Sour Wort Berliner Weisse

Thanks to MilkTheFunk for some inspiration to move forward on this idea.

Grain

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5.5 lbs German Pilsner

5.5 lbs American Wheat

Bugs & Yeast

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WLP677 Lactobacillus Delbrueckii Bacteria (for souring wort in kettle)

Safale US05 (for primary fermentation)

Hops

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.5 oz Hallertaur (for Brew Day #2 in a short boil)

Notes

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Average commercial Berliner Weisse pH range: 3.2 - 3.4 pH.

Checking pH and tasting daily would be a good idea just to track the lactic acid production. Check gravity reading when the wort pH had dropped to a desired value.

Estimations:

Preboil OG: 1.052

OG: 1.056

FG: 1.016

Reals:
Pre-sour OG: 1.055
SRM: 3.45

7/29/2015 - Brew Day Notes

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Mash started at around 152°F while adding 3.33 teaspoons Gypsum, and 1.91 teaspoons Calcium Chloride. Let it sit for 60 minutes and the temp had dropped to about 147°F. Brought mash temperature up to 155°F with some boiling water and let rest for another 30 minutes before starting sparge. Mash pH was checked at 15 minutes into the mash to be about 5.6pH. Checked again after sparge and the wort was around 5.55pH.

Let wort cool to 120°F and pitched a vial of WLP677 Lactobacillus (11:30 PM). Covered the wort with seran wrap touching the liquid to try to eliminate the oxygen. Stuck the thermometer in the wort, keeping it in place with a little extra seran wrap. Set electric smoker temperature to 100°F (this is the lowest set temperature of the smoker).

7/30/2015 - 8:00 AM

In the morning I had to move the smoker inside because of rain in the forecast. The set temp of smoker remained at 100°F but the smoker was reading 108°F. Thermometer in the wort was reading 115°F. This is ideal because I was aiming to stay between 113°F - 120°F, encouraging the Lactobacillus and discouraging other bacterias.

7/30/2015 - 10:00 PM
pH reading of 4.35. Smells rank.

8/1/2015 - 2:00pm

pH reading of 4.04 (at 120°F).

Brought wort up to 170°, added 1oz of hallertauer for 5 minutes, then dropped wort chiller in and turned heat off. Let sit for 10 minutes before starting the chill. Chilled to 80°, racked and pitched US-05. Did not aerate.

8/18/2015
Gravity reading of 1.036
Taste is not pleasing. Rank, diapery taste. Not sure what went wrong or what to do to remedy this.