Lactic Acid

Lactic acid commonly comes in an 88 percent solution.

Add this to your wort or finished beer. Hitting your sour target is straightforward. Start with a measured sample of your wort or a comparable beer.

Add drops of lactic acid and taste the sample until you hit the right level of acidity. Once you know how many drops, you may want to start over with a new sample and double check because each sip changed the volume of your sample.

Once you’ve settled on the number of drops needed, you can scale that up in proportion to your sample size and batch volume. Add the calculated amount of acid solution to the wort or beer, and then stir it in.

If you add the lactic acid before fermentation, be aware that the lower pH may impact yeast health and efficiency, so it’s a good idea to pitch a larger starter.