I saw that issue, and thought they didn't do the best job.
If you pitch yeast at the start, you are looking at 6 months or more to get a decent Berliner, if it ever gets there. The lacto works best when there is no alcohol or hops.
What I have done and it has produced excellent results; and is bottle carb'd 6 weeks from starting ........ and is cheap.
- 1 lb wheat extract to 1 gallon to give an OG of 1.036. No hops. Heat to boiling and cool. I just bring to a boil for a few minutes to sanitize everything.
- Add some lacto. I have used Lacto acidopholis probiotic pills. Any lacto source would do, even the liquid from yogurt (with live bacteria).
- Add airlock and keep warm (~100 F) for about a week.
- Once sour (taste it to make sure), remove from heat and add LOTS of yeast. I usually arrange to have a whole cake from another beer available at the time. Due to the hostile environment (low Ph), you really need a big pitch.
- If you wanted to add hops, you could boil and add them at this point. I don't add hops or boil - not needed.
- Aerate and it should be done in a week.
- I usually dry hop. I really like Nelson Sauvin in a Berliner.
- Package as normal, and you are drinking 6 weeks after starting.
At $2 per lb LME, re-using yeast, a couple of bucks for the probiotics, and hops, and I'm looking at $14 for 50 bottles of refreshing Berliner.
No you don't need the Brett.