Berliner Weisse

[TheWiggman]

I decided to take a sample yesterday. Interesting stuff. Has a bretty smell about it, very light and mildly acidic. Flavour-wise the acidity is unmistakable and DRY, minimal aftertaste (if any) and reminds me of lemonade. It's still bubbling about once every 3 mins so there's a tiny bit of action going on, but should be safe to bottle when I can be stuffed. 1.002, looks like this one worked

 

[Rambo]

So I have some Berliner Weisse yeast blend on the way shortly (WLP630) and have a couple of questions before I take the plunge.

Will I need to buy myself a glass demijohn (or the PET ones some home brew stores sell) or could I ferment in a normal fermentor or cube? Will be left for about 3 months so I'm a little worried about oxygen getting in.

During this 3 months or so, is the beer left on the yeast? or moved to a secondary vessel? Could I ferment for a few weeks as normal, then transfer to a keg to finish doing its thing?

Cheers.

 

[yurgy]

just make sure your airlock is topped up. .i left mine on the cake for six months and was awesome but it had brett to clean it up. keg would be good for secondary. with the warmer weather probably wont take 3 months.

 

[Rambo]

Maybe fermentor then keg it is then... If I like the results I might invest in the demijohn. Cheers

 

[Motabika]

You guys kegging your lactos ?

 

[Motabika]

You guys kegging your lactos ?

 

[TheWiggman]

So I have some Berliner Weisse yeast blend on the way shortly (WLP630) and have a couple of questions before I take the plunge.

Will I need to buy myself a glass demijohn (or the PET ones some home brew stores sell) or could I ferment in a normal fermentor or cube? Will be left for about 3 months so I'm a little worried about oxygen getting in.

During this 3 months or so, is the beer left on the yeast? or moved to a secondary vessel? Could I ferment for a few weeks as normal, then transfer to a keg to finish doing its thing?

Cheers.

This is one of those topics that divides. HDPE is permeable and will allow very low levels of oxygen to pass through. A week or two of fermenting, zero measurable issue. A few months however can begin to have a negative effect that will at best lead to storage issues (won't last a long time in the bottle before becoming oxidised) and at worst spoil the beer. 3 months is pushing it but no doubt there are people who have made decent beers over that time. Personally, that's too long for me.
My understanding of aged sours is they're best left on the yeast cake. If using the 3191 blend it includes sacc, brett and lacto which don't require the beer to be racked. If ageing with bacteria added separately my reading is that it is common to rack to a secondary when adding the culture/s. Also remember that the lacto or brett loves to hang around and can funk up beers without warning if you're not careful. Either use a dedicated fermenter or use glass or stainless.

Motabika, I'm pretty keen to keep the cultures away from my brewery so am bottling. I don't want to commit a keg to sours just yet.

 

[Rambo]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I'm really enjoying sours at the moment so keen to give them a go, just seems like there are so many different methods to get my head around. I think I'll just have to jump in and see how I go.

 

[JDW81]

This is one of those topics that divides. HDPE is permeable and will allow very low levels of oxygen to pass through. A week or two of fermenting, zero measurable issue. A few months however can begin to have a negative effect that will at best lead to storage issues (won't last a long time in the bottle before becoming oxidised) and at worst spoil the beer. 3 months is pushing it but no doubt there are people who have made decent beers over that time. Personally, that's too long for me.

This will be your issue if you use your plastic fermenter, however the better bottles (plastic carboy) let in bugger all O2 if you get a good seal on the opening. Having listened to all the sour hour podcasts, it seem that the better bottle is the recommendation for home brewers making sour/wild ales.

JD

 

[Motabika]

From what I've read you only need to commit the serving line to Sours and the rest just give good clean.

Just kegged a 12 month old golden with cherry guavas

 

[TheWiggman]

Here it is, the in-glass results of my Berlinner Weisse -

I took it to the swap a few weeks ago for some critical review to see if it lined up with my thoughts. It's dry and light, not really anything overwhelming but has unmistakable barnyard character on the nose and in the aftertaste. Not overtly acidic and mildly sour, but I'd assert pleasantly so. Feedback I got was that it wasn't very sour but very pale, light and perfect after a day out in the sun. Others have done sour mashes to get the sour level up there but my version was entirely driven by the 3191-PC blend. A decent beer for something different.

 

[bevan]

I've just put a Berliner Weisse into a fermenter with wyeast 3191 PC. Its the start of aging sours for me.

I'm wondering whether to put some fruit puree (raspberry or a stone fruit or something else) once its been going for a while for added flovour or just leave it to the yeast blend?

Have set a freezer up with temp control and have room for another sour/funky beer. Going to do a Saison 3711 in the primary and then 5526 Brett Lambicus in the secondary to age.

 

[paulyman]

I'm wondering whether to put some fruit puree (raspberry or a stone fruit or something else) once its been going for a while for added flovour or just leave it to the yeast blend?.

I'd leave it as is. Traditionally fruit syrup was added to the glass. If you want to experiment, maybe try adding a small amount of different syrups or purees to the glass and see which you really like. Take note of the amount you add to the glass so you can scale up. Then try that next batch.

 

[bevan]

I'd leave it as is. Traditionally fruit syrup was added to the glass. If you want to experiment, maybe try adding a small amount of different syrups or purees to the glass and see which you really like. Take note of the amount you add to the glass so you can scale up. Then try that next batch.

Thanks for the reply
Will do that, looking forward to seeing what the yeast blend itself does for flavour. Just a long time between batches! Unless I get another fridge with temp control. SWMBO already thinks I have too many!

 

[bevan]

This is two days into it, there seems to be a lot of yeast in the blow off container, do I try and get this back in or just leave it?

 

[TheWiggman]

Agree with that advice. It's much easier to add something than take it away.

 

[MickGC]

ImageUploadedByAussie Home Brewer1482053679.164497.jpg
This is two days into it, there seems to be a lot of yeast in the blow off container, do I try and get this back in or just leave it?

I would def not try to get it back in, who knows what else is now breeding in that stuff!

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Another necro thread.

After sucking at my first attempt in a 2 or 3 day sour with a handful of grain method, I kinda want to have another crack.

For several reasons, including:

1. I like Brett beers now, whereas I'd never tried them 3 years ago. That got me on the slippery slope of sours.
2. SWMBO in a "so suddenly I'm in love with a stranger" moment, loved my Saison
3. Said Saison was brewed with a long mash and overnight left in the keg to cool down and sour just a teensy bit.
4. I have more malted wheat than I will usually use.

Last attempt had the vomit smell in every glass and was really protein-y, even for a wheat beer. It tasted okay, but not what I've since tasted in a good BW, or even a lichtenheiner.

I'm torn between 3191, or (in the tinkering moments) the grain in the kettle method (and lactic acid). Or just leave it for a day in the urn.

How do you get rid of vomit smells in the finished product?

 

[bevan]

I used 3191 and left it for 6 1/2 months. I added 500g(needs more) of passion fruit pulp at 5 months in. It taste pretty damm good! I'll definitely be doing another with 3191. Though it's definitely a long time to wait for it to do its thing! I wouldn't mind trying a quick sour though, I've been thinking of using the Ethical Nutrients Inner Health tablets to get it sour.
As for the vomit smell have a read of this
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Butyric_Acid
Cheers
Bevan

 

[indica86]

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