Aged Berliner Weisse - at last!

I'm quite happy with how this one turned out! If you recall from the Berliner Weiss post from October last year, my first attempt was split into 2 batches - Batch 1 was fermented using a sour mash technique, while Batch 2 was made with a sour fermentation where a mixed culture of Lacto, Saccharomyces and Brettanomyces was pitched simultaneously into the wort without aeration. 

I brought a bottle from Batch 1 to one of our Meetups, where it had a mixed reception - people either loved it, or threatened to smash the bottle over my head. It smelt strongly of Parmesan cheese, which is actually (if you'll believe it!) a vast improvement over what it smelt like in the mash. 

So today I finally plucked up the courage to taste and subsequently bottle Batch 2, and I'm happy to report that it's really a much better version! It's been sitting in a HDPE container for 9 months now, and has turned into a clear, bright golden elixir. I sampled straight from the container, so it's uncarbonated but given the acidity levels, I am not expecting any lasting head to form. The aroma was a sharp lactic sourness upfront, followed by fruity notes and a very mild but pleasant funkiness reminiscent of blue cheese. Taste-wise, it was very obviously tart and sour, and was bone dry. Oddly enough though, the fruitiness came through strongly and gave a perception of sweetness. Quite a heavy barnyard flavor was there which lingered for a long time in the mouth. 

Overall, it was almost like drinking a funky lambic mixed with lemonade, but with fruity rather than floral tones. I'm really quite pleased with it, but as again, sours are one of those love-it-or-hate-it beers I guess. I bottled up 4 small (330ml) bottles and primed them to 3.5 volumes, with fresh Montrachet yeast added as I figured wine/champagne yeast should be better-able to handle the acidity. And now we wait! 

From this series it seems that an extended sour fermentation is the way to go, rather than a sour mash. To be fair though, the sour mash was a lot less well-controlled - it was inoculated with raw grains, so all sorts of other stuff probably got into the wort as well. In addition, sour fermentation takes almost as long as a lambic to develop a proper sourness while theoretically, sour mashes allow for the Weiss to be ready in less time, since the Lacto gets free reign before any other yeast is added.  I'm going to try another sour mash, but this time I'll be pitching a cultured Lacto strain instead.