Berliner Weisse Recipe's Please

Personally, I advocate second runnings berliners. Especially if you are thinking of doing it for the first time. I made my first by accident this way and I have made a few since on purpose.

What I would do, and I am sure I will get lambasted for this, is make a saison using a typical saison recipe (85% pilsener, 15% wheat) but up your amounts a bit. Collect your 6 gallons of 1.050 (or whatever your recipe says) wort and make your beer as usual.

Once you have your saison boiling, go back to your tun and add a few gallons of 180 or so water and collect second runnings (mine are typically in the 1.040 range) in a keg or other container where you can top with CO2 and close tightly. Add a handful of uncrushed acid malt or 6 row, top with CO2 to purge oxygen, and then sit it somewhere warm for 3-4 days.

Pour into your kettle, boil for 20 minutes and add some hops to about 5 IBU or so (I like hallertau or saaz but really you can use anything). I typically use s-05, but i have had some good results with harvested abbey ale II from wyeast, s-04, and saison yeast also. I usually pitch large and ferment for 10-14 days. Then bottle, condition, drink.

I like to do it this way because its easy, it takes very little extra time or money, and if it isn't good you still have a whole batch of saison to ease your pains.

 

^ I'm sure that could make a good lacto beer, but with only 15% wheat, I wouldn't really call it a Berliner Weisse. (Is that the lambasting you were expecting?)

 

I've won multiple awards with ~30-35% wheat. Wheat doesn't exactly have a strong/distinct flavor.

I've actually been doing something similar to @TheGr8Sarcasmo, although I just brew an oversized batch and run-off and dilute some of the wort prior to adding the bittering hops. Just did it on Sunday with a beer that is 50% 2-row, 33% wheat malt, 13% oat malt, and 3% CaraPils. Pre-boil OG was 1.050, so I took 3 gallons and added 2 gallons of water to get to 1.030. Is it a traditional grist? No, but I doubt after fermentation (US-05, Omega Lacto Blend, and ECY Dirty Dozen) it will taste close enough!

 

Here's a thread that I started, where I initially looked into doing a sour mash, but ended up sour worting instead, with great results:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/sour-mash-berliner-weisse.276611/#post-3504277

And here's another long thread, but it's definitely worth a read. Everything you need to know for doing a berliner:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...ring-me-your-best.154633/page-10#post-3607715

I used a starter of German ale yeast and some US-05 in my berliner. 50% german wheat, 50% german pilsner. 10 minute boil with 1 oz Willamette at 10 min. This was after 5-6 days of souring the wort. Go for it, man! it's easier than you think.

 

1. I did an easy peasy extract bw a couple weeks ago that was 3 parts wheat dme and 2 parts light dme. As wheat dme is 50% wheat, it clocks in at 30% wheat overall.

2. I brought it to a boil for 15 min, figuring that extract may not require a full boil.

3. I gave WYeast lacto one week to work with it before pitching WYeast 1007 German ale yeast. This was a combo recommended by Jess Caudill at NHC a few years ago: