L Plantarum Caps for Gose

[Morrey]

Let me say that I know better than to store L Plantarum caps on the shelf...but knowing better and doing better are not the same in this case, lol.

Anyway, I have an unopened bottle of Swanson L Plantarum caps stored on the shelf that according to my order history is a year old. Granted some or even most of the cell count vitality may be gone...but will these caps kettle sour wort at their age based on the storage?

Storage is in the medicine cabinet - so 68F in the winter and 72F in the summer. Not blistering temps, just normal or moderate room temperature.

I'd normally use 5 fresh caps in a 5.5G batch. Since I'm questioning the vitality, I was thinking maybe double that and pitch 10 or 12 caps and hope for the best. Has anyone pitched older caps as described and had success?

 

[bigdawg86]

I just did a kettle sour from a mid-2016 dated bottle and they worked fine. I did a lacto starter a week before brew day then pitched it once ready to kettle sour. I didn't notice activity for first 48 hours (5 caps), but I bumped temperature to low 90's and gave an extra 5 caps as precaution then overnight pH dropped to 3.6.

 

[Morrey]

I just did a kettle sour from a mid-2016 dated bottle and they worked fine. I did a lacto starter a week before brew day then pitched it once ready to kettle sour. I didn't notice activity for first 48 hours (5 caps), but I bumped temperature to low 90's and gave an extra 5 caps as precaution then overnight pH dropped to 3.6.

Into 6.5G, I pitched 10 caps dated 10/2016 directly into 88F wort (1.045) last night after dropping ph down to 4.5 with lactic acid. No starter, just pulled the caps apart and pitched the powder.

This morning (only 12 hours), I am still at 4.5 ph. I don't think its time to be concerned yet since I didn't make a starter, but if the ph remains stable this eve 24 hours after pitch, I may think these caps are dead. Not many options at this point but I did have a fellow home brewer turned pro tell me he simply uses a small carton of plain Greek yogurt for his kettle sours, so I may try that as a last resort. Don't have the probiotic shots in my area, so that option is out. Only concern with the yogurt is that souring will be ambient which is high 80's to low 90's now, and yogurt may like it warmer than that.

Maybe the caps will launch albeit a bit slower than I'm used to having it take off. Conversely, this is the first time I have NOT made a starter plus with non-refrigerated and out of date caps, I may have just wasted a batch of wort.

 

[bruhaha]

You may be ok since my opinion is the caps may take some time to take hold since you did this w/o a starter. I'd probably not think all is failing until 48 hrs later. If you try the yogurt method on top on the caps, you probably wont hurt anything just for insurance.

 

[bigdawg86]

Mine didn't drop the pH until I bumped temp to about 90 degrees, then I got a small pellicle overnight and pH was where I wanted it next morning. I have done 3 kettle sours and never got any action until at least day 3

 

[Rob2010SS]

Mine didn't drop the pH until I bumped temp to about 90 degrees, then I got a small pellicle overnight and pH was where I wanted it next morning. I have done 3 kettle sours and never got any action until at least day 3

Something is not quite right about that. I've done 3 or 4 myself and with the exception of the one that i have going right now, all of them dropped to a pH of 3.2 by about 38-40 hours post lacto pitch. I use the Omega OYL 605 though. Never used the caps.

 

[bigdawg86]

I use the Omega OYL 605 though. Never used the caps.

I have done a sour with OYL 605 and it was wicked fast. The L-Plantarum caps are a little slow to start but seem to still work well.

 

[Morrey]

Since I was skeptical about the out of date L Plantarum caps, and considering I pitched them w/o a lacto starter, I felt a bit uneasy at the end of 30 hours and the ph was dead on 4.5 where I had started the souring process.

I added a cup of fat free unflavored Greek yogurt to the mix, then wrapped my Fermwrap around the kettle. (FF yogurt since I didn't want any fats to impede head formation) The yogurt container didn't list L Plantarum which is known to cultivate at room temps where mine was souring. I guessed these other Lacto strains may like it warmer...hence the Fermwrap.

Going into day 3, temps in the kettle were 93F and the ph had dropped to 3.99. Don't know if this is the yogurt or the Swanson caps finally kicking in, but I am seeing a souring trend now. I know OYL-605 is a bit expensive, but it is very predictable and takes the guesswork out of kettle souring. Next time its back to OYL-605.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I guess fresh 605 beats any other culture improperly stored for over a year.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I just used bootleg biologys sour weapon L and gotta say, not as happy with it as i am with omegas 605. It was slower than 605 and didn't drop pH as low as 605. Granted, it was 6 months old but i did a starter with it. 605 is definitely my go to for kettle sours

 

[Morrey]

I just used bootleg biologys sour weapon L and gotta say, not as happy with it as i am with omegas 605. It was slower than 605 and didn't drop pH as low as 605. Granted, it was 6 months old but i did a starter with it. 605 is definitely my go to for kettle sours

Yeah, and I tell myself all the time to stick with tried and true methods of which 605 produces known results. It gets me down close to 3.2 so the wort is sour that I like. Other methods may work for others, but I feel I'll stick to the method that works for me the best which seems at this point to be 605. Even tho the caps were out of date, the yogurt addition is not bringing down the ph as low as I hoped.