Lacto Question

Two days ago I brewed a berliner weisse and pitched in a lacto d. starter. Today I planned on pitching the yeast, so I took a gravity reading and tasted the sample. The lacto has been fermenting pretty furiously, so much so that I had to use a blow-off. I expected the lacto beer to be primarily sour, but it tasted pretty nasty, almost gag-inducing . Could someone with lacto experience chime in and let me know if that's normal. I know it hasn't been sitting for long, but based on what I've been reading about b. weisse and lacto, I was not expecting what I tasted at all. Thanks!

I went ahead and pitched the yeast, but the smell is really making me nervous. It has a bit of a sour vomit/old sweat kind of smell. The taste was not too dissimilar. Any help?

That sounds like lacto, alright. Yes, I would expect this beer to be very sour, since you gave the lacto a head start over the yeast. That's okay, though. The actual, true, Berliner Weisse beers I have had the privilege to drink have sent me into involuntary puckers. Many of the homebrewed ones I have had around here are far too mild on the sourness, as the brewers fear they could go to far.

The vomit-inducing stuff is part of the deal, at first. Lactobacillus is not a happy, clean fermenter like many brewer's yeasts are. Think about sour milk -- that's Lactobacillus. It will get better, though.

Let us know how it comes out!


TL

Thanks for the reply, that makes me feel a lot better. I've read a lot of Berliner Weisse posts that complain about a lack of sourness, so I might have over compensated. I used high temps (37c) for the lacto starter. I also pitched at a high temperature and have been keeping it outside. I hear lacto loves it hot and muggy. I let you know how it turns out in about 8 months or so.

Remember: a true Berlinner weiss isn't meant to be drunk straight, but rather with flavored syrups. I've been to Berlin, and I don't think I've ever even heard of a Berliner drinking it straight.