Wyeast Belgian Lambic Blend (3278).

[Gerry]

In march I brewed a Framboise using the Wyeast Belgian Lambic Blend (3278). I was expecting a somewhat sour beer with poor floccuation. However, I got a very clean tasting beer that finished clear, not what I was expecting. I recently brought another Wyeast Belgian Lambic Blend to do another Frambroise, but have a beer that is fermenting very slowly (dropped 10 pts over a week at 19 degrees), smells very yeasty and tastes acidic (sour). I have never had an infection in any beer yet, so I am wondering if this recent batch is more lambic-like (and the other wasn't) or if I have got an infection (although that doesn't explain the lack of yeast activity).
I haven't kept a record of the previous batch of yeast (nor this one, other than was manufactured July). I am on the verge of throwing this batch away, rather than waste $35 worth of raspberries on top of the cost of grain etc. If the brew sounds like a normal lambic I'll stick with it. Does anyone have any thoughts ? Cheers Gerry

[Horace]

The latest batch sounds more like what you are after.

Remember that it is a blend , sometimes conditions favour one of the strains over another. Was the sachet pitched direct or did you make a starter? Is fermentation in the same vessel, is the recipe and brewing method exactly the same.

Because it is a mixture you never know exactly what you'll end up with. It all depends on which breed ferments the fastest. Lactic acid bacteria make it sour (great for Framboise), bret strains will give some sort of funky aroma/flavour (sweaty socks/ horse hair)

Belgian lambic beers are generally "infections" anyway.

[Gerry]

Hi, the sachet was pitched direct, with the recipe, brewing method and fermentation the same. It's an interesting point you bring up with the blend nature of the lambic. It's a shame that this brew isn't like the other, which was a nice surprise. I'll monitor the progress, but it is very slow and should have been long finished by now.

[JoKing]

Sounds like a normal lambic to me. Not a lot of people do 100% "wild" ferments with their lambic blend, because the end result is extremely "lambic". The normal process is to ferment your brew with regular yeast, and then add the lambic blend into the secondary fermenter once attenuation has been acheived.

Going forwards, you should probably transfer into a glass carboy. If it's already in one, leave it there (with the airlock on) and put it under the house for 6 - 12 months. By the time this beer is ready, it will be unbbelievable. I would expect it to be rediculously sour, with HUGE pineapple / cherry / work sock flavours and aromas.

Beatification from Russian River is fermented like this... and it is AWESOME!

[Reviled]

Why do you reccommend glass Jo?? I aged my old ale in a hdpe cube in the hot water cupboard for over 3 months, on top of the yeast cake as well and im really happy with the results... There is a bit of oxidisation but I was expecting that for such an old beer...

And Gerry, patience with these bugs is paramount, when I pitched brett it took a good 2 months of nothing before anything happened, it was only when I was at the point of near giving up that it kicked into life - probably works in the same principles of boiling wort, they say a watched wort will never boil, but an unwatched boiling wort will most likely boil over :oD lol

[Gerry]

Thanks guys, perhaps not all is lost. I'll put it in long term storage and forget it for a while. Reviled, the use of glass is better for long term storage as glass doesn't allow oxygen to pass into the wort. HDPE doesn't stop oxygen from getting into the wort and hence is not good for long-term storage. Yes, I've has meany a wort boil over, you'd think I'd know better by know! Cheers

[denimglen]

Meh, I reckon O2 absorption is more to do with your process than what you ferment in.

Taking the stopper off a glass carboy for a smell of your beer every few months will let more O2 in than the walls of an HDPE fermenter will.

Also remember a lot of these breweries are aging in oak, so they're getting O2 as well.

[Horace]

Some O2 is not such a bad thing, it may help some of the bugs produce a varied,. more complex flavour profile - especially the Brett. As above - aged in oak

[Mike Neilson]

It all depends on howmuch 02 is coming in I think off the top of my head the barrels the belgians age in (fordes) let in about .53 cc/l of 02 per year and a small home brew barrel lets in 23 cc/l of 02 per year, A wine barrel is 8 cc/l per year of 02, you see the difrence. Brettanomyces and Lactobacilus will ferment with the pressence 02 but Pediococuss wont whats more scary is that with the presence of 02 will entice Acetobator to grow and you dont want that!! Acetobator creates Acetic Acid and not lactic, so it will turn it into vinegar real quick!! Acetobator is supposed to be there in lambics alittle but with all that 02 being pulled in by the bucket I reacon you would end up with more Acetic acid than desired.