Berliner Weisse - Lacto

[Indiana Red]

Just thought I'd post my experience here. The last couple of BW ive had, I loved, and when I realized that the low hop, low grav and no boil recipe I figured I had to make one.
Started a home made Lacto with 1c of crushed 2row and 1c of 130F ish water in a jar per a post on this forum and sure enough after a couple days it started smelling like funky sour apples. Was pretty excited.
I also got a packet of WY5335 and mashed out 6 Gal of 1.032 wort, 50/50 White wheat and German Pilsener.
Split it into a pair of 3G carboys and after the wort had set for a few hours but still felt quite warm I inoculated each with the two Lacto cultures respectively.
I have the CBs sittng on a heating pad but my fermometer strips dont read higher than 78F.
PLanning to pitch standard ale yeast into both after a couple days. I will wait untill I see some good activity though if it takes a little longer. Not sure if I should go for clean neutural ale yeast WLP001 or maybe the German Hef that I saved from the batch I just did.
Maybe that classic clove/banana taste I dont want in this BW

 

[Zamial]

Just thought I'd post my experience here. The last couple of BW ive had, I loved, and when I realized that the low hop, low grav and no boil recipe I figured I had to make one.
Started a home made Lacto with 1c of crushed 2row and 1c of 130F ish water in a jar per a post on this forum and sure enough after a couple days it started smelling like funky sour apples. Was pretty excited.
I also got a packet of WY5335 and mashed out 6 Gal of 1.032 wort, 50/50 White wheat and German Pilsener.
Split it into a pair of 3G carboys and after the wort had set for a few hours but still felt quite warm I inoculated each with the two Lacto cultures respectively.
I have the CBs sitting on a heating pad but my fermenter strips dont read higher than 78F.
Planning to pitch standard ale yeast into both after a couple days. I will wait until I see some good activity though if it takes a little longer. Not sure if I should go for clean neutral ale yeast WLP001 or maybe the German Hef that I saved from the batch I just did.
Maybe that classic clove/banana taste I dont want in this BW

On Big Brew day I made a no boil BW. It sat without yeast like yours for 2 days and I used the Weihenstephan yeast. I recently carbed it up and have it on tap now. It is very good.

Some food for thought. Banana and clove are very delicate flavors, the lacto will overpower any of these flavors.

I also took a growler to my BJCP class and had them score it. The Growler did not hold carbonation well so I was universally dinged on that point and I believe that it also effected the score by 5-10 points lower than it should be and the class agreed with that. It scored a 35 average so it would have been a low 40's beer if the carb was right.

Many people in the class that are already BJCP certified were picking up Brett in the finish.

I believe your BW will be great!

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

You may consider waiting to pitch the ale yeast until you like where the flavors at from the lacto. I did something similar where I sour worted a batch in my BK for 3 days. Just covered the BK with aluminum foil with a thermometer in it that way when the temp started dipping down I could heat it back up to the 115f range. After it got to where I wanted with the lacto I gave it a quick boil so I could keep my system bug free then transferred to my carboy and pitched a clean ale yeast. You could skip the boiling part obviously but you get the point.

 

[FarmerTed]

The latest Sunday Session with Round Guys brewing has a really nice recipe/procedure for a quick turnaround Berliner. I'm thinking about doing it myself.

 

[Indiana Red]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I had it in my head that boiling would get rid of the sourness. But now I see that it wouldn't. You just used it as a sanitizing step.
Already got a thin white film on one with the homemade Lacto after less than 24 hrs and after 12 more, had one on the WY one. Very little airlock activity though yet.

 

[KeyWestBrewing]

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I had it in my head that boiling would get rid of the sourness. But now I see that it wouldn't. You just used it as a sanitizing step.
Already got a thin white film on one with the homemade Lacto after less than 24 hrs and after 12 more, had one on the WY one. Very little airlock activity though yet.

Nope it's still there and that's exactly the point. Plus by doing it in my BK I could keep the temp locked in the 110-115f range to let the lacto go nuts.
Glad to hear you have a successful infection! Make sure to taste a sample before adding the sacc so you know its sour enough for your liking.

 

[Indiana Red]

This thread deserves some updates...
After a few days I got some serious gnarly white puffy pellicle type stuff in the fermenters with that lacto.

Took a guess and added some rehydrated US-05 (never used dry yeast before) and after a day or so got some nice 40-60 bubble per min on each fermenter.
After nearly a week it had settled down and stopped. I wanted to clarify the brew as much as possible so I racked again and saved the yeas slury from each in a pint mason jar labeled. "US-05+wildL" and "US-05+WY5335" respectively.
Figured Id just let it settle out again and bottle later expecting increased souness during this additional "step"
Tasted it during this transfer and it was a nice soft mild wheat flavor with definaltely some sour but Im hoping for more tartness. The wild was more sour but still not enough.
After a day or so at about 70F another which skin is forming in each fermenter. I suspect this is the lacto continuing to work its magic. So I will let it ride a bit more and taste it in another week for sourness.
There are a couple of prety good BW threads here that have helpd me a lot. Just contribution to the "kitty"
Shoot me any questions. I'd love to nail this style a bit as it is so delicious and a relatively easy "sour" and with hardly any hops and a very low OG is cheep to make.

 

[Indiana Red]

Just an update on this. The 3G that had the spontaneous Lacto was bottled 3 weeks ago and primed for 3.5 volumes. I managed to fill 9 12oz's and 12 22s I figured Id open the little ones as I tested fro carbonation levels and refrigerate the rest when it was about right.
I opened the first one yesterday and it was nearly a gusher. It had constant active effervescence in the glass and would mist my face when I sipped it.
I must say the flavor is nearly perfect. Very tart dry lemony flavors. A hit of some floral slightly flowery touches, and a crisp finish. As clsoe to what I was hoping for as possible.
I haven't gotten around to bottling the other half, soured with the WY 5335 but since early tests from it showed a much less sour character, I am going to let it sit in the CB for a long time.
In short, I love this recipe and this beer. The spontaneous Lacto culture worked like a champ and I will be doing another batch of this stuff that way. Maybe splitting it and going with raspberry and pie cherrys.