Lambic with Lambic Blend yeast from the start?

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Musketear

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I was about to attempt my first batch of pLambic, but i am having a few yeast 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? Would it just be more sour? And would this be overly sour?
 
What is "overly" sour to you? If you want to replicate (or even get close) to real lambics, I'd suggest pitching the bugs to primary (assuming you are fermenting in a carboy and not an oak barrel)
 
It definitely depends on how sour you want it to be. Lambics are typically fermented start to finish with souring bacteria but that doesn't mean you have to follow. Some say they have bad luck fermenting with the sour mix only but in my limited experience I have not had that problem.,
 
Fair enough, thanks for the advice. I just finished and pitched only the WyYeast 3278 Lambic Blend. I don't really have a lot of reference as to how sour I like it, but probably somewhere near the same level as Lindemann's? Will just the 3278 be too much, or should I throw another bland yeast on top of it?
 
Lindeman's Cuvee Rene or the sweetened Gueuze? You can always blend in some clean beer down the road to cut the sourness if you need to.
 
FYI: WyYeast 3278 Lambic Blend has a Belgian Ale strain in it along with all the other bugs, so you actually DID pitch a normal strain in addition to the souring organisms.

Caveat: I've done exactly ONE sour beer, but it was with this exact yeast, and it smells TOTALLY FREAKIN AWESOME at the 3 month mark. I want to chug it now, but I'm going to let it keep going for a few more months. I added the dregs of 2 Orval bottles as well, and it definitely has that cherry-pie Brett thing going on.
 
I've used 3278 only for a few Lambics and 3278 along with Pedio. For the batches that had only 3278, I found the level of sourness good, but for my tastes, it could have been a tad more sour. Either way, I think you will be fine just pitching 3278. And like ghpeel said, it does contain both bugs and Belgian yeast, so you are off to a good start.
 
is the 3278 missing the pedio?

No. From Wyeast:
This blend contains yeast and bacteria cultures important to the production of spontaneously fermented beers of the Lambic region. Specific proportions of a Belgian style ale strain, a sherry strain, two Brettanomyces strains, a Lactobacillus culture, and a Pediococcus culture produce the desirable flavor components of these beers as they are brewed in West Flanders. Propagation of this culture is not recommended and will result in a change of the proportions of the individual components. This blend will produce a very dry beer due to the super-attenuative nature of the mixed cultures.

Personal tastes. Different strokes for different folks.
 
My first batch with 3278 wasn't all that sour. I added dregs and then Used that slurry for a second batch. I nailed the sourness (for my tastes). Third batch was melt your face sour. So... If you keep re-using it the bugs grow stronger.
 
Oxygen exposure is another factor there too. Glass carboys vs plastic buckets vs wooden dowel rig-things... all will have different levels of sourness.
 
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