Lambic with Intense Dirty Diaper Aroma

[jamest22]

I have a Lambic that has been in a better bottle for 8 months. It was pitched with Wyeast Lambic blend and some Cantillon dregs. I've sampled it every couple months since I brewed it. In the past two months it has developed an intense, horrible dirty poopie diaper aroma. I am wondering if this is just a stage in the fermentation and aging process that will eventually subside, or if some undesireable bugs are at work and have ruined the beer. OG was 1.049, current gravity is about 1.016. This is my first time brewing a lambic.

Anyone out there experienced a poopie diaper stage in lambic fermentation? If so, is this normal and did it eventually age out?

 

[emjay]

8 months is a terrible time for lambic... I don't even bother tasting it until AT LEAST a year. It will, in all likelihood, subside.

 

[BenWillcox]

I can't speak to the Dirty diaper aroma but that Gravity seems awfully high for an 8 month old lambic. Mine is only 3 months old and is currently sitting at 1.008 (as of 3 days ago). I think I had hit 1.013 within 2 weeks of pitching and I also pitched Wyeast 3278 lambic blend.

Is there anything else you can tell us? what temperature did you mash at? Did you do a turbid mash? etc.

 

[jamest22]

I can't speak to the Dirty diaper aroma but that Gravity seems awfully high for an 8 month old lambic. Mine is only 3 months old and is currently sitting at 1.008 (as of 3 days ago). I think I had hit 1.013 within 2 weeks of pitching and I also pitched Wyeast 3278 lambic blend.

Is there anything else you can tell us? what temperature did you mash at? Did you do a turbid mash? etc.

I used the lambic recipe in Wild Brews and followed the Wyeast Lambic Mash outlined in the book which uses a mash temp of 158. I actually documented all the details of the brewday on my blog last year: http://ahomebrewlog.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

 

[BenWillcox]

I used the lambic recipe in Wild Brews and followed the Wyeast Lambic Mash outlined in the book which uses a mash temp of 158. I actually documented all the details of the brewday on my blog last year: http://ahomebrewlog.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html

I don't know what to tell you other than that, as has already been said, Lambics tend to "get sick" at least once along the way. If I had to guess I would say that the diaper aroma is from the pediococus in which case the Brett should clear it up given enough time. If its a result of the Brett however...But as I said before, 1.016 seems really high for an 8 month old lambic to me.

 

[weremichael]

Crooked Staves petite sour had the same issue about a year ago. My wife told Chad that it tastes like garbage (he laughed).

Let your baby develop. More importantly, you shouldn't taste a lambic until it's at least a year old. Let it do its thing.

I remind myself by putting a "no taste until XXX date" on each carboy. It keeps me honest.

 

[levifunk]

I find that dirty diaper smell to be common in Cantillons, especially the older bottles, so I wouldn't call it off. As the lambic ages, it will develop new smells/flavors. I'd venture to guess right now something in there has enjoyed the warmer temps and took off. Seasonal changes are normal and good for the lambic.

I don't think you should NEVER taste your lambic as it ages (its fun to see how it changes), but when you do, you are looking to make sure its on the right track. Basically making sure that acetobacter hasn't run rampant.

 

[edecambra]

I used the blend and mine got down from 1.049 to 1.008 in primary, and is getting crusty now (2 months in) There are lots of residual sugars in that brew and with all that food for those bugs, i'm sure they will clean up those poopy by products.

Good luck, but just in case perhaps you should make another one now to get to aging.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Brett can make some nasty flavors and smells as it ferments. My first use of the brett-saison blend I have was bottled after about three months (at the time I didn't know it had brett in it) and when I tried drinking a bottle the flavor would start off nice and saison-y then it would attack you with this sewage aftertaste. Really revolting. I let the bottles sit for a few months and sure enough it cleaned up and became a wondrous brett saison.

 

[weremichael]

I find that dirty diaper smell to be common in Cantillons, especially the older bottles, so I wouldn't call it off. As the lambic ages, it will develop new smells/flavors. I'd venture to guess right now something in there has enjoyed the warmer temps and took off. Seasonal changes are normal and good for the lambic.

I don't think you should NEVER taste your lambic as it ages (its fun to see how it changes), but when you do, you are looking to make sure its on the right track. Basically making sure that acetobacter hasn't run rampant.

I don't taste mine because of two reasons: I don't want oxygen to get into the carboy and I want all the beer for consumption when it's ready. You can prevent the first one by purging with CO2.