Liberty Peach Berliner Weisse (Sour Mash)

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CadillacAndy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2011
Messages
977
Reaction score
100
Location
Pittsburgh
Recipe Type
All Grain
Yeast
US-05
Yeast Starter
Preffered.
Batch Size (Gallons)
5
Original Gravity
1.054
Final Gravity
1.010
Boiling Time (Minutes)
40
IBU
3.1
Color
3.8SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
12
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
7
Tasting Notes
Excellent balance of peach sweetness and Berliner-style tartness
Liberty Peach Berliner Weisse

5 gallon batch size
40 minute boil time

5 lbs Pale Malt
4 lbs White Wheat Malt
0.20 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - First Wort 40.0 min Hop (3.1 IBUs)
6 lbs Fruit - Peach (secondary)
25ml Peach extract (secondary or directly to keg)
1 packet US-05

Orignal gravity - 1.054
Final gravity - 1.010
5.5% ABV

Mash Process

I use a 5 gallon round cooler as my mash tun when doing a sour mash. I've found that it's able to stay above 90F for 3+ days even in a 70F room in the basement.
Doughed in with 12 quarts h20 @ 152F
Move tun to location where temp is relatively consistent
Allow to cool to about 110-120F and toss in a handful of unmilled grain - or, for better consistency, use pre-cultured lactobacillus from White Labs.
Cover top of mash with saran wrap - saran wrap should be in direct contact with the mash. Try to lightly push out air bubbles. Purge with co2 if available. I also cover the very top of my mash tun with saran wrap to keep the smell down.
If available, test mash every 12 hours with a pH meter. After 3 days my mash was around 3.5, so I decided it was ready to go.
Drain tun and sparge as normal to collect full boil volume. Please note that this will most likely smell like vomit and death. This is normal.
Boil for 30-40 mins to help drive off this smell.
I also added .2oz of Hersbrucker at the beginning of the 40 min boil for an approx IBUs of 3.1.

Fermentation Process
I used a slurry from a previous batch that used US-05. I'd probably pitch 2 packets or make a starter if I was doing it from scratch since the pH is pretty low.
I ferment US-05 at 62F for 3 days, then 3 days at 65F and then let it free rise to 70F for the next 4-8 days - until I get to my final gravity.
At this point I dumped my 6 pounds of peaches in to a secondary carboy and racked on to it. I used fresh peaches that I cored and froze with the skins on. I used 3lbs of yellow peaches and 3lbs of white peaches, but all yellow is fine.
I let this sit at 65F for another week or so, then cold crash it down to 33F and add gelatin to drop the fruit and yeast.
Since I keg, at this point I racked to the keg and force carbed to about 2.8 volumes.
 
From the sour mash. It creates lactic acid prior to boiling, then the boil kills it. After that its basically a clean beer - albeit quite acidic.
 
Gotcha. So the sour mash is just creating a controlled level of acidity, and then it's fermented with a clean yeast.
 
bottlebomber said:
Gotcha. So the sour mash is just creating a controlled level of acidity, and then it's fermented with a clean yeast.

Exactly. The flavor isn't quite as complex as it would be by adding lacto in to the fermenter, but it's much more controlled. Plus you can use your regular equipment and not worry about contaminating it with lacto.

I haven't tried it with other fruit yet. I have a freezer full of strawberries, cherries, currants, plums, goji berries, etc. The peach has been too good to me to switch it up.

I'd ultimately like to get away from the peach extract, but since peach is such a light flavor, it's really tricky to get the aroma without the extract.
 
I'm making a version of this using some oak and bourbon. I bought myself a bottle of "research" Makers Mark awhile ago for some bourbon barrel stout and got in to it the other night while trying to kick a keg of this. The flavors really, really play nicely together. Hopefully the oak will contribute some vanilla flavors. I'll post the outcome in a few weeks.
 
How did sparging affect the sourness from the mash? Would over mashing the water and sparging lighter save sourness?
 
My guess would be that there is only a certain amount of sugar for the lacto to munch on, regardless of if you increased mash ratio and decreased sparge volume. I have no proof to back that up, but it seems that in order to get more sour from it you'd need to:

A.) Increase the time the wort was souring for.
or
B.) Increase the amount of active bacteria you were pitching.

Any other comments are more than welcome. Just going off of my thoughts and experience.
 
I just completed a brew heavily inspired by this recipe. The primary differences are: Lower OG, used WY1007, and pitched White Labs Lacto Strain into the Mash Tun instead of the grain.

The process so far for me:
  • Mashed in on Monday Night for a rest of 152 F
  • Tuesday morning took a temperature reading, it was 128 F, so I pitched the Lacto
  • Used plastic wrap near mash and on top of mash tun to contain the smell. Wrapped the mash tun in additional blankets.
  • Took a temperature reading on Tuesday night, still in the 90s, added 0.5 gallons of boiling water
  • Added another 0.5 gallons of boiling water on Wednesday. Also, tasted the mash. Nicely sour.
  • On Thursday, took a PH reading of 3.6. Just for information.
  • On Thursday, Drained and Sparged, FWH, boiled for 30 minutes, chilled, oxygenated, pitched a large 2L started of yeast and put in fermentation chamber at 64 F. The wort had a good tart flavor. I have high hopes for this one.
  • On Friday morning, checked and the airlock was bubbling 8 hours after pitching the yeast.
 
kirkenka said:
I just completed a brew heavily inspired by this recipe. The primary differences are: Lower OG, used WY1007, and pitched White Labs Lacto Strain into the Mash Tun instead of the grain.

The process so far for me:

[*]Mashed in on Monday Night for a rest of 152 F
[*]Tuesday morning took a temperature reading, it was 128 F, so I pitched the Lacto
[*]Used plastic wrap near mash and on top of mash tun to contain the smell. Wrapped the mash tun in additional blankets.
[*]Took a temperature reading on Tuesday night, still in the 90s, added 0.5 gallons of boiling water
[*]Added another 0.5 gallons of boiling water on Wednesday. Also, tasted the mash. Nicely sour.
[*]On Thursday, took a PH reading of 3.6. Just for information.
[*]On Thursday, Drained and Sparged, FWH, boiled for 30 minutes, chilled, oxygenated, pitched a large 2L started of yeast and put in fermentation chamber at 64 F. The wort had a good tart flavor. I have high hopes for this one.
[*]On Friday morning, checked and the airlock was bubbling 8 hours after pitching the yeast.

That all sounds great to me! I can't wait to hear how it turns out for you.
 
I transferred onto to 5 lbs of peaches today. Will probably let it go a week or so on the peaches, then keg and carb. The beer was nicely tart when I tried the hydrometer sample.
 
I'm excited to hear how this turns out for you. Maybe we can arrange a beer trade. I've got a nice bourbon vanilla Porter (2x gold medsl winner) and I'd be willing to mail you a bottle In exchange for a bottle of your peach Berliner weisse
 
I'm excited to hear how this turns out for you. Maybe we can arrange a beer trade. I've got a nice bourbon vanilla Porter (2x gold medsl winner) and I'd be willing to mail you a bottle In exchange for a bottle of your peach Berliner weisse

Let me make sure it turns out well and then we can work out the details of the trade. I plan on kegging this weekend and force carbonating it. It should be ready by Labor Day. I will let you know and bottle some up for you if it is good.
 
I sent this off to a competition. Here is a summary of the results:

Judge 1 - BJCP Apprentice Judge - 33
Aroma - 8/12 - Light Sourness with a Slight Peachy Ester
Appearance - 3/3 - Straw Yellow, Dense off white head quickly fades to ring around glass
Flavor - 11/20 - Moderately Sour (Lacitc). Ester is very light Peachy
Mouthfeel - 5/5 - Light Body, Moderate Carbonation
Overall Impression - 6/10 - Could use more pronounced peach flavor to enhance complexity


Judge 2 - Pro Brewer - 38
Aroma - 10/12 - Very Slight Peach Nose
Appearance - 2/3 - Lite Straw color, slightly hazy, good lace
Flavor - 14/20 - Nice and Tart. Acidic leads to lite peach.
Mouthfeel - 4/5 - Lite and Refreshing, carbonation is to style
Overall Impression - 6/10 - Nice Refreshing beer, could use a tad more peach
 
I sent this off to a competition. Here is a summary of the results:

Judge 1 - BJCP Apprentice Judge - 33
Aroma - 8/12 - Light Sourness with a Slight Peachy Ester
Appearance - 3/3 - Straw Yellow, Dense off white head quickly fades to ring around glass
Flavor - 11/20 - Moderately Sour (Lacitc). Ester is very light Peachy
Mouthfeel - 5/5 - Light Body, Moderate Carbonation
Overall Impression - 6/10 - Could use more pronounced peach flavor to enhance complexity


Judge 2 - Pro Brewer - 38
Aroma - 10/12 - Very Slight Peach Nose
Appearance - 2/3 - Lite Straw color, slightly hazy, good lace
Flavor - 14/20 - Nice and Tart. Acidic leads to lite peach.
Mouthfeel - 4/5 - Lite and Refreshing, carbonation is to style
Overall Impression - 6/10 - Nice Refreshing beer, could use a tad more peach

That's great! Which competition was this? I see you're in Cincinnati - was it Oktobersbest? If so, I entered the same beer and got 3rd in the Fruit Beer category with a 40.

Which category did you enter it in and what was your description that you gave (if applicable)?

I've been adding drops of peach extract directly to the bottle when I'm sending out for competition. 24 drops per 12oz is what I've been doing. This will probably increase a little bit as the beer ages and the natural peach flavor drops. I personally prefer to drink it with just the natural, light peach flavor, but without the extract to dial up the peach nose, it's just not enough to get the points.

Thanks for posting this! I'll post my scoresheets when I get them and we can compare comments. Cheers!
 
That's great! Which competition was this? I see you're in Cincinnati - was it Oktobersbest? If so, I entered the same beer and got 3rd in the Fruit Beer category with a 40.

Which category did you enter it in and what was your description that you gave (if applicable)?

I've been adding drops of peach extract directly to the bottle when I'm sending out for competition. 24 drops per 12oz is what I've been doing. This will probably increase a little bit as the beer ages and the natural peach flavor drops. I personally prefer to drink it with just the natural, light peach flavor, but without the extract to dial up the peach nose, it's just not enough to get the points.

Thanks for posting this! I'll post my scoresheets when I get them and we can compare comments. Cheers!

Yes, it was Oktobersbest. I did enter it in the Fruit Beer Category. My description was "Berliner Weisse with Peaches in the Seconday". I did add about 2 oz of the Peach Extract to the keg for a little more peach flavor. I should have left in the secondary longer but really wanted it to be ready to drink more in the summer. I am bottling for another competition tonight and was planning on adding some peach extract to the bottle based on the feedback from the competition. I am glad to see you had good luck with that method. I am like you, I prefer the light peach flavor and really enjoy the beer as is. Looking forward to seeing the comments from your sheets as well as knowing the score of the beer that beat mine.
 
Yes, it was Oktobersbest. I did enter it in the Fruit Beer Category. My description was "Berliner Weisse with Peaches in the Seconday". I did add about 2 oz of the Peach Extract to the keg for a little more peach flavor. I should have left in the secondary longer but really wanted it to be ready to drink more in the summer. I am bottling for another competition tonight and was planning on adding some peach extract to the bottle based on the feedback from the competition. I am glad to see you had good luck with that method. I am like you, I prefer the light peach flavor and really enjoy the beer as is. Looking forward to seeing the comments from your sheets as well as knowing the score of the beer that beat mine.

I'm still waiting for the scoresheets. They said they were going to email them and I haven't seen anything yet. I'll share them as soon as I get them.

On a side note, how did you sour your mash? Did you use grain or a culture of lacto?
 
I'm still waiting for the scoresheets. They said they were going to email them and I haven't seen anything yet. I'll share them as soon as I get them.

On a side note, how did you sour your mash? Did you use grain or a culture of lacto?

They dropped my scoresheets off on Saturday at the Local Homebrew Shop that our club holds meetings. Hopefully you will get yours soon.

I soured by pitching a vial of White Labs Lacto. I detailed my process in a post earlier in this thread.
 
That's great! Which competition was this? I see you're in Cincinnati - was it Oktobersbest? If so, I entered the same beer and got 3rd in the Fruit Beer category with a 40.

Which category did you enter it in and what was your description that you gave (if applicable)?

I've been adding drops of peach extract directly to the bottle when I'm sending out for competition. 24 drops per 12oz is what I've been doing. This will probably increase a little bit as the beer ages and the natural peach flavor drops. I personally prefer to drink it with just the natural, light peach flavor, but without the extract to dial up the peach nose, it's just not enough to get the points.

Thanks for posting this! I'll post my scoresheets when I get them and we can compare comments. Cheers!

I added some Peach Extract directly to the bottle for Beer for Boobs competition. I scored a 43 and won the Fruit Beer Category with the entry.
 
kirkenka said:
I added some Peach Extract directly to the bottle for Beer for Boobs competition. I scored a 43 and won the Fruit Beer Category with the entry.

That's awesome. 43 is really impressive. I sent 4 beers in for that competition but didn't send this beer. Congrats!
 
Trying this one again. Exact recipe but plan on keeping on the peaches two weeks instead of one. For some reason, undershot my gravity by alot this year. Wort still tasted nice and sour, will transfer to secondary this weekend for two weeks on the peaches.
 
Do I just aerate as normal after the sour mash and boil before pitching the yeast?


I did a shorter than normal boil. Just enough to blow off some of the less desirable aromas. Usually about 30 minutes. I oxygenate as normal as well before pitching the sacch.
 
I have a similar sour mashed berliner weisse I wanted to add some fruit to. I am thinking of adding peach tonight. I'm going to go with about 3 pounds as it is a 3 gallon batch (6 gallons split into 2 fermenters, only fruiting half). I see your recipe calls for coring them and freezing them. What does freezing the fruit add? Is there anything else that is done to prevent any bugs from getting in the beer, or is that not of concern?
 
I have a similar sour mashed berliner weisse I wanted to add some fruit to. I am thinking of adding peach tonight. I'm going to go with about 3 pounds as it is a 3 gallon batch (6 gallons split into 2 fermenters, only fruiting half). I see your recipe calls for coring them and freezing them. What does freezing the fruit add? Is there anything else that is done to prevent any bugs from getting in the beer, or is that not of concern?


When freezing the ice crystal will puncture the cell walls and make the sugar and flavors more accessible. It doesn't really do much for sanitizing them. The alcohol and acidity in the beer will handle that usually.

Let me know if you have more questions. Can't wait to hear how it turns out. Cheers!
 
I think I will try this out.
I can only get a hold of canned peaches, will they work?
Great recipe, Thanks
 
Question, is the OG on your recipe not way to high for style if entering a bjcp comp?
How did you score so well?, I mean WELL DONE, that's great, but we are encouraged to follow strict guidelines when entering these comps ?
 
Question, is the OG on your recipe not way to high for style if entering a bjcp comp?
How did you score so well?, I mean WELL DONE, that's great, but we are encouraged to follow strict guidelines when entering these comps ?


It is technically out of style but judges don't know the starting gravity or finishing gravity. It's judged based on how it tastes. They're guidelines not strict rules.

I also enter in the the fruit beer category and the fruit adds a decent amount of additional sugar. I have on occasion heard comments that it tastes too big to be a real Berliner Weisse but even one of the commercial examples in the guidelines is 5% abv - Weihenstephan 1809.

Hopefully that makes sense. Cheers!
 
Thanks for the reply,
I just made this recipe and am super excited. I did make mine to style guidelines however and it's still in primary.
I am looking to add frozen peaches.
Thanks again.
Dan.
 
Thanks for the reply,
I just made this recipe and am super excited. I did make mine to style guidelines however and it's still in primary.
I am looking to add frozen peaches.
Thanks again.
Dan.


Awesome! Let me know how it turns out. Was the sour mash clean? Have you tasted it yet?
 
Yeah sour mash was super clean and with no "vomit and death" smell.
I had flushed the tun with plenty of C02, I was also surprised how sour it got too, never having done a sour mash before.
 
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