The Motherload of Wild Yeast/Bugs

The 'Brew gods" send Brewpastor pounds of free hops, they send me free innoculated wood cubes with the following mix:

The List:

Brettanomyces lambicus (WY)
Brettanomyces lambicus (WL)
Brettanomyces bruxellensis (WL)
Brettanomyces claussenii (WL)
Brettanomyces sp. (Fantôme)
Brettanomyces sp. (Jolly Pumpkin)
Brettanomyces sp. (Russian River wood chips)
Lactobacillus sp. (Russian River wood chips)
Pediococcus sp. (WL)
Oenococcus oennii (WY)
Saccharomyces fermentati (Sherry yeast)
Kombucha yeast (oxidative yeast)

I haven't decided what to do with them yet. I was thinking of just doing another pLambic to hopefully let the complexity shine through. But I haven't decided for sure. The other option would be to do a sour/funk saison, which could be really good. Or a Kriek or some other fruited sour beer. The only non-possibility is a sour brown/red beer, because I have enough of that going now.

What do you guys think? Am I missing any intersting sour beers I could brew?

Looks to me like you've got twelve beers to brew, and what - a couple thousand different blends to experiment with? Seriously, blending's in your future, since so few of us has any idea what characteristics you'll get from ANY of those!

Nice score, BTW (but STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BREWERY! ).

the_bird said:

Looks to me like you've got twelve beers to brew, and what - a couple thousand different blends to experiment with? Seriously, blending's in your future, since so few of us has any idea what characteristics you'll get from ANY of those!
Nice score, BTW (but STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY BREWERY! ).

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They're all mixed together on the cubes. They were isolated, grown, and then mixed/innoculated into some medium with the cubes. Or something like that, only much more technical .

I'll keep away bird, but its not like they're in my pores or anything.

You know, that list looks very impressive, and I'm excited to see what you do with all of that stuff. I'm afraid I'm in bird's corner, though, in that I haven't the foggiest idea where to start.

Please keep us posted!

A plambic sounds like a plan. A big enough batch or alot of batches and you have the makings of a Gueuze/Fruit Beer factory.

Am I misunderstanding, or is he planning on intentionally creating an infected beer ?

I mean is that what a "lambic" is ? A beer with an intentional bacteria infection ?

Mutilated - see here.

Mutilated1 said:

Am I misunderstanding, or is he planning on intentionally creating an infected beer ?

I mean is that what a "lambic" is ? A beer with an intentional bacteria infection ?

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You don't know Landhoney, do you?

"Infected" is a loaded term; he's using alternative means of fermentation! All sour beers are acted upon by some form of bacteria (lactobacillus, usually) or some kind of "wild yeast," which is all Brett really is. I'm just starting to explore different types of sour beers myself, so I'm not the expert here, but yeah - one might say "intentional infection." Traditional lambics are often brewed in conditions that would absolutely shock you with regards to their cleanliness, but they've spend centuries cultivating particular "house yeasts" that infiltrate the brewhouse and produce the character that they are looking for.

The "Brew Gods"... I need to start going to that church (or temple) ASAP!! That is a serious collection of fun. Wow. I'm sure it's top secret but how in the world did you get them? And if you have any left over

My vote - brew a Saison.

I still say multiple batches and blending. I have a hard time imagining that there would be much consistency among three or four different batches, even starting with the same blend; seems likely that one strain might dominate in one batch, and another strain in another.

Mutilated1 said:

Am I misunderstanding, or is he planning on intentionally creating an infected beer ?
I mean is that what a "lambic" is ? A beer with an intentional bacteria infection ?

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Like bird said, the short answer is yes. As you can see from the list, some of the bugs are from great commercial breweries who make sour beers. The bugs are what create the sour/funk in these style beers, without them you can't make this style beer. Even sour mashing, you're using the Lacto/etc. on the grains. If you want to make these styles, you gotta get some bugs.

The bugs are from a very generous person. If he offers another batch, I will ask him if I can get some more. I don't think he wants to be inundated with requests, so his identity will remain a secret. But I would like to get you guys some.

Bird, the bugs are all mixed up, I can't make seperate batches with individual bugs and then blend them. The guy who put them together said I could make a starter though, thus using them in different batches and then blending possibly, but they'd be the same mix. They will grow at a somewhat different rate, but he said the Jolly Pumpkin strain is the only really slow one. I may not be understanding what you're suggesting though?

Russian Rivers sours mostly use a blonde ale as a base for their sour beers, so that's another possibilty for me to brew. I've been trying to find commercial beers to 'clone' but maybe I should come up with my own recipe/style. I don't know .

I know they're all mixed up, but are you convinced that you'll get a consistent result across different batches? It seems logical to me that one strain or another might dominate in different batches (different temperatures, different O2, other changes to the variables). I can't imagine that you'll have any real degree of consistency, which I think you can make work to your advantage.

the_bird said:

I know they're all mixed up, but are you convinced that you'll get a consistent result across different batches? It seems logical to me that one strain or another might dominate in different batches (different temperatures, different O2, other changes to the variables). I can't imagine that you'll have any real degree of consistency, which I think you can make work to your advantage.

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I see what you mean, yes I think the results will change. However, its like the Roeselare blend from Wyeast(they told me you can repitch it and the beer profile will change somewhat) and people's experience seems to be that it makes a better and more sour beer the second and third time around. But that doesn't mean the first batch isn't good on its own, or the second, or third on its own.

I'm not arguing against blending though. Its a great way to get the characteristics you're after, it may be necessary, and is a good way to get the new and old characteristics in one finished beer. However, I think the first batch could turn out great on its own, and the second great on its own in a different way. We're putting the cart before the horse though, the first batch is going to need 6 months - 1 year before I even think about making the next batch to blend with it.

Good dialogue bird, I appreciate it.

Tell you what; promise to send me a couple bottles from batches 1, 2, and 3, and I'll do my own blending...

They just arrived in the mail!

That's a nice collection of bretts.
You say the different strains are mixed, so a single cube has multiple, unknown strains on it? If the bretts are separate I would try a few of them in a Belgian strong golden ale. It will be ready pretty soon and a young brett character is really nice with the other yeast's spicyness.