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america · 06-28-2012, 05:36 PM

Tasted this for the first time since pitching the beer yeast and it's great! Sour, light, and refreshing. If I wanted to make more could I just pour another batch onto this yeast cake (to avoid making another lacto starter)? Or would that be over pitching? Also, it's only been a month since the brew date, is there any real reason to let it wait longer (another month) before bottling if the taste is already there?

Morkin · 06-28-2012, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by america

Tasted this for the first time since pitching the beer yeast and it's great! Sour, light, and refreshing. If I wanted to make more could I just pour another batch onto this yeast cake (to avoid making another lacto starter)? Or would that be over pitching? Also, it's only been a month since the brew date, is there any real reason to let it wait longer (another month) before bottling if the taste is already there?

Bottle it if it tastes good. BUT A WARNING. Put into Champagne bottles for 2 reasons:

1) Even though the yeast is done, Lacto can eat things that yeast cannot, and may produce c02 long after yeast is done.

2) A Berliner Weisse is carbonated at 2.5-3 volumes of carbonation. That will break normal bottles.

Also, I have not re-used this yeast and lacto cake but have been wanting to. If you do, I would assume you would not want to put 100 degree wort on it, as that would give you unpleasent off flavors from the yeast. I'd say you can re-use the yeast, but put 65-70 degree wort on it. This method will take a lot longer to produce the sour flavor though....

america · 06-28-2012, 06:27 PM

Also, do you carb with the same amount of sugar as your normally would with brewers yeast? Or does the lacto need more/less? I've carbed apple wine to close to 4 volumes in normal bottles without any issues, but maybe i'll just keg this one, as no one wants bottle bombs.

Little update 7/2/12: took about a month but a pellicle finally showed up. Tastes great already though, probably going to keg this batch pretty soon.

america · 07-02-2012, 09:19 PM

Ewen · 07-09-2012, 03:29 PM

I've really enjoyed this thread. I wondered if anyone has used whey (drained from yoghurt) or rejuvelac (sprouted wheat, soaked in water for 48hrs) as a starter? Either of these could be a quicker way of getting the lacto culture.

I also wondered if the consistency of the starter grist matters? Mine is quite dilute, and I wondered if this may be retarding the lacto's development. There doesn't seem to be any progress with my starter after 5 days. Its made using pre-crushed grain (all I could get that day), and has been in glass jars with plastic lids in a yoghurt maker at about 120F.

Morkin · 07-10-2012, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ewen

I've really enjoyed this thread. I wondered if anyone has used whey (drained from yoghurt) or rejuvelac (sprouted wheat, soaked in water for 48hrs) as a starter? Either of these could be a quicker way of getting the lacto culture.

I also wondered if the consistency of the starter grist matters? Mine is quite dilute, and I wondered if this may be retarding the lacto's development. There doesn't seem to be any progress with my starter after 5 days. Its made using pre-crushed grain (all I could get that day), and has been in glass jars with plastic lids in a yoghurt maker at about 120F.

Not sure how this would work. I would try it and see!

Ewen · 07-10-2012, 11:24 PM

Fair call on the try it and see method.

I think I may have initially misread the starter method. Can I clarify what temperature the starter is held at to develop the culture? I see it should be started at 130, but is it then allowed to drop to the 80-100 range over the few days it takes to kick off before pitching?

I reckon I may have killed my DIY lacto culture anyhow, by keeping it in the yoghurt maker. I read that prolonged temperatures of 120-130 or higher may eventually pasteurize it.

Just started a batch of rejuvelac as a back up, so we may see whether it works for this after all.

america · 07-11-2012, 04:33 AM

This is one note I wish I wrote down but if I recall right I did 90-110 for the starter and then got the batch up to about 115 after pitching for the first 3 days or so then cooled it down and pitched brewers yeast at like 70-72 on the 4th day.

PoconoParadiso · 07-21-2012, 05:05 PM

After recently being introduced to sours and having an insatiable thirst for Festina Peche and 1809, I want to give this a go next weekend, but have a few questions.

I only have Caramel 20 and crystal 20 grains on hand -can I use either of these for the lacto starter while await the 2 row and wheat to come in? Or will that significantly impact the flavor?

Also can fruit be added to this? I love splitting batches in half and adding fruit to one half in the summer. I was thinking either raspberry or cherries would taste good in a Berliner.

Thanks!!!

america · 07-24-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PoconoParadiso

After recently being introduced to sours and having an insatiable thirst for Festina Peche and 1809, I want to give this a go next weekend, but have a few questions.

I only have Caramel 20 and crystal 20 grains on hand -can I use either of these for the lacto starter while await the 2 row and wheat to come in? Or will that significantly impact the flavor?

Also can fruit be added to this? I love splitting batches in half and adding fruit to one half in the summer. I was thinking either raspberry or cherries would taste good in a Berliner.

Thanks!!!

Im not sure about you crystal malt vs 2-row question but here us a thread about adding fruit that I've been watching as im curious about that as well. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/sour-cherry-sour-apple-berliner-weisse-experiment-336231/ .

Just bottled my batch last night, has anyone had any luck washing and reusing this yeast/bacteria cake? Im sure you'd have to ferment a lot cooler and it would probably take longer to get the sourness. Just wondering if it was worth keeping or not.

Edit: two days after bottling and there was alteady pellicles forming in the bottle. The yeast cake got a much thicker pellicle than the full batch ever got. Washed it and ill use it on a cider this weekend probably.