Wyeast 3278 experience

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reed1911

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Well, I tried to make a RODBK clone more or less using Wyeast 3278 Lambic blend. Anyone have experience with this one? I don't have the malt bill in front of me, used 1oz Saaz in the boil and 1/2oz @ 15. They were old (3yr). 40 days into the ferm. and it has a light sour smell, old gym socks and horse sweat smell, same on the taste, very thin feel with an evaporated alcohol after taste. I tossed the pack and have left it in the primary, 5gal plastic carboy. There is about an inch of trub, from what I've read I can just leave it for the bugs.
 
RODBK?

I rarely have had great results from the blends alone. I often use them as a base to which I add bottle dregs from my favorite unpasteurized sours. The commercial cultures are often a bit bland, not enough acidity for my tastes. Give it more time though, young sours often have strange characters.
 
I've used it for a lambic not a rodenbach clone, it was a year before I tasted it & still need more time. I also like to add dregs to mine for complexity. If I was to go with a blend without dregs I'd use ECY20 that stuff is awesome.
Edit add; I normally leave my lambics on the trub but I rack my flanders. I don't think you can go wrong either way.
 
In my limited experience, the Wyeast blends are rather bland in the first generation, except in cases where I've aged the beer in a barrel. It seems the oxygen really makes the souring bacteria take off.
 
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