Berliner Weisse die Zweite

Enjoying an 1809 Berliner Weisse on brewday

I brewed a nice Rhubarb Berliner Weisse backin 2010 that came out really nice.  Going to brew another, and will try a sour mash this time around.  This is a total experiment really.  There are a few ways to go about doing it... but I'm planning on doing a full sour mash.  Basically, I'm going to mash the entire grist as usual, then I'll let it cool (or assist it to cool) to 120F or below.  Then I'll throw in a handful of raw grain and let it sit at 110-120F for a day or more.  I'll keep checking the pH and let it go down to maybe like 4.2 or something.     

BATCH #47
5# Pils
5# Wheat malt
1 oz Hallertau
Sour mash + 1809 dregs + year old Wyeast Berliner Weisse Blend

6/20 MASH (after Brownie):
Single infusion, 12.5 qts @ 165, doughed in, temp @ 149F
30 minutes in, temp @ 147F
60 minutes in, temp @
After XX minutes, temp is now at 120F.  Added handful of grain and put in garage covered in blankets.

6/21 TEMP CHECK:
10:30AM - 105F, no lactic aromas yet, nothing visual either.

6/24 pH CHECK:

The sour mash

pH meter is a little funky, but it said 3.1.... then I put it in my water (7.8) and it registered a 7.0... so my guess is that the pH was probably about 4.0 maybe more.  If it was that low it would have tasted like vinegar.  And this actually tasted a little tart, but also nice and sweet.  It was nice.  I collected 6.5 gallons, and boiled for about 20 minutes.  Added .5 oz Hallertau for the boil.  Collected about 6 gallons, and added my old packet of Wyeast Berliner Blend, and the dregs from two bottles of 1809.  If they don't work, then I'll add a fresh packet of Kolsch yeast that I have on hand.



FERMENTATION LOG:
6/25 - As of 8AM, there was no activity, and the temp was about 68.  Pulled my Kolsch yeast and smacked it... pitched Kolsch around 8PM
6/26 - 8AM, very thin layer of foam and bubbles on top... almost thought it was a pellicle at first, but they were definitely clean.  
6/26 - 8PM - definitely active now.  Temp steady at 64 (on outside of carboy)
6/28 - 8AM - looks like its krausened already, but still bubbling in the airlock.  Temp around 66 on outside of carboy.  Fermentation chamber working like a frickin charm.  

Lewis Creek Brownie 2.0

Watch your fingers

Funny thing about this beer is that it was no where on my to-brew list.  Eventually, yes, but not right now, today.  I did have big plans to brew another Imperial Stout, like I did at last year's Summer Solstice... but I decided that brewing a smaller beer will provide an ample amount of yeast for the gimundo 1.120 SG of the Imperial Stout.  So... I happened to have just about everything I needed to make my Lewis Creek Brownie, like I did last fall.  Perfect.  The only thing I did not have on hand was Aromatic malt... so, I'm opting to use Gambrinus Honey Malt in place of it... mostly based off of color and it will provide some additional aromatics.  I also will be switching up some of the hops since I really didn't like the Columbus I used last time.  So here it goes...

BATCH #46
8# 2 Row Pale Malt
1# Weyerman Smoked Malt
1# Best Malz Smoked Malt
1# Crystal 60L
1# Golden Naked Oats
1# Honey Malt
.25# Choc Malt

BREWNIGHT 6/20 (Summer Soltice):
Hot as hell today - 95F
Single infusion mash - 154F for 60 minutes.
16qts water @ 167F, doughed in - temp @ 153F.  pH around 5.3 (my pH meter sucks and likes to jump around).
After 30 minutes, stirred and temp still at 153F
After 60 minutes, mash out with 10qts boiling water, brought temp up to 164F... not perfect but fine.
Started sparging @ 170F, added .75oz Willamette first wort hops
Fired up burner when I had 3-4 gallons collected
Pre-boil gravity - 11.4 BRIX/1.046
Boil started... 2 hours and ten minutes after dough in... yesssss.  Added another .75 oz Willamette
One hour into boil, added whirlfloc and wort chiller.
One hour 15 mintues, flame out, added 1 oz Willamette and started chilling.
An hour after that and my temp was down to 72F.  Pitched a bag of ice in the bucket with the pump to get it to drop the remaining 5 degrees or so.  Aiming for about 64/65.  Temps in teh basement right now are 70, and 75 upstairs, so I need to start it low and probably submerge in a cooler with ice in it to keep it low.

6/24 GRAVITY CHECK:  68F, 1.014, turbid, smokey, might have gotten a little warm during fermentation.  Thinking about splitting it into two 3 gallon carboys and dry hopping one of them.  Or maybe I should just dry hop the whole thing.  Can't decide.  Still planning on using the base of this with the upcoming Imperial Stout.  Really still hoping to brew this before the baby comes... which means, tonight (6/25)!

6/28 - Still waiting on the baby, so haven't brewed the Impy Stout yet... more later...