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**AmandaK** · 04-18-2012, 03:57 PM

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Wyeast Lambic Blend
Yeast Starter: Nope
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Bottle dregs
Batch Size (Gallons): 10
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: 1.004
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30 days, 68*
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 1+ years, 60*
Tasting Notes: Really improving with age, BOS Drunk Monk 2010, 3rd BOS Champion of the Pint 2012

This was my first sour ever, but it turned out so well that I figured I'd show everyone how easy it really is. This is based off the Steve Piatz method in BYO from a while back.

RECIPE IS FOR 10 GALLONS but you'll want all of that as the years go by.

6 lb Briess Golden Light DME
6 lb Briess Wheat DME
8 oz Maltodextrin
----
4 oz. aged hops (I picked a pound up from freshhops.com ironically enough)
----
Wyeast Lambic Blend
Numerous bottle dregs, e.g. Cantillon, Avery Depuseluse, Jolly Pumpkin, etc

I put the 10 gallons in a large plastic food grade container (Vittles Vault with an airlock) for about a month at room temperature over the winter. I then transferred to two 5 gallon carboys and forgot about them for over a year. Bottled one of the carboys at 1.5 volumes of CO2 and it's been winning ever since.

Time table:
November 2010 - brewed
December 2010 - transferred to secondary in glass
February 2012 - bottled one carboy
March 2012 - Best of Show at the Drunk Monk Challenge, best of ~850 beers
April 2012 - Champion of the Pint Comp: Gold in Sours & 3rd Best of Show
May 2012 - NHC First Round - Chicago: Blue Ribbon in Sours
June 2012 - Went to the Mini-BOS in Sours at the final round of the NHC - Judges main critque: "Drinks a bit young, re-enter next year. Please."
November 2012 - 2nd in Sours at the Land of the Muddy Waters

It's really not that hard to make a GREAT lambic, so give it a go!

Cheers!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2012
Notes on the aging process and recent tastings.

2010 version

Brewed 10 gallons 11/10
Began ferment in 10 gallon plastic container
Transferred to two 5 gallon glass carboys one month later
Bottled one carboy 2/12 - results were great. Only criticism was that it needed to be older.
Tasted second carboy 11/12
- Aroma/flavor has shifted from a bright acidity to a more funky leather/sweaty aroma and flavor
- Color has darkened significantly from aging, light brown or copper
- Really, really getting amazing at this point

2011 version

Brewed 5 gallons
Began ferment in 5 gallon glass carboy
Never transferred or disturbed
Tasted carboy 11/12
- Aroma was slightly tart - mostly lactic, no acetic
- Flavor was lifeless, some amount of tart, some funk
- Color is still very light, light amber, mostly clear
- Body was very thin - same gravity reading as the others, but with no interesting flavors/prickly acidity to help the mouthfeel

2012 version

Brewed June 2012 - 10 gallons
Fermented exactly as the 2010 version, 10 gallon in plastic then split to 5 gallon carboys
Tasted carboys 11/12
- Extremely bright acidity, nice mix of lactic/acetic
- Some background notes of funk
- Still very light in color - straw colored & brilliant

Based on yesterday's tastings, I will probably be blending the 2010 and 2012 and a 60/40 ratio for my gueuze and will definitely leave the 2011 out of the gueuze. I may transfer the 2011 to another carboy and add some maltodextrin to see what happens. I hope to also bottle some of the remaining 2010 for another straight lambic.

All that being said, I would like to propose a theory on why the 2011 is so boring and lifeless. I think it is my 10 gallon plastic fermenter that holds the key - and it is the only variable changed in the three trials. I think a small amount of O2 is important to achieve a wonderful lambic. So from now on, I will only brew these if my 10 gallon plastic fermenter is available.

JCrazy84 · 05-10-2012, 05:55 AM

So, you say the Wyeast with numerous dregs. Did you just drink it and throw it in at the time of pitching? Was it added just at random times throughout? I am thoroughly interested in making this. Would you suggest one being Brett based as the Depuseluse is?

**AmandaK** · 05-16-2012, 08:05 PM

I either drank them and threw it in or saved them in various sterile containers. My LHBS sells sterile vials that are quite helpful when saving yeast at a beer bar.

Some dregs were added at the initial pitch, some were added at transfer for bulk aging.

I would add the dregs of whatever you think tastes great. I just so happen to like all those beers I listed, so when I was done with them, I saved and pitched them into the wort.

JCrazy84 · 05-17-2012, 05:28 AM

Thanks for the clarification. Some day, I'll have some friends over for a good sour beer day, get 3-4 real good ones and brew this the next day. While it make take a long time, sour beer is always worth it.

**AmandaK** · 05-22-2012, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCrazy84

While it make take a long time, sour beer is always worth it.

That's why I highly recommend brewing 10 gallons of this at a time. I now have 5 gallons of this still hanging out in a secondary, 5 more gallons or the same recipe that is a year younger and will make 5-10 more gallons soon so I can make a gueuze in the somewhat distant future.

Having a sour beer pipeline is not a quick task, but it sure is worth it!

djelemenohpee · 06-03-2012, 05:09 AM

This looks great. Do you have a brew schedule for this? (i think thats what its called, im new to this)
a guide to how to boil everything?
thanks

joshrosborne · 06-03-2012, 11:53 AM

Did you have to re-pitch any additional neutral yeast at bottling to make up for the long time in secondary? Also, I assume that since you won a trophy the month after bottling it, the carbonation level was sufficient after a month in the bottle? I have a beer utilizing the Wyeast blend you used right now in the carboy (about 5 months in), so I want to see how your experience went.

**AmandaK** · 06-15-2012, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djelemenohpee

This looks great. Do you have a brew schedule for this? (i think thats what its called, im new to this)
a guide to how to boil everything?
thanks

The "brew schedule" is the same for every extract beer. This has no steeping grains, so just add the extract in at the beginning, add the hops once the boil begins and count to 60 minutes. Then chill.

**AmandaK** · 06-15-2012, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshrosborne

Did you have to re-pitch any additional neutral yeast at bottling to make up for the long time in secondary? Also, I assume that since you won a trophy the month after bottling it, the carbonation level was sufficient after a month in the bottle? I have a beer utilizing the Wyeast blend you used right now in the carboy (about 5 months in), so I want to see how your experience went.

I actually did not pitch any fresh yeast when I bottled. I did, however, make sure to get some of the cake into my transfer to the bottling bucket.

Lambics are supposed to have a very low carbonation, so a month in the bottle was really all I needed to get to ~1 volume.

djelemenohpee · 06-16-2012, 04:05 PM

Thanks for your help. I just have a few more questions.
If I wanted To make 5 gallons of this would I just cut you ingredients list in half?
And
What exactly are bottle dregs? (sorry, super new to brewing)