There's a fine line between clever and stupid (adding oligosaccarides to lambics)

[Bosh]

So, I have an infected batch of witbier. Rather than throw it away, I think to myself "hey, lambics are all the rage these days so let's try to turn it into one of them, the worst that could happen is I have to dump it, and I'd do that anyway so I have nothing to lose!"

And then I start river dancing on the line between clever and stupid. And think to myself "It's already been in primary for a long time, why not rack it on some fruit." And I rack it onto some yugacha syrup (Korean syrup that you make "tea" out of by spooning some into hot water, it's made out of citrons fruit, peel and all and some kind of sweet stuff that's supposed to be honey but usually isn't).

Then I see some dirt cheap oligo syrup (oligosaccharide cooking syrup) on the shelf and I think "hey, this stuff doesn't ferment just like malto-dextrine, I used it before to backsweeten a cranberry wine I made before, let's try that."

I add in the Korean oligo syrup.

Only then (due to being an idiot) I start researching the stuff a bit.

Then I find out that lactobacillus LOVES the stuff. It's sold in alternative medicine places as a way of getting more lactobacillus in your gut. Feeding lactobacillus is pretty much what it is FOR. So rather than balancing the lactic sweetness I've just turbo charged it. Great. I'm going to have the most acidic pseudo-lambic on the face of the Earth.

Well. This is going to make an interesting experiment. I love makgeolli, which is sour Korean rice beer made with a lacto/yeast culture but the commercial ones aren't sour enough, love the really really sour ones.

Will keep you posted as my idiocy/this experiment progresses.

I wonder when this stuff will be drinkable (ever?). Maybe mix it with sprite? Maybe just enjoy what might be the most sour beer ever made?

 

[kona_dude]

You could always save it and use it as your "souring agent" for blending. I know people that are running pure lacto cultures (in a keg no less) specifically for blending into other beers to raise the sourness. That can be a little more predictable than trying to hit a certain sourness from the get go with mixed fermentations. Just a thought.

 

[sweetcell]

So, I have an infected batch of witbier.
(...)
So rather than balancing the lactic sweetness I've just turbo charged it.

first off, what kind of an infection do you have? might be lacto, or might be another microbe.

second, that stuff that you added - i doubt that it is "super lacto food" only and other microbes can't get in on the action. lacto prefers simple sugars - as does just about every other bug that can ferment. so you're not super-charging the lacto (if you even have any in there), you've created a rich snack for everyone.

I would suggest that you pitch some known bugs - buy a bug mix from WL, WY, TYB, ECY, etc. sometimes wild infections turn out good, often they do not.

 

[Bosh]

Don`t really have access to known bugs in Korea and international postage is annoying. I`m not worrying too much about screwing it up since it was on the verge of being dumped anyway. I think it`s lacto since it has the same tang as makgeolli which is Korean rice beer with a lacto culture.

Now that it has had time to chew through most of the citron "tea" sugar it tastes surprisingly good. Wit esters go well with citron and since the oligo syrup is mostly intact it`s a pleasant mix of sweet and tangy.

What I`m thinking of doing is bottling it soon while some of the oligo sweetness remains, using plastic bottles and watching them like a hawk to prevent bottle bombs (and put all carbing bottles in bottling buckets to contain any bottle bombs that do happen) and then stick them in the fridge ASAP at the first sign of carbonation. If it tastes this good now, I don`t really need to wait a year.

 

[sweetcell]

Don`t really have access to known bugs in Korea and international postage is annoying.

in case you want to order some bugs in the future, some international folks here have had luck with BlackMan dried cultures.

then stick them in the fridge ASAP at the first sign of carbonation.

well, maybe not at first carbonation, but when they are sufficiently carbonated. putting the bottles in the fridge should stop carbonation so you want sufficient CO2 in there before you put the bugs back to sleep.

If it tastes this good now, I don`t really need to wait a year.

definitely! however you don't know if the beer will taste even better in a few months...

 

[Bosh]

Thanks for all the feedback. I`m being a bit paranoid about bottle bombs but should be OK.

Will want to age some residual beer (will put some in big bottles with balloons over the top and age it probably) but once the oligo syrup gets eaten it`ll dry out and it`s easier to share beer that isn`t really dry.

Am loving the actual citron. Can`t find much on this forum about using citron rather than other stuff that tastes like it.

 

[Bosh]

Bottled some and stored away some more for a year. Having big plastic bottles sitting in closed bottling buckets to guard against bottle bombs. Will post pic and taste when it`s carbed up.

 

[Bosh]

Served this one up to guests this weekend and went over way better than I could've hoped. People went through six liters of this (plus some sangria) and didn't touch the Korean beer in the fridge. Little bit of funk on the aftertaste and couldn't get quiiiiite all the citron floaties out by cold crashing. Overall have to put this experiment down as a success. Only problem was I had a bottle bomb 2.5(!!!) days after bottling and had to rush the rest into the fridge after that.

Taste: lot of esters is the first thing you notice (because of the wit yeast) then a good bit of malty sweetness with a long lingering citric/lambic sourness with a tiny bit of funk on the aftertaste.

Not by best beer by faaaaaar but fine and drinkable. I'll be doing the same thing in the future if I get an infected batch as I don't want to dump them and I'm too lazy/impatient to wait long enough for a true lambic, and this kind of pseudo one tastes OK. Also quite strong due to the extra sugars in the citron "tea" gloop I added, maybe 7%, but not a touch of alcohol heat so it really snuck up on some people who are used to Korean beer