Brewing a Wild Fermentation Beer

[SwampFoxBrewer]

I posted a similar thread in the general discussion, but ended up getting more feedback critiquing my verbiage and questions than answers. Maybe I posted in the wrong forum; I apologize if so

Going to try and be as clear as possible for anyone willing to offer advice. Please do not respond to criticize – I’m a new brewer attempting to learn. If you have helpful suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

Here’s my goal: brew a spontaneous beer using wild yeast in my area.

Here’s my question(s): who has done this before? What did you do? How did it turn out?

In my understanding, Belgian Lambics are inoculated with wild yeasts. However, isn’t a wort prepared? It’s not like grains are tossed in water and left alone outside for a year.

Again, new brewer, trying to learn. I know this may be generally considered something for a more advanced brewer to tackle, but I’m willing to just give it a try. Especially before warmer weather sets in and brings pollen and gunk. Thanks!

 

[cmac62]

@SwampFoxBrewer, I'll start with I have never done a wild ale. Here is an article about collecting wild yeast: Collecting Wild Yeast. I always thought it an interesting idea, but don't want to put in the time required. To answer your questions: Lambic can use wild yeast, but can also use yeast company blends where they generally have a regular type yeast and some bret mixed in. The bret is what gives it the sour/funky flavor. Yes, you brew a beer as usual then pitch your mix. If you are trying to do a lambic then you can skip most of the boil and don't bother with hops as they will get buried in the sour/funk flavor. Come to think of it I did participate in a club sour project a few years ago. I'm not a big sour fan so I think after a few pours I dumped it. Anyway, I hope this helps and good luck with your experiment.

 

[VikeMan]

In my understanding, Belgian Lambics are inoculated with wild yeasts. However, isn’t a wort prepared? It’s not like grains are tossed in water and left alone outside for a year.

Yes, of course a wort is prepared. Wort preparation for a beer to be fermented with "wild" yeast (and other microbes, like in a Lambic) is the same process as wort preparation for a beer to be fermented with a pure yeast culture (or blend).

 

[Kickass]

I gave spontaneous fermentation a go once. I didn’t “capture” anything worth drinking. The beer was funky, in a bad way, and only attenuated to about 60% IIRC. From most of my reading, this is a pretty common result. I don’t say this to discourage you. Give it a go, you may be more lucky or like what you get.

 

[khannon]

Great little walkthrough here DIYeast: Capturing Yeast

 

[mac_1103]

Maybe I posted in the wrong forum; I apologize if so

I don't know if you posted in the wrong forum, but you may have asked the wrong question. Or asked the question the wrong way.

Here’s my goal: brew a spontaneous beer using wild yeast in my area.

Belgian Lambics are inoculated with wild yeasts.

There's a difference between spontaneous fermentation and inoculating with wild yeast. Spontaneous means that you let whatever happens to find your wort ferment it. Collecting, culturing and pitching wild yeast is a bit more involved. And might give you a better result depending on where you do your yeast hunting.

My father always fermented his wine with whatever yeast happened to be on the grapes. I think that's spontaneous fermentation in its purest form, but not something you can easily do with beer. Even if you don't boil, mash temps are going to kill most yeast.

 

[skunkape]

Made a no-boil, no hops wort from a wheat beer extract kit once and tossed in a few spotty ripe apples from a neighbor's tree. Made some stuff on top that looked like bubbles trapped in spider webs and eventually went very dry and kinda wet cardboard. Had some interesting moments along the way with sour and funky notes as it progressed, but the end product was rank. Never had the need to waste wort since.

 

[SwampFoxBrewer]

I don't know if you posted in the wrong forum, but you may have asked the wrong question. Or asked the question the wrong way.


There's a difference between spontaneous fermentation and inoculating with wild yeast. Spontaneous means that you let whatever happens to find your wort ferment it. Collecting, culturing and pitching wild yeast is a bit more involved. And might give you a better result depending on where you do your yeast hunting.

My father always fermented his wine with whatever yeast happened to be on the grapes. I think that's spontaneous fermentation in its purest form, but not something you can easily do with beer. Even if you don't boil, mash temps are going to kill most yeast.

Thank you for this clarification: that’s exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I didn’t realize the difference between these two terms (again, new brewer here), so your explanation between spontaneous/wild yeast inoculation makes sense.

 

[SwampFoxBrewer]

Thanks to everyone who has answered – this is why I so appreciate this forum.

Based on this feedback, I guess my desire is to inoculate with a wild yeast, not to engage in a spontaneous fermentation.

I’ll do some additional research in the links @khannon and @cmac62 shared (again, thank you both!) as well as some more investigation on my own.

Thanks for steering me straight, all!

 

[Rish]

You might want to start with a small batch (1-2 gallon) so you don't have as much invested if it doesn't work out and you dump it. If it turns out great you can use the yeast cake for a full size batch.