Not quite sour Berliner Weisse

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gxm

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After 4 weeks in the primary, my Berliner Weisse is light, refreshing, wheaty, just a little tart, and not really sour at all. I'd like it more sour.
Should I
1 - leave it in the primary longer
2 - Add lactic acid
3 - ?

I brewed JZ's BCS recipe.

2.6# Wheat
2.6# Pils
.25 oz Hallertau 7% 15 min

15 minute boil.
Pitched 5g US-05 and a packet of Wyeast 5335 at the same time.
It's been at 68F all 4 weeks.
 
it will need a lot longer. I brewed that recipe at the begining of Nov last year and when I checked it last, begining of Jan, it was not all too sour. I even pitched the bugs 3 days before the yeast.

Give it some time. It should be ready to drink for you by summer.
 
Wait. Lactobacillus work slowly: 4 weeks isn't long enough for it to get really sour. Come back in a couple of months and it'll have a much stronger tang.
 
Thanks Reverend JC, I didn't realize it took that long, and sumer is good timing.
Are you keeping yours in the primary all that time?
 
I'd rack it over to secondary and let it go! It will take months and months to get good and sour.

When you make it next, try 1338 and 5335 together.
 
Yeah, wait to bottle until it sours to your liking.

Another option is to raise the temp, ideal growth for lacto is like 98F!

The lacto will stay alive until your beer ph drops to 3.8. if still not sour enough, you can try adding brett (will stay alive until 3.4).
 
I took my off of the primary after about 6 weeks. Tossed it into a keg, but did not carbonate. I will let it sit in there until it is good and sour.
 
Just though of something the other day for making sour beers. Do you guys sanitize the carboys before racking to them? It sounds like a dumb question, Of course you sanitize to prevent infection, but you don't want to kill the infection you're introducing o purpose. This confuses me greatly.
 
Sanitizing kills whatever bugs are in the carboy at the time when you sanitize it. This won't have any effect on other bugs that are added later.

Most people do sanitize when doing sour brews, to make sure they only get the specific type of bug they added, as opposed to whatever random stuff might be floating around that could have unpredictable flavor impact.

Some (most famously Belgian lambic brewers) choose to embrace the randomness. Getting good and consistent results that way requires a mix of technical skill, art, and luck - it's not easy but the results can be amazing!
 
Do you guys sanitize the carboys before racking to them? It sounds like a dumb question, Of course you sanitize to prevent infection, but you don't want to kill the infection you're introducing o purpose. This confuses me greatly.

The same sanitizing procedures apply.
 
Just though of something the other day for making sour beers. Do you guys sanitize the carboys before racking to them? It sounds like a dumb question, Of course you sanitize to prevent infection, but you don't want to kill the infection you're introducing o purpose. This confuses me greatly.

Adding saccharomyces is "infecting" as well, I would argue.
 
I know it's been 5 years since this post was active but I'm wondering if you happen to remember if your beer ever got sour ?
 
lol... bringing this thread back from the dead.

I finally gave up on yeast and went to a total lacto method. I was finally happy with the level of sour doing it this way. It made a great strawberry Berliner.

It's been a while but here's what I remember....
I know I used white labs and pretty sure it was Lacto Brevis.
I made a starter with the lacto and kept it at like 95 for several days.
Brewed the beer as normal and pitched the lacto.
I also held the fermentation at a crazy high temp (again like 95).

As I recall, it didn't take long since it was such a small beer.
It was nice and tart within a couple of weeks.
Adding the Strawberries added a touch more tartness.
 
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