I've been corrupted...

[stblindtiger]

I've only brewed two beers so far... an APA, and an ESB (both extract recipes using specialty grains), but I was just at a local bar tonight and had my first taste of some Belgium Sours, Lambics, and even a wild yeast beer. I just HAVE to brew some of these!!!!

I had a Russian River Consecration, Kasteel Rouge, and a Monk's Cafe Flemish Sour Ale. I HAVE to make something comparable to these... no ifs, ands, or butts about it.... somehow, someway, I WILL make these at some point.

Are these that difficult to make? Am I about to bite off more than I can chew???

I don't know if I can ever go back now.... I have to figure out how to make these!


Sorry.... had to vent... LOL!


Off to look up some recipes...

 

[arturo7]

Sounds like a great bar. You should go there often!!

 

[dRaPP]

If I'm not mistaken, Lambics are made from a wild yeast that is common to a certain region of Belgium (or maybe Europe, and Belgium is part of the region). But you can probably buy the right strain. I also feel like I've read that the sourness is caused by bacteria, which I'd think you'd usually want to keep out of your beer, but maybe not in this case. Kasteel is pretty good tho, I was just talking about it just the other day.

 

[carnevoodoo]

If I'm not mistaken, Lambics are made from a wild yeast that is common to a certain region of Belgium (or maybe Europe, and Belgium is part of the region). But you can probably buy the right strain. I also feel like I've read that the sourness is caused by bacteria, which I'd think you'd usually want to keep out of your beer, but maybe not in this case. Kasteel is pretty good tho, I was just talking about it just the other day.

The sourness is caused by bacteria for sure. Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Brettanomyces... These are your bacteria and wild yeast strains. It can take 9-24 months or more to reproduce some of these beers, but I'd say that it can be worth it. I have to say my favorite of what you had is easily Consecration by Russian River. Such a perfect beer.

 

[arover]

I'm always scared to brew sours. I'm afraid I'm going to get the yeast somewhere it doesn't belong, and it's going to wreak havoc on my other batches. Just be extremely tedious in keeping it isolated from everything else.

 

[stblindtiger]

I think I may have found an easy recipe (extract) to try... http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/206

I'm a little confused about the aging process though. I thought it would take longer than 6 weeks.... I was expecting more like a year or so...

Any thoughts on the above recipe?

 

[dwarven_stout]

Welcome to the dark (wild?) side.

Edit: that recipe uses what's called a sour mash in order to get more sourness more quickly. People have very mixed success with sour mashing. If you have the ability to keep oxygen out of it (say, by blanketing it with co2) and the ability to keep it warm (say 110+), it can work very well. If it doesn't work very well, you get a sour wort that smells like sewage.

If you're serious about getting into sours, there are two great homebrewing resources here:
www.madfermentationist.com
http://www.babblebelt.com/newboard/forum.html?tid=1108752780&pg=1