Lambic Wit

[superhero]

Hey Drinkers,

Brewed a Belgian Wit last weekend but I used too much mash and sparge water and had 8L of wort left over so I decided to do my 1st foray into the world of lambic beers.
Did my lambic fermentation in a 10L bucket on the kitchen table. Fermentation took about a week and was only attacked by bacteria after fermentation has finished. (it's the same bacteria in the slops bucket under the keg fridge tap. This bastard bacteria must only attack the finished beer?) Tasted the result and it was quite sour (from the bacteria) so I added 1kg of sliced strawberries and 500g of sugar (just for kicks). The natural yeast liked this and produced lots of foam. The foam went a brown colour in parts about 2 days later (looks like they're covered in yeast slurry)

I'll steep the strawberries for a week or two and then taste it again.

Should I pasteurise/boil before bottling?

Cheers

Superhero

 

[beersom]

sounds like a good experiment... it won't be like any lambic from Belgium as the micro-flora around here is a lot different, but none the less it promises to be an interesting beer.

I wouldn't attempt to pastuerise it, just let it finnish out its natural cycle before attempting to bottle.

be sure to let us all know how it turns out.

Did it taste sour? or vinigery? ..... that can be a key to what is attacking the beer.

 

[superhero]

It'll be as close as I can get to a lambic beer hopefully (short of brewing in Belgium and using old hops)

The wort was more vinegary than sour. (It's the same white bacteria that has attacked other
finished green beer of mine)

The "lambic" smells good after the strawberry addition.

Why wouldn't you pasteurise? Wouldn't you want to kill the bacteria that's turning the beer
into vinegar?

Off to my fave shop tomorrow - the homebrew shop
Cheers

Superhero

 

[superhero]

Hello all,

I'm replying to my own post due to lack of replies

Just a shortish update:

The strawberries attracted the same bacteria as before. Moved the
bacteria to the side and grabbed a sample. It's still sour but that's
been offset by the sweetness from the strawberries (and there's
probably a bit more alcohol too)

I'm planning to pasteurise/boil the "wort" then bottle it. I don't
want my science experiment to get any more sour so I'll pasteurise
to kill off the bacteria and pitch some conventional beer yeast for
carbonation duties.

I'm guessing an authentic lambic isn't pasteurised?

Beer on dudes (and female dudes)

superhero

 

[Jovial_Monk]

good idea to pasteurise, bacteria can take a beer the yeast could only get down to 1012 all the way down to 995 or so. . .bottle bombs!

JM

 

[kook]

FYI an authentic lambic is not pasturised. Generally plambics arent either.

Interesting little project anyway

 

[beersom]

I agree with kook and what i said earlier, don't pastuerise...... or if you do , let the beer have time to finnish its ferment fully and be carefull of doing it by boiling as there is a chance of de-activating alcohol.

The vinegary taste suggests that the bacteria is Acetor bacter (spelling may be bad).

 

[superhero]

Hey brewers,

I bottled my lambic wit science experiment last Sunday.
Pasteurised at 65 degrees for 20 minutes as suggested by the Jovial Monk. Thanks.
It was a bit more sour than I wanted so I added 320g of lactose with the priming sugar. It turned out pretty good I think.
Still a bit sour but a nice pink colour from the
strawberries. Only made 20 bottles.

I'll post again when I have the 1st taste. (providing it doesn't kill me )

Keep on brewing

Cheers

Superhero

 

[superhero]

Hi drinkers,

My lambic didn't kill me

My lambic wit/science experiment was ready for tasting
the other day.

It what sour strawberry in flavour. Unfortunately more sour
than strawberry. It was still quite drinkable. No signs
of bacteria. No vomitting either

cya :0

superhero