say the least.
You could try another high krausen starter, but with a reading of 1.018 I doubt it would go anywhere. I’d either bottle or add Brett. Sorry, at least it still tastes good!
If you don’t want to waste the extra money on an extra pitch of 1007 then you could try pitching an active pint starter of Lalvin EC-1118 dry champagne yeast. They are typically sold in 5 g packets and are very pH and alcohol tolerant. Only costs around $1 and if it doesn’t work then you know you are done at that FG (1.018).
Have you tried rousing the yeast up in suspension?
Yes, I’ve been rousing and raising the temp over the last couple days, currently at almost 70oF and still no movement. I think I’ll pick up some EC-1118 today and give it a try. This should also help with the carbonation process in the bottle since the 1007 doesn’t seem to be doing anything unless someone has another suggestion aside form Brett, I really don’t want to go that route.
I really don’t think its a wort issue. The recipe is basically pilsner and wheat and a touch of Munich. I employ a step mash and all mash temps were spot on as in previous batches. Past batches with the same process and ingredients finished 9-10 points lower than this batch is sitting:(
Doomed from the start:( woke up this morning to pitch EC-1118, opened the bucket and find Pedio has taken hold, bummer.
So from what I understand my “sick” batch in 3-4 months won’t be “sick” anymore so do I let it ride and hope for a decent sour beer or pitch it and chalk it up to a lost batch?
Since it started as a hibiscus Gose I really don’t know know if its worth the time? Thoughts and opinions?