I'll show you my SCOBY if you show me your pellicle...
Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 3:41 pm
I've been culturing lactobacillus bacteria for the past few months in an attempt to better understand the little critters. Lacto bugs ferment sugars into lactic acid, and give Flanders Red/Brown ales their sour profile (along with brettanomyces and others). I started my experiments with the intention of blending straight lactic beers with straight brett beers so I could control each bug's different fermentation preferences and mix them to taste. I've come up with some interesting results. I can go into more detail at the next meeting if anyone is interested in the funky belgian darkside.
New culture with mother SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)
After one week it has formed a jelly-like pellicle on the surface
Two weeks and a new SCOBY has formed on the surface and begins to detach from the mother culture. The liquid can now be bottled for drinking or blended with beer.
Fuzzy, but you can see where the separate layers have formed.
This is my oldest culture that has taken months to form a pellicle. It's a bizarre blend of Lactobacillus and a yeast called S. Boulardii which is a topic in itself.
My final test will be to taste mixed beers next to a control batch using a smack pack of wyeast's roeselare blend. I'll keep this post updated as the bugs continue to do their thing.
Lee
New culture with mother SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) After one week it has formed a jelly-like pellicle on the surface Two weeks and a new SCOBY has formed on the surface and begins to detach from the mother culture. The liquid can now be bottled for drinking or blended with beer. Fuzzy, but you can see where the separate layers have formed. This is my oldest culture that has taken months to form a pellicle. It's a bizarre blend of Lactobacillus and a yeast called S. Boulardii which is a topic in itself. My final test will be to taste mixed beers next to a control batch using a smack pack of wyeast's roeselare blend. I'll keep this post updated as the bugs continue to do their thing.
Lee
