Traditional Berlinerweiss (from BA #78)

If by small scale you mean you're going to do a one gallon batch, then no. By the time I'm done tasting the beer to make sure it's peaked, I've already gone through a 6 pack. After it's peaked, I'm going to want at least a case left. With the additional cost of the yeast and with the added effort I'd make a full batch. So, if you want to do a gallon, you're more than welcome. I'd say hands off for the better part of a year.

As for the equipment and bottles, I'd make sure I set them aside and hit them with a 1:10 bleach solution before reusing them for another beer. Rinse well and RDWHAHB.

 

There are multiple ways to make a Berliner but the method mentioned above is not one I would be inclined to try.

 

Don't do it unless you have some majorly thick 750 ml bottles. Asking for bottle bombs, especially if new to the hobby and prone to underattenuated primary fermentations.

 

One of the primary reasons I would not use this method. The possibility of hyper attenuation of the Brett in a mixed fermentation will surely result in bottle bombs, especially if using a lower attenuating English strain.

 

That is probably one of the worst recipes for a BW I have ever read. BW doesn't need brett and adding both lacto and brett in the bottle is asking for explosive bottles, especially since you have no idea what is being carried into those bottles from the underhopped beer.

If you want to make a BW it would be far more rewarding (and quicker) to invoke a sour mash/sour wort. You could also just douse the beer in lactic acid at bottling. Of course, you could do the same sour mash or sour wort process on virtually any beer style to get a tart version of a beer. Once you've made a few easier sours with shorter turn around time you can decide whether you want to commit to year plus souring.

 

Brett yes, lacto no. Lactobacillus works fairly fast, especially if it doesn't have to compete with sacc for simple sugars.

 

I've done two different types of BW:

1) Sour mash -- BIAB, mashed 50/50 wheat and 2-row around 150 for 60 mins. Added 0.5# unmilled 2-row (FLUSH WELL WITH CO2 to keep aerobes at bay) and kept in the 110s for ~ 3 days. Boiled 15 minutes with low alpha german hops. Pitched US-05 and fermented about a week. Always light and very tart, lemony, kind of one-dimensional . . . very nice with flavorings (dry hops (american citrus), fruit (any), flowers (hibiscus)). You can drink this off a keg in ~ 1 week.

Pros: quick, sterile
Cons: less depth of flavor

2) Regular -- Mash hopped, decocted, no boil. Made Lacto starter beforehand in apple juice. Pitch entire Lacto starter with US-05. Secondary with Brett culture and multiple bottle dregs. Split into plain and fruit. Took ~ 6 months to get suffficiently sour. Now nice and complex, slightly less tart than sour mash. The fruited portion (apricots) is very nice.

Pros: tasty, rady sooner than other "tradtional sours"
Cons: Need dedicated plastics