[Herminator]

So I am going to take a stab at brewing a Berliner Weisse.  I have never brewed this style before and decided to go with White Labs 630 to get it started.  The 630 is a blend of weizen yeast and lacto.  From what I have read, the Lacto can be slow to grab and the blends may not sour to a high level.  My question, is adding a vial of lacto in addition the blend a solid option?  Or should I just let the blend do its thing? 

If adding both the lacto and blend, I was thinking of adding the lacto for 2-3 prior to the yeast.  Sour/infected beers are a new frontier for me but I am excited to get started. 

Cheers!

[thebottlefarm]

There are numerous approaches to brewing them, your approach is solid. You didn't mention much about the rest of your procses, but I'd consider 50:50 pills / wheat, 149 mash, no boil, (brought up to 180), less than 5 ibu in mash hop.
I'm still working the kinks out of my process to get mine tart enough.
AO

[Jimmy K]

It will help. I would pitch the lacto vial warm ~85F. Even keep it warm for a day if you can. Sample and add the blend when it's getting tart. (Let it cool before adding yeast)

[Herminator]

Awesome! Thanks for the suggestions.  I am going 65% pils and 35% wheat.  150 single infusion mash with no decoction and 2-3 IBU.  1 minute boil.  Preparing to brew this one is so strange for me as it is significantly different than my normal brew days....not to mention I am somewhat new to sours. 

Cheers!

[ynotbrusum]

Are you considering serving with the syrups?  I found more people were willing to try it when I offered the citroensirup and Himbiersirup to go with the BW...

[Herminator]

I have considered the syrups.  I also have 20 pounds of tart cherries that I want to use.  Thinking of maybe racking onto cherries.  I will just let the spirit move me.  ha. 

[kramerog]

Save some of the cherries to make a cherry simple syrup. 

[kramerog]

Pitch the mix at 100F to kill off the yeast and get the lacto very active.  Keep above 90F as best as you can for 2+ days while keeping out air.  Let cool and when it hits pitching temp pitch German Ale yeast.  That's if you want it to get really sour.