Inspired by rlemkin's recent posts, I thought I'd have a go at a Berliner Weisse. The concept of sour beers was an anathema to me a year or two ago, until I tried Buxton's Far Skyline and Red Raspberry Rye. Now I can't get enough of Berliner Weisse and Gose, really enjoying some To Ol versions from a recent order.
I thought that sours were something that I wouldn't really be able to brew at home until reading of probiotic pills. Ordered some Swanson's Lactobacillus Plantarum tablets from rlemkin's source (subsequently, I now get emails trying to sell me stuff for IBS...).
Was initially going for a 5L trial batch, but went for 11L with the intention of splitting the batch. Substituted wheat malt for pale rye, as it is all I had in.
900 g pilsner
500 g pale rye
no hops
Water treated with half a campden tablet. Alkalinity dropped to ~15 using 2M HCl. Added a bit of gypsum to get SO42-:Cl- to 1:1, Ca2+ at ~ 100 ppm.
Mashed at 65C (3 hours by the time I got back to it) and gave a quick 15 min boil, just in case.
11L of 1.031 into the fv.
A pinch and twist of the capsules is all that it needed to open them. Sprinkled the contents of 6 of them into fv and a few hours later a packet of rehydrated US-05.
A very quick and easy brewday, heating and cooling much quicker on smaller volume, short boil etc.
Fermenting away by the next morning.
1 day pH ~4.0 using pH strips.
3 days pH between 3.0 and 3.5 but closer to 3.0 colouring on strips.
It's been a week, so I'll check gravity and souring tonight.
What next?
I'm planning on transferring 4L or so into a demi-john containing some fruit. In the freezer I have blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants and raspberries from last years crop. I'm tempted by the blackcurrants as I have a lot to use up, but expect to to be very sour with these; however, recently really enjoyed a Dugges Blackcurrant Nordic Sour.
The rest will be dry-hopped with the remnants of packs of amarillo (20g) and citra (40g) - thinking more Siren Calypso style.
I have a selection of thicker Belgian bottles, so will go big on the carbonation when the time comes.