Framboise Lambic - To Oak or Not to Oak?

Looking at starting a Framboise Lambic. Will solely use 3278 and plan to rack after 9 months onto the fruit. However, I've read that oak is sometimes a part of the Lambic process and was wondering when/how much to add, if any?

Thoughts?

Okay, nevermind. I ordered the recipe yesterday and am going to do the following:

Boil everything like normal. Ferment in a 6.5 gal for 3-4 days with Notty. Then, rack off the trub/sediment into another 6.5 gal carboy and add the Wyeast Lambic Blend and 4 oz. of oak chips. I'll stash this carboy away for 6-9 months and then rack onto the raspberries, which will then be aged for another 6 months.

Wish me luck!

4oz of oak chips is probably too much for a long aging. Oak cubes, no problem but chips has surface area. I've used 2oz on a barleywine and it cut through. I'd go with 2oz.

Bobby_M said:

4oz of oak chips is probably too much for a long aging. Oak cubes, no problem but chips has surface area. I've used 2oz on a barleywine and it cut through. I'd go with 2oz.

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I'd go even less, probably just 1 oz of chips boiled for a few minutes to get rid of the "fresh" oak character.

I'd also suggest adding the bugs in primary, doing a clean primary ferment has always left me with less sourness than I want in a sour beer. Some bottle dregs from a couple tasty sours is also a good idea to augment the blend.

I used 0.5oz oak chips in mine for a year in the secondary. I had the fruit in there with it (cranberry-pomm).

Your goal isn't so much to give the lambic an oak flavor as it is to give a "home base" for the Brett to infest.

Beernik said:

Your goal isn't so much to give the lambic an oak flavor as it is to give a "home base" for the Brett to infest.

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I think this is right on. For this reason, I've recently been adding oak to lambics that has been boiled several times in water, with the water being disposed each time. In the end, I'm adding pretty neutral wood with hopes that it will support brett cells.

Sixbillionethans said:

I think this is right on. For this reason, I've recently been adding oak to lambics that has been boiled several times in water, with the water being disposed each time. In the end, I'm adding pretty neutral wood with hopes that it will support brett cells.

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How many ounces have you been adding??

Contains a selection of Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces including Belgian-style wheat beer yeast, sherry yeast, two Brettanomyces strains and lactic acid bacteria.

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From the Wyeast site about 3278. I've never used it but it would seem better IMO to pitch the blend and let it sit without racking. This way the bugs will have some yeast sediment to munch on and you only have to rack when you add fruit.

danielwhitted said:

How many ounces have you been adding??

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I've done 1 oz per 5 gallons. Seems like with the de-oaked oak, you could go higher...perhaps 2-3oz.

I've got 2 pLambics and 2 Flanders beers going now. I'll understand a lot more about these variables in 6-12 months.