Berliner Weissbier - the long version (part 10)

It's so long since I started this series that I've forgotten the first half dozen posts. Not to worry. This is the final installment from "Die Herstellung Obergähriger Biere". You should - if you've been paying attention - now know everything you need to about Berliner Weisse.

Transporting Weissbier
Special has to be taken when transporting Weissbier.

The Spunde has to be loosened before transport by rail, to prevent the barrels bursting.

If the beer is transported long distances, in warm weather the secondary conditioning can go so far that all the sugars have been fermented. In such cases, 1 to 1.5 pounds of sugar per tonne should be added before bottling.

In summer, to prevent too strong a fermentation, the beer is cooled before filling into barrels.


Bottled Weissbier
The yeast should stick to the bottom of the bottle Possible reasons why it doesn’t are:

1. an unusually high protein haze
2. an infection with coccus or sarcina bacteria
3. too much lactic acid bacteria which destroys the yeast cells
4. Verfetzung of the yeast through a too long and too warm bottle-conditioning
5. Badly nourished yeast

3-4 week old Weissbier has an acid content of 0.25-0.35%. If infected with acetic acid bacteria, this can be aas much as 0.5-0.6%.


Märzenbier
The equivalent of bottom-fermenting Bockbier is Märzen-Weisse.

Brewed to 12-14º Balling and filled into bottles without the addition of water.

Because it needs to ripen for months, the bottles are often buried in earth or sand to keep the temperature steady and stop the cork from drying out. However, many bottles burst due to the high pressure.

A several-month old Märzen-Weisse is very valued because of its wine-like sour taste and aroma.