Neotropical Realm - Berliner Weisse

All grain
5.5 gallons

O.G. - 1.050
F.G. - 1.004
IBU: 15
ABV: 6.0%

Water:
I used tap water. Adjusted mine with 1 tsp gypsum added to total water volume. Do NOT treat your water with campden before sour worting. I will inhibit bacteria growth.

Yeast:
White Labs Brett Clausseni (it was hard to find specifics on original cell count, so figured a 2-step starter will create a healthy enough pitch)
1.) 0.75 L starter on stir plate with 1.036 wort.
2.) 2 L starter on stir plate with 1.036 wort.

Grain/Fermentables:
- 4.5 lbs. German Pilsner malt
- 4.5 lbs. White Wheat malt
- 5 oz Acidulated Malt (for mash pH correction)
- Separate 8 oz Acidulated Malt (added during 156 °F step-up to acidify sour mash - post sugar conversion)
- 3.1 lb can of Apricot Puree

Mash:
Mash @ 150 °F for 60 min - 3 gallons heated to 164 ºF
Step up to 156 °F for 10 min - .4 gallons @ boiling (add 8 oz acidulated malt at this time)
Mashout at 168 °F for 10 min - 1.1 gallons @ boiling
Mashout at 168 °F for 10 min - 2.25 gallons heated to 172 ºF

Collect around 5.75 gal of wort into carboy
(some are weary about adding hot wort to glass carboys, but I've been doing it for years without any problems. Just rinse out the carboy with a hot star san solution beforehand, and that'll prime the glass for the 160 degree wort)

Sour Wort:
Once wort reaches below 110 ºF, add 12-16 oz Goodbelly probiotic (I used mango). I am able to keep the wort at around 90-92F with this heat wrap.
After 36-48 hours, pH should be low enough (around 3.5) Test with pH strips if needed.

10 min Boil:
1 oz Mosaic hops @ 10 min
1 tsp Irish Moss @ 10 min
1 tsp yeast nutrient @ 10 min
1 oz Mosaic @ flameout

Chill, and pour wort onto 3.1 lbs apricot puree in carboy. Pitch Brett C. starter. Ferment at ~75 °F for 3-4 weeks.

Dry hop with 1 oz Mosaic as ferment begins to slow.

I bottled this one back in May 2016, and still have a bunch of them. The reason for using apricot is that it adds another dimension to the 'tropical' flavors. It works well with the Pineapple flavors that Brett C puts out, as well as the berry/tropical notes from the Mosaic hops.

This is a great summer beer, and develops well in the bottle. I got a lot of positive feedback from judges on this one, although I should have entered it as an experimental beer, rather than a Berliner Weisse. A lot of their criticism was that it went outside of the traditional Berliner Weisse standards. I get it...

I'll post some of their feedback if any of you want it. Let me know if you brew this!

 

The mango is probably there to some degree, although I'm not sure how much 12-16 oz in 5.5 gal would contribute. It definitely wouldn't hurt the 'tropical' theme. I'm brewing a simple gose soon and souring with the mango GB one more time to see if it contributes any sort of fruit flavors.