Berliner Weisse

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Yoghurt culture works well, I have done it a few times - sour overnight.

A couple of tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt?

 

[earle]

I've been doing quite a few kettle sours lately in my urn. My BW picked up first place in the GCABC earlier in the year. I use the Ethical Nutrients IBS Support, about 5-6 capsules per batch, open the capsules of course. No vomit smell to speak of.

Basic method as follows:
Normal mash but with 10ml lactic acid (not for souring but to lower ph and inhibit other bacteria during the souring process)
Bring to boil, hold at boil for a period then chill (aiming to come back to 40C).
Pitch lacto from tablets, lag urn and set to 40C.
Leave for 24-48 hours.
Bring to boil and do hop boil, only low IBU though - whatever for style.
Chill and pitch yeast.
The low ph of the wort makes life harder for yeast. At the least pitch 2 packs instead of one and rehydrate.
Ferment
Keg
Carbonate
Enjoy

 

[indica86]

A couple of tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt?

No, I have the actual culture in the freezer for homemade yoghurt

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

No, I have the actual culture in the freezer for homemade yoghurt

Should see if SWMBO wants to break out the Easy Yo again.

Thanks heaps, I'll have to obtain a culture.

 

[Lionman]

sorry wrong thread

 

[JDW81]

Am going to have a crack at a Berliner this week, and am tossing up whether to kettle sour or sour in the fermenter. Still undecided at this stage. I'm leaning towards a kettle sour with a pure lacto culture, followed by cubing post a good boil to kill the bacteria. My main concern with this is getting my kettle sealed enough to prevent excess oxygen introduction.

Has anyone done both methods and found a noticeable difference in flavour/sourness?

Cheers,

JD

 

[AJ80]

Hey JD,

I've done both before. The difference (to my palate anyway) is that I've found kettle soured beers produce a really clean, but simple lacto sourness. Very refreshing and enjoyable. Quick and the boiling means you don't need dedicated sour gear. I've found long and slow souring (with a mixed culture) produces a more complex sourness which I find more interesting. There are pros and cons to both methods, but both will make enjoyable sours!

The way I try and minimise oxygen when kettle souring is by keeping a CO2 blanket in place (topped up every 24 hours), putting a layer of cling film on the wort, a lid on the kettle and then wrapping the top of the kettle with a towel. Works for me.

Good luck mate.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

One possible method for reducing aerobic bacterial influence when kettle souring is to float a boat filled with SMS and lactic acid on the surface of the wort. This should blanket the surface with SO2 and inhibit the aerobic bacteria.

It's a common trick in the wine indusry when you have to deal with those godawful Italian variable capacity tanks (except we use citric for slower release).

I've never done it in the kettle since the only kettle souring I've done has been on commercial sized brewhouses, but I'll give it a go at home scale on an upcoming Gose brew and report back.

 

[JDW81]

Cheers Fellas,

Will probably go with the kettle sour initially, so I don't have to tie up my gear for as long and put away a few cubes for the warmer months to come.

JD