Plambic, Wild Yeast, Spontaneous Fermentation!

[choppadoo]

Very weird shirt indeed, now, there is nothing in the production of a lambic wort that will make it any more susceptible to wild yeast infection than that of a Belgian Wit, or a Weizen or a blasted APA.

I believe the low hopping rate of lambics (i.e. almost complete lack of alpha acids) would also lend the wort to 'spoilage', more so than a highly hopped APA for instance. anyway it certainly lends an edge of authenticity to the brew. i hope it turns out to be a happy accident for you....i guess you'll find out in a few years

 

[neonmeate]

I believe the low hopping rate of lambics (i.e. almost complete lack of alpha acids) would also lend the wort to 'spoilage', more so than a highly hopped APA for instance. anyway it certainly lends an edge of authenticity to the brew. i hope it turns out to be a happy accident for you....i guess you'll find out in a few years

lambics actually have a very high hopping rate - for precisely the reason that it preserves the beer (and encourages some microorganisms rather than others). that's why they use aged hops - to avoid making the beer ridiculously bitter from the high hop rate.
see for instance here
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/LmbicJL0696.html#Hops

 

[randyrob]

Hey Guys,

yes the black looking stuff in the airlock is idophor so nothing to worry about there,
i did eventually pitch the 3278 but that was well after spontaneous fermentation had started.

i'll get myself a turkey baster / wine theif and report back, if you don't hear from me in the next week....

 

[JasonY]

Hey Guys,

yes the black looking stuff in the airlock is idophor so nothing to worry about there,
i did eventually pitch the 3278 but that was well after spontaneous fermentation had started.

i'll get myself a turkey baster / wine theif and report back, if you don't hear from me in the next week....

Keen to hear how it goes, that picture looks shocking h34r:

 

[randyrob]

alright i got myself a wine thief and gave it a good caustic treatment followed by some hot water then some no rinse sanatizer, don't wan't any nasties getting in and wrecking this batch.

appearance was cloudy and was light yellow colour looks quite appealing really not as bad as the photos suggested.

aroma is hard for me to put my finger on not your everyday beer smell but that wasn't expected either.

taste was slightly acidic

overall not to bad really i'm going to ride this one out

Rob.

 

[choppadoo]

lambics actually have a very high hopping rate - for precisely the reason that it preserves the beer (and encourages some microorganisms rather than others). that's why they use aged hops - to avoid making the beer ridiculously bitter from the high hop rate.
see for instance here
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/LmbicJL0696.html#Hops

just to clarify, the main preservative effect of hops is derived from alpha-acid derivatives produced during the boil; iso-alpha-acids or isohumulones. aged hops lack these, but retain beta acids (or lupulones) which are less soluble in wort and beer, usually contributing less to the preservative effect of the hops in beer. some bacteria (i.e some lactobaccilus strains) are resistant (or can develop resistance) to these compounds; these are beer spoilage bacteria.

so what i should have said initially is; the low bittering rate of lambics (i.e. almost complete lack of alpha acids) would lend the wort to 'spoilage' by some microorganisms rather than others.

cheers,
chops

 

[ausdb]

alright i got myself a wine thief and gave it a good caustic treatment followed by some hot water then some no rinse sanatizer, don't wan't any nasties getting in and wrecking this batch.

Surely one more bug can't hurt

aroma is hard for me to put my finger on not your everyday beer smell but that wasn't expected either.
taste was slightly acidic
overall not to bad really i'm going to ride this one out

Umm yumm lactobacillus, best you be keeping it a different part of the house to that batch of the Swan valleys finest you have going.

 

[kook]

I've attached some pics of a wyeast lambic blend fermentation about 4 months in. This is the start of a pellicle.

edit: Its not 6 months in, it's only 4 months. Mixed up the brewing dates.

 

[mika]

:icon_vomit:

 

[dr K]

looks the goods!!!

mmmm

 

[///]

I've attached some pics of a wyeast lambic blend fermentation about 4 months in. This is the start of a pellicle.

edit: Its not 6 months in, it's only 4 months. Mixed up the brewing dates.

That white crusty stuff on top of the beer is a sign of oxidation. Would dump it personally!

Scotty

 

[kook]

That white crusty stuff on top of the beer is a sign of oxidation. Would dump it personally!

Scotty

Both my flanders reds looked like this for a month or two as the pellicle formed on them. I'm sure it is more just the bugs & critters doing their job, rather than a sign of excessive oxidation. If anything, this beer could probably do with more oxygen, as its in glass with a silicone stopper & airlock. The amount of oxygen permeation is probably a little too low.

 

[Asher]

Hows the IBU's Kook? Mine's smells fantastic but is as bitter as a IIPA still !!! De-bittered hops....
In fact I'll bring a sample from 'inside the Vic Park triangle' to the WCBrewers meeting tonight (good neutral territory)

:unsure:

Asher

 

[kook]

I used a relatively small amount of the debittered hops (treated them as 2%AA). I've also been storing them unopened in a warm shed. Hopsdirect have never returned my emails about the purchase

 

[Asher]

I've posted some pics of my Plambic after 12 months here: pLambic & the Turbid Mash

Asher for now