Berliner Weisse - Brewing and Conditioning

[Who is John Malt?]

I am gearing up to brew a Berliner Weisse and have read that most are bottle conditioned. I don't have any desire to buy enough champagne bottles for 10 gallons! Does anyone have experience in brewing and keg-conditioning one of these that you can share?

[DannyW]

I treat my Cheater-Weisse (just adding acid at kegging, no sour mash) like a Weizen for carbonation. 40F and 20psi, with about a 10-12' long dispensing hose.

[Tom-O]

I just kegged and forced carb'd. I suspect that, depending on your acidity level, it'd be hard to carbonate accurately in bottles.

The one I made with a sour mash, I mashed regular, then let cool to 120F and held for 2 days.

As I remember it takes a real long time for the flavors to settle out (months), but once they do its very nice. I only gave up enough bottles for one competition and it placed 1st, and that was back when it was paired with alot of regular weizens.

I love the style, but its hard to get the solid mouthpuckering sourness that kindlweiss has. Mine was only about 1/2 as sour, so it was drinkable. kindle weiss I cannot drink without the woodruff syrup.