Berliner Weiss - Page 2

NYCBrewGuy · 03-08-2010, 07:37 PM

Planning to bottle mine in early April. Should be cracking the first taste a few weeks after that though I intend to hold off on drinking until June for the most part.

br3wklyn · 03-20-2010, 10:55 PM

I just brewed my first Berliner Weiss last night. Its been about half a day since I pitched the lactobacillus (WPL677, no starter, when the wort hit 75 F) and there's no krausen or other signs of fermentation yet.

How long does it take for lacto to develop a krausen? I was planning on waiting 2 days before pitching in my yeast. Should I wait until the lacto shows activity? Or even pitch in another vial of lacto if it doesn't start up?

Thanks!

NYCBrewGuy · 03-22-2010, 05:48 AM

I had a lacto krausen (probably not the correct term) within 48 hours. I pitched the lacto at around 90F. I pitched yeast after 72 hours, never did get a real krausen after that or much airlock activity. I've got a nice pellicle now and plan to bottle (w/ some fresh yeast) in a couple weeks. I might use some of this beer in the place of a starter for my next berliner or other lacto-sour beer. I figure with the low gravity, low IBU wort, this was effectively a giant starter.

NYCBrewGuy · 03-23-2010, 05:19 PM

Have any berliner weisse brewers reyeasted (or krausened) the beer at bottling? I know krausening is traditional but it seems like a technique more suited to commercial brewing. I was thinking of reyeasting with champagne yeast...

By the time I bottle my BW will have been sitting on WLP001 and Wyeast Lacto for over 2 months (maybe 3 months if I put it off a few more weeks).

nathan · 03-23-2010, 06:01 PM

Does it seem feasible to run this like so:

15.5-16 gallons of finished wort (3 carboys)

9.5# pilsner malt
9.5# Wheat Malt

Mash at 150F until conversion (starch test thoroughly stirred mash, recirculated entire time).

Sparge, boil 15 min
15 min addition of 1.25 oz Hallertauer (4.4%)
Recirculating chill to 140, then run off to carboys at an exit temp of 90F or lower (fast).
oxygenate inline.

Pitch 1 lacto vial per carboy on brewday
on day 2 or 3, pitch 1 packet per carboy of k-97.

finish out a warm fermentation (70F+) until complete, or two weeks, keg, chill, carb...