Berliner Weisse Secondary Headspace

[Fritobandito]

I just brewed up a Berliner Weisse today and was wondering about the headspace in the secondary. I brewed a 5.5 gallon batch and it's going into a 5 gallon carboy. Does the lacto produce CO2, which would create a layer over the beer or not?

 

[octo]

from what I've experienced, it puts off co2 initially then covers the top with a pellicle.

 

[passedpawn]

I watched my berliner weisse ferment vigorously without creating CO2. Oddest thing. Might have had a leak around my carboy bung, but I don't think so.

I used lacto Delbrueckii, which uses homofermentative metabolism to produce only lactic acid (and no alcohol or CO2) from the simple sugars.

[edit] Did a little research - apparently homofermentative metabolism does not produce ethanol but will produce CO2. I was wrong. Hmmmm.

 

[Fritobandito]

I watched my berliner weisse ferment vigorously without creating CO2. Oddest thing. Might have had a leak around my carboy bung, but I don't think so.

I used lacto Delbrueckii, which uses homofermentative metabolism to produce only lactic acid (and no alcohol or CO2) from the simple sugars.

[edit] Did a little research - apparently homofermentative metabolism does not produce ethanol but will produce CO2. I was wrong. Hmmmm.

That's the same strain of lacto I pitched. Gonna give it 48 hours then add the sacc. It's looking like a little headspace isn't going to be an issue in secondary.

 

[passedpawn]

I only gave it one day and the result was a pleasant, but not overly sour, BW. I think 2 days would have been a better choice. Good luck.