Lactobacillus Starter for Berliner Weisse?

[MikeBrenner]

i'm working on a Berliner Weisse, and it seems everything i read is different. i got a Wyeast 5335 Lactobacillus Delbrueckii pack and made a starter. keeping it at 95 degrees on my stir plate with an electric fermentation heater. so my questions are... am i totally wrong to do this? and can i chill the lacobacillus starter to separate it like i would with a yeast starter? this is my first time using Lactobacillus and making a Berliner Weisse.

i think my plan is to split a ten gallon batch into two 5 gallon carboys and pitch one with a white labs german ale/kolsch yeast and the other with the Lactobacillus, and then mix before bottling.

thoughts?

thanks!
-mike brenner

 

[jessup]

here's a thread that might help:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/does-starter-look-right-165803/

sounds like you're doing everything well. i can't answer the question about cold crashing lacto, though. i'm not sure, but it sounds like that would work fine. i typically just pitch the whole starter, but that's me and i'm not as anal as a lot of people when it comes to certain procedures.

in the lambic & wild brewing section there are alot of threads about lacto. after searching for lacto cold crash i came up with this thread that loosely states lacto won't cold crash. or at least that's what i make of it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/strawberry-alarm-clock-v3-0-strawberry-blonde-132129/

"2009/7/29
Started cold crash from room temp (~72F). Used frozen PET water bottles and ~1LB ice blocks from tupperware to bring cooler temp down, swapping out when ice is depleted.

2009/07/30:
morning temp is 41F, added 4 ice blocks + 8 PET bottles, by afternoon temp was at 35F and held steady.

2009/07/31:
morning temp went back up to 40F overnight, but quickly cooled to 35.

2009/08/01:
temp still at 35F, pulled out of cold bath and transferred to bottling bucket at 3:30pm.

There was a very thin white layer of what looked like possible lactobacillus floating on surface of fermenter, but no off flavors whatsoever."

 

[MikeBrenner]

yeah, i guess i'll probably just pitch the whole thing. i also read to pitch in more lacto right before bottling. it's gonna be interesting. that's for sure

 

[jessup]

pitch the lacto prior to the sacch, otherwise you get limited funk.

 

[MikeBrenner]

ok. thanks. i'll definitely do that.

 

[redbone]

If you are trying to do a starter for Lacto... I'm confused on your method. Lacto works aerobically. So, why the stirplate? Am I wrong?

 

[WDT]

I just listened to the old Jamil Show podcast on the Berliner Weisse. He said for best results put a fresh tube of Yeast and Lacto in at the same time and let ferment out until finished.

If you wanted more sour, put the lacto in first to get a head start then pitch yeast. Or vice versa for less sour. No starter was mentioned as the SG was low to begin with (1.037 for their beer).