Belgian Yeast and Lambic Blend Yeast

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Musketear

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I was about to attempt my first batch of Lambic clone, but i am having a few issues. When I went to get my supplies, I got a bunch of wheat and a packet of the WyYeast Lambic Blend. But I have been reading around, and it seems like a lot of people recommend doing primary fermentation with a Belgian yeast and then racking to a secondary on top of your fruit and adding the Lambic blend at that point. What will happen if I just use the Lambic blend from the get-go?
 
I should also mention that I have both WyYeast 5526 and 3278, since they were out of 3278 the first time I visited, which is what I thought I needed. Having second thoughts now though....
 
Which Lambic are you trying to clone? It's pretty well agreed upon that the earlier you add the souring bugs to the party, the more pronounced souring you'll get. Beyond that, you may want to read through the lambic section of this board. The people that stop in there know a lot more about sour fermentation than the average brewer in this section.
 
I am just trying to make a general Lambic, didn't really have one in mind. I don't drink them very often since they are so pricey, which is why I was hoping to make my own! I guess I will have to go take a look at the other message board.

Would it be WAY to sour if I added them straight from the beginning?
 
Would it be WAY to sour if I added them straight from the beginning?

That depends upon what you like. Do you prefer, for example, Lindemann's fruited labics or Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze? They're totally different beasts.

That said, how much do you know about lambic production? Are you prepared for turbid mashes, multi year fermentations, blending, handling wild yeasts and bacteria, etc.? There's a reason those beers are expensive. They're not easy to make.
 
I was going for a fruited lambic, raspberry to be precise.

And I know very little about lambic production. I know they take longer to fully mature, which I am prepared for. I am not planning on getting into the blending and the wild yeast culturing yet. And it is already too late for whatever turbid mashing is :cross:
 
Don't worry too much about turbid mashing -- I guess you won't have a particularly traditional lambic without it, but you'll get a very good beer.

I've made a few beers, both traditional lambics and sour beers with not so traditional grain bills using nothing but the Wyeast lambic blend. You can ferment just fine with that alone as it includes some un-named strain of sacchormyces in addition to the bret, lactobaccilus and pediococcus. I have 12 beers left from my original attempt back in late 2008 that has really come into its own now. That said, my wife (who I brewed this for originally) and I both like very sour (Cantillon Geueze) beers, and this is only now starting to pick up that nice acidic tang. Before that it had some acidity, but predominantly horsey, barn yard type funk from the Bret. Raspberries will add some additional acidity, as well as some wild yeasts of their own if you're not careful.

If I were you, I'd just pitch the Lambic blend and let it ride for at least a month in primary. Then put your fruit in secondary and rack onto it. Someone on here will know how to make sure the fruit is sanitized enough that you don't have to worry about local wild yeasts "infecting" your lambic. Since the bugs will eat most of the raspberries, I don't think you have to worry too much about pulling it off the fruit. Someone else who has more experience with this may have a different opinion, though. Then let it sit in secondary for a god 6 months while the wild yeasts chew through the dextrans and starch from the wheat and raspberries. Once you bottle it, give it another few months before digging in.

Good Luck!
 
just make sure you can wait a year - i'd pitch them all together to be honest. the reality is a true lambic is spontaneously fermented and it is fermented with all the sacc/brett/pedio/lacto all at the same time, it's not as if they can control it.

i'd be very hesitant to pitch bugs long before (beyond 72 hours) a yeast...
 
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