My 1st BREW Berliner Weisse (EXTRACT)

Hello, Im a Newbie Brewie LOL And 1st time posting here. ANY n ALL Help will be greatfull. I picked out this recipe outa the LHBS book because it was easy and I love weisse beer. Never tasted this Berliner before. Hopefully I'll like it? This is what I did.........

I only brewed Mr. Beer 2 batches before this. No other brewing experince at all.



Berliner Weisse: 5 gal EXTRACT

3.3# Northwesteren Weizen LME

1/3 lbs Northewesteren Bavarian Wheat DME
<NONE USED Out o Stock, was told it wouldn't make much difference?>

2/3 lbs Light DME <Used the whole 1 lb not 2/3's>

1 oz Hersbrucker Pellets - 45 Minutes

1 oz Pumpkin Pie Spice - 5 Minutes

1 tsp Wyeast Yeast Beer Nutrient <added dry in carboy before adding yeast>

Wyeast 2565 - KOLSCH activator

1.5 oz of 88% Lactic Acid < will add at bottom of keg before racking into keg>

45 Minute Boil

OG: 1.035
TG: 1.011
IBU: 6
Fermentation: 3 weeks

Cleaned and santized everything before started . even the boil pots

Sooo, Pre boiled tap water for TOP OFF and CHILL water.
Put 1 1/2 gal in freezer another gal in fridge for different temps.

Start 3 gals tap water on top of smooth top ele. range with lid on pot .....MAN it takes friggin FOREVER to get that to boil. Have to do smaller batches and add to make 3 gallons next time. I hope that will be quicker? ANY TIPS ON THAT?

Right before boil I added the LME and the DME and boiled for 40 minutes and added the Pumpkin Pie spice in the last 5 mintues of the 45 minute boil.

Had an ICE bath waiting in the sink for the pot. Man that ice melted fast, Should I have topped off to 5 gals of the chilled water before Ice bath?
Anyway topped off to 5 gals and got temp down to 75.

Fermentation Temp is 70 as per instructions given to me.

Took OG reading, I took it right in the pot, Im pretty sure it was at 1.035, or very close to it.

Siphoned to 6 gal glass primary carboy, left the hose dangle at the top to splash and make good aeration for wort.
NOTE to SELF: Make sure hose stays in carboy next time! had a LiL spill .

Stired the wort very much to make a good head on the wort with my long handled plastic Brew Spoon.

Added 1 tsp of Beer Yeast Nutrient dry? <The info on the wyeast container says to dissolve in warm waterand add to boil 10 minutes before end?> Should I have followed that?

Stirred and added Wyeast 2565 KOLSCH and stirred like crazy to add air.

I did the smack pac thing and placed it on my stove where it was nice n warm around 3 hours before I started and it did swell up. NOT really, really hard, but firm? Hoping thats ok?

Thats when I got upset.....The date on the pack was MFG 07 SEP 10, and I brewed it on 04/20/11. Well, all I could do is hope for the best.

I have a FERMOMETER on carboy and it was 72 when I pitched the yeast.
24 hours it was 70, 48 hours later it was 68 And nothing appeared to be happening. No airlock bubbles, nothing, then the 3rd morning between 48 n 54 hours later.....WOW, pancake started and the yeast were a swiming, churning that carboy. The carboy was burping like every 10 seconds. Its now almost 5 days and pancake has tripled in thickness, still bubbling every 10 secs, but the swimmers dont look as active. I still see movement, but not as much as the 2 days before. NORMAL? or not. Its still at 70. I should let it stay in the primary for 14 days, Then into a secondary for another 7 days. Thats what I was told. Can I rack it into one of my kegs for the secondary? If so what would I have to do to the cornny keg ? I have a 5 gal water bottle that we have spring water delivered to us, Can I, Should I use that as opposed to the keg? I have 4 kegs to use.

Do ya think everything is ok sooo far? What can I add (IF ANYTHING) for an alcohol boost? HONEY? Or just leave it alone?

Thanks for any help ! :rockin:

i did not read your whole post, but if you change the number of gallons in the boil, or don't establish a good "rolling" boil, your hops bitterness levels (IBU's) will be lower than what the recipe intended. your beer may be sweeter than normal.

Thank You for you info. This is the info I need. BTW, I didnt change the amount of gallons. Info said to boil 3 gals . I did, and it did a rolling boil for the 45 minutes too, then toped it off till I reached the 5 gal amount.

If you have not had Berliner Weisse before, be forewarned that it is very sour! You did not add any wheat malt, so technically it won't be weisse, but you made beer. If you add all the 1.5 oz (9 teaspoons) of lactic acid, that will sour it up pretty well.

I recommend grabbing a hydrometer sample and measuring SG of the beer. This will give you a chance to taste the sample and see if additions are warranted/appropriate. I also recommend leaving this another week or two on the cake so the yeast can clean up. You can skip the secondary, unless you decide to add some more fermentables.

Before you add all that lactic acid, try a small amount in a sample. It is very sour and somewhat one dimensional, in my opinion. But it makes a tart and refreshing beer for warmer weather, which you will have at 3.1% ABV, if you don't add anything.

Thank you cervezarara .

Now I have some kind of idea as to what it tastes like.

Today is a week, action has slowed down alot, and very little burping. I still see stuff moving around in there. Shall I take a SG reading now? and taste? Or should I wait a few? If I do a secondary, what can I add for a LiL BOOST in the ABV And/or taste?

OK ,at 9 days I took a gravity reading and it's right where it should be 1.011.

I took a taste, and to my suprize.....pretty damm tasty . Pancake dropped down too, airlock has not to much action. 1 burp like every 2 minutes or so.

Sooooo , if I rack it to a secondary, will it clear up faster?

And Should/Could I add anything to it fron the next week n a half or so?

wait until the hydrometer stops moving before you rack to secondary. you can skip secondary unless you're dry hopping the beer, or adding fruit.

I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but, the title describes my situation exactly. Brand new at this, my fourth batch is an extract BW, 45 minute steep with cara-pils, acid malt, flaked wheat. Twenty minute boil of 50/50 wheat/pilsner extracts in 5 gallons, 15 mins Hallertauer hops, 10 mins yeast nutrient. Chilled to 85 deg F, temp corrected SG 1.045. Pitched Wyeast L. Delbruckii and air locked. Based on other suggestions in these forums I was going to pitch White Labs European ale yeast 48 hours after lacto. I expected a pellicle and some minor CO2 production.
However, less than 24 hours later my wort has a foamy uniformly ivory-colored pellicle 2 cm thick and the airlock is bubbling continuously. The odor is slightly sour and pleasant. There is no yeasty odor, nor is there the "churning" in the wort I've seen with yeast fermentation. Everything was clean and sanitized before I started.
Two questions: Is this normal for commercial lacto cultures? Should I pitch the yeast earlier?
I tried to upload a photo of the carboy, but was unable to.

Regards,
Robert.

Dogphish said:

i did not read your whole post, but if you change the number of gallons in the boil, or don't establish a good "rolling" boil, your hops bitterness levels (IBU's) will be lower than what the recipe intended. your beer may be sweeter than normal.

Click to expand...

Boil isn't even necessary for a berliner weisse. No worries here.

cervezarara said:

If you have not had Berliner Weisse before, be forewarned that it is very sour! You did not add any wheat malt, so technically it won't be weisse, but you made beer. If you add all the 1.5 oz (9 teaspoons) of lactic acid, that will sour it up pretty well.

I recommend grabbing a hydrometer sample and measuring SG of the beer. This will give you a chance to taste the sample and see if additions are warranted/appropriate. I also recommend leaving this another week or two on the cake so the yeast can clean up. You can skip the secondary, unless you decide to add some more fermentables.

Before you add all that lactic acid, try a small amount in a sample. It is very sour and somewhat one dimensional, in my opinion. But it makes a tart and refreshing beer for warmer weather, which you will have at 3.1% ABV, if you don't add anything.

Click to expand...

He added wheat with the wheat DME. This DME is typically 60% wheat extract, I believe.

Shouldn't be sour at all before the lactic acid. He did not do a sour mash or add bacteria.

Esmitee said:

Do ya think everything is ok sooo far? What can I add (IF ANYTHING) for an alcohol boost? HONEY? Or just leave it alone?

Thanks for any help ! :rockin:

Click to expand...

Leave it alone. Definitely don't add honey. BW are not high-ABV beers.

3.3 lbs weizen lme (wheat).

IBU is a little light for a weizen. Nit sure why the pumpkin pie spice. A berliner weizen would follow german purity laws. Spice would not be added.

No need to buy the yeast nutrient, it is already in the smack pack along with the activator.

Update to my previous post: Later this AM I noticed some slight churning in the wort and a slight yeasty odor. I wonder if it's contamination from a wild yeast. Decided to pitch European ale yeast at 20 hours instead of 48.

Robert.