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Berliner weisse recipe

  • Spidey
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Berliner weisse recipe
« on: August 11, 2008, 04:28:25 PM »

I was thinking of making a berliner weisse soon with the hopes that it would be ready for consumption next summer. Here's what I was thinking of so far:

4 lbs. Alexander's wheat extract
0.25oz Saaz 60'
pitch Roeselare directly

What do you guys think? I know berliners don't traditionally have brett, but I've also heard of homebrewers making 100% brett fermented berliners. Roeselare is usually used for Flemish sours since it's derived from Rodenbach.  Roeselare has a mix of neutral ale yeast (Sacchromyces), Brett, and bacteria, and pitched in primary it's supposed to get pretty sour and tart. I'm trying to minimize my risk of failure by using a blend and I'd like to also get some of the fruitiness that Brett provides.  Any thoughts?
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  • Jamey
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Re: Berliner weisse recipe
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2008, 11:54:35 AM »

I did a Berliner Weisse at the beginning of the year, and it is still growing and changing, but I don’t know if it is a style that needs 12 months of aging.  Roeselare takes time, but I’m not sure there will be enough in your fermenter to eat for 12+ months. 

Your recipe is simple, which is good, and that is the genius of the style.  I pitched a European Ale and a delbrueckii at the same time, and it was very stable and gave me all the sourness I needed.  I suppose I made my own blend of sorts.

What size is this batch?  4 lbs extract for a 5g batch might turn out to be not quite enough.  It is a low alcohol style (maybe 3.5%), but that does seem like quite enough.  (I may be wrong of course, I can’t do the math right now.)  I think my extract amount for the batch was 5.5# and that got me around 3.7%

But it looks good.  I can give you one of mine and you can tell me if it is to your liking.
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  • Spidey
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Re: Berliner weisse recipe
« Reply #2 on: August 19, 2008, 05:28:08 PM »

The thing with Roeselare is that the Brettanomyces don't produce a palatable beer for about 8 months. You're right about the sugars probably not lasting that long, but maybe it's the fermentation byproducts that take so long to turn into a drinkable beer.  I don't know all the specifics of funky fermentation. 
As for the O.G., Qbrew is telling me it should be about 1.030 which is right in the middle of the style parameters.  F.G of 1.007-1.004 should give me an ABV of 2.9-3.4%.
I'd love to try one of your Berliners. I haven't had very many, but I've really liked the one's that I've had(Iron Hill Brewery and Dogfish Festina Peche).
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