Sometimes I Think The Beer Gods Are Just F'ing With Me

Evan! · 07-06-2008, 09:41 PM

So under normal conditions, even mashing low, I normally don't get an FG below 1.012. Fine with me, of course, but that's the story.

On Tuesday, I brewed what should one day be a kriek. Following JZ's directions, I mashed high (156F, and yes, my thermo's are calibrated), and even added 6oz of maltodextrin to the boil...then I pitched non-rehydrated S-05, and fermented cold (64F). All of this was my attempt to have a lackluster fermentation and end up with a high FG so that, when I pitched my lambic culture in secondary, they'd have plenty of sugars to munch on.

Yet, between the cold fermentation, the non-rehydrated yeast, the high mash temps and the maltodextrin, the sumbitch finished at 1.010.

So now what? 0.010 is not really that much sugar for those lambic beasts to munch on. I'm thinking of adding a bunch of maltodextrin to secondary...I really don't see any other course at this point. I don't really want the base beer, it's just a wheat/2-row blend with some aged styrian goldings, and it's not that interesting.

So what do you guys think? If I toss maybe 12oz of maltodextrin powder solution into secondary, that should give the bugs plenty to chomp on, no?

**EdWort** · 07-06-2008, 09:43 PM

Malto dextrine is not fermentable, No?

jfrizzell · 07-06-2008, 10:01 PM

My understanding is no, not by normal beer yeast, but the lambic culture should eat it up.

Evan! · 07-06-2008, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EdWort

Malto dextrine is not fermentable, No?

Not by Saccharomyces, no...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfrizzell

My understanding is no, not by normal beer yeast, but the lambic culture should eat it up.

Exactly. Bacterial cultures like lacto, etc., and maybe even Brett (not sure about that though) can eat the long-chain dextrins (which is what maltodex is). That's why sour beers finish so much lower (FG), because the long-chain dextrins that would normally be unfermentable by saccharomyces are munched on by the bugs.

So...any thoughts on this plan?

**niquejim** · 07-06-2008, 11:58 PM

If you have enough head space you could whip up a small starter and pitch with the bugs, AFAIK that should work

**BierMuncher** · 07-07-2008, 12:35 AM

Next time drop your mash time to 40 minutes to decrease the attenuation.

Evan! · 07-07-2008, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BierMuncher

Next time drop your mash time to 40 minutes to decrease the attenuation.

Next time I'm makin' a lambic, I'll keep it in mind

Evan! · 07-07-2008, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niquejim

If you have enough head space you could whip up a small starter and pitch with the bugs, AFAIK that should work

I'm not so worried about the bugs getting started as I am about them having enough sugars, over the course of a year, to produce enough sourness to rival, say, Cantillon's base unblended lambic. Hell, I didn't make a starter for my roeselare activator pack and it's roaring along right now.

PseudoChef · 07-07-2008, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evan!

I'm not so worried about the bugs getting started as I am about them having enough sugars, over the course of a year, to produce enough sourness to rival, say, Cantillon's base unblended lambic. Hell, I didn't make a starter for my roeselare activator pack and it's roaring along right now.

But this goes along with what I said a couple days ago. Breweries like Cantillon aren't fermenting with a neutral yeast first. They're going straight to the barrels that are innoculated with the bugs straight from their boil.

You can't expect to rival a true lambic when you're fermenting with Sacc first.

Evan! · 07-07-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PseudoChef

But this goes along with what I said a couple days ago. Breweries like Cantillon aren't fermenting with a neutral yeast first. They're going straight to the barrels that are innoculated with the bugs straight from their boil.

You can't expect to rival a true lambic when you're fermenting with Sacc first.

Right, I know, but I'm gonna get close, hopefully, following JZ's directions, without having to blend. He hasn't steered me wrong so far