Don't wade through that, here you go:
Let me post my recipe in this thread.
I'll be making 15 gallons of it soon. I'm growing some lacto at 98F as we speak!
The comments at the bottom are Mashweasel's.
The IBUs are wrong due to no-boil but they should be in the 5IBU range...
8@tch #27 - Berliner Weissbier - 2nd try
Berliner Weiss
Type: All Grain
Date: 1/15/2008
Batch Size: 15.00 gal
Brewer: Andreas Georgiades
Boil Size: 15.88 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 0 min Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7 lbs 12.0 oz Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 50.00 %
7 lbs 12.0 oz Wheat Unmalted (3.0 SRM) Grain 50.00 %
1.50 oz Magnum [14.00 %] (0 min) (Mash Hop) Hops -
1 Pkgs German Ale II (White Labs #WLP003) Yeast-Ale
3 Pkgs Lactobacillus Delbrueckii (Wyeast Labs #4335) [Add to Secondary] Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.028 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.030 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.006 SG Measured Final Gravity: 0.997 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 2.78 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.29 %
Bitterness: 0.0 IBU Calories: 123 cal/pint
Est Color: 2.9 SRM Color: Color
Mash Profile
Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Single Total Grain Weight: 15.50 lb
Sparge Water: 10.24 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Decoction Mash, Single Step Time Name Description Step Temp
35 min Protein Rest Add 31.00 qt of water at 127.5 F 122.0 F
45 min Saccharification Decoct 13.37 qt of mash and boil it 155.0 F
10 min Mash Out Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min 168.0 F
Mash Notes: Used in some authentic German styles. Attempt to draw decoction from the thickest portion of the mash. Profiles vary. Some traditional German mashes use a long acid rest at 40 deg C. Also some sources recommend the decoction amount be given a 15 minute saccharification rest at 158 F (70 C) before boiling it.
Carbonation and Storage
Carbonation Type: Corn Sugar Volumes of CO2: 4.0
Pressure/Weight: 25.9 oz Carbonation Used: -
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 75.0 F Age for: 28.0 days
Storage Temperature: 52.0 F
Notes
The souring of the beer comes from the lactobacillus found on the grain when it ferments, NOT before fermentation. As I said before. A simple grist of 50% wheat and 50% pils is the way to go. Something like 10 IBUs of any german hop will be fine of which they will be mash hopped. A single decoction is a must b/c this beer is not boiled. A sour mash will not accomplish the level of sourness, carbonation and dryness for which this style is known. Pitch both ale yeast and lactobacillus.
Fermentation: Open fermentation for 4 days, starting at 68F going up to 75F. 2ndary, ~75F for 7 days.
Bottle condition: Repitch fresh yeast and bacteria to about 4-4.5vol of CO2. Its going to have to stay in the bottles for quite a while.
This is really the only way to do a Berliner Weiss and have it come out in the traditional manner. Ive had a bunch of sour mashed beers and they just don't taste right. They either have a ton of other flavors from the sour mash or they have to big of body, not dry enough and not sour enough. People then take to adding a bunch of lactic acid.
Mash hop. Do a multistep rest. 135F x 2 hours, 149 x 1 hour, bring it up to 170F x 10min and then don't boil <- This is what I did -landhoney. Add lacto and yeast at a 3:1 ratio to start. This will give you a good idea of what the beer will be like. You will be missing a lot of the 'wheaty' flavor but if you are going to try this style, you have to get the fermentation and lacto:yeast right. MUST bottle condition. If you do it this way, let it sit in the bottle and forget about it. Then do another one with your 'fast' method. Then compare the two.
All the above is someone else speaking/typing about what someone(mashweasel/kristen) else said