Jace Marti, assistant brewmaster at August Schell Brewing in New Ulm, Minnesota, is both a serious student and a brewer of authentic, mixed-fermentation, Berliner-style weissbier. Here is some context on the style and details on Schell’s methods, including lots on Brett and those big, beautiful cypress tanks. As told to Joe Stange.
For more on Berliner weisse, including a Style School article by Jeff Alworth and a recipe from August Schell, watch for our April-May 2021 issue—or subscribe now.
Which Berliner Weisse?
I think American brewers’ interpretation of Berliner weisse has a lot to do with that Winston Churchill saying, “History is written by the victors.” By the time craft beer was booming in the United States and brewers had begun to really explore sour beers, all that was left of Berliner weisse in Germany was Berliner Kindl Weisse.