What to do with all this Lambic?

[Yourrealdad]

I need help deciding on how to approach storing some sour beers.


I currently have 30 gallons of lambic in my basement in carboys 10g of 1 year, 10g of 2 year, 10g of 3 year. I was going to try to blend them to make a gueuze. I have never done this so I don’t know how much will actually become a gueuze and how much will stay a lambic.


I am also picking up another 5g of lambic this weekend from a group barrel age project. I will probably just have this stay a traditional lambic (low co2)


So all in all 35g of lambic, with some becoming a gueuze.


I have a 4 tap keezer that has never seen sour beers.


Here are what I see as my options:


Option 1:

Free: Regular bottles for the group lambic (no cost)


Free: Keg everything and run it through the keezer (infection risk scares me)


Option 2:

$225: Champagne bottles for the gueuze (have to buy some bottles, possible 6-7 cases, capper, corks.) Edit: Can I just use champagne bottles with beer caps? Will they hold against the pressure and then no corking is needed?


Option 3:

$170-$250: Buy a separate kegging system with own co2 tank, regulator, kegs (1 or 2), air lines, party taps and store them in keezer (is there still much of an infection risk?)


Option 4:

$270-$350: Everything from the above option 3, but buy another small freezer to hold and serve the beer from.

Thoughts? Other options?
I would prefer to not spend a lot of money, but also want a system that is convenient, long lasting and reduces the risk of infection.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I suggest hitting up a local joint that does brunches to snag champagne bottles by the case. Good $ saver.
Regular caps/capper won' work on the champagne bottles - need corks and likely cages if you're going above 2.5 volumes.

If you keg, I don't see the need to have a separate CO2 system for tapping bugged beer unless space/distance are an issue. I personally roll with only separate gear post-manifold (keg, fitting, tube, etc.) and do just fine.

 

[Yourrealdad]

Nice thought of going to the brunch places. A homebrew club member is going to give me about 40 champagne bottles, so I won't need to buy many. I asked AIH about their bottles and they said they cap with 26.5mm or standard caps. Otherwise the bottles are 29mm caps. Just need a different bell.

I might still go the cork and cage route, but just can't figure out what corker works with all bottles well.

It sounds like the Portuguese floor corker will work with all bottle and corks with modification?
Can anyone confirm that you can use champagne bottles, Belgian bottles, Belgian corks with the Portuguese floor corker?

 

[dlettow]

I imagine the reason you considered a separate co2 system in option 3 is out of concern about microbes making their way up the line, into the manifold, and then to other kegs. I have a lambic that I eventually will be kegging, and I too am a little paranoid something bad like this could happen.

Then it just dawned on me, those inline hepa filters typical used with aeration pumps are specifically designed to block virtually all microbes. Wouldn't throwing one of them in the co2 line prevent this from ever happening, or given enough time would they find a way through? I also have no idea if those $5 plastic housings can withstand 10+ psi.

 

[Home_alone1]

I use a floor corker for the Belgian and champagne bottles , I find i need to use a spacer so the cork isn’t pushed in to far , I just use the closed end of a 5/16 wrench. For these I’d personally put them in champagne bottles after years of waiting , just that final touch .

 

[cactusgarrett]

I'm able to use that italian corker with both Belgian and champagne bottles, both with Belgian corks. You may be able to get away with no cages with the lower volume charges. I've got a bunch of 2.6 vol bottles carbed right now, and not a one has moved the cork at all, let alone pushed it to the cage itself.

 

[Yourrealdad]

Dltow you are correct in my concern. No idea about HEPA filters.

Home alone, what floor corker are you using? I have read just using a #6.5/7 stopper on a floor corker keeps the cork from going too far in, I just haven't found if the red Portuguese corker will be able to handle the champagne and Belgian bottles with the iris.

 

[charger]

I have 15 gallons souring at the moment and I have briefly though about this at times. Ive thought about kegging it just using my same system. Thought being that all beer through that liquid line has been fermented and is kept 38-40 degrees. Any infection risk will be mitigated by the small amount of fermentables remaining plus the relatively cold temperature. By the time any infection would be noticed due to slow activity, the keg would be long empty.

But then I’d like to have some bottle conditioned with refermentation to mitigate oxygen uptake. This will allow me to keep it cellared indefinitely-ish and for vertical tasting.

As information, that 15 gallons is intended for a continuously mixed fermentation project, like a homebrew solera approach. Package 5 gallons then top up and wait 6-12 months and package some more.

I would definitely bottle some of that for cellaring and if it’s an easy drinker keg some and run a party tap if you are really concerned about infection.

 

[Yourrealdad]

Cactus, I believe the Italian corker is basically the same corker as the champagne corker, but they swap out the iris. I am curious about the Portuguese red one because it is 1/2-2/3 cheaper

 

[MaddBaggins]

I use the same Co2 setup with separate valved line for a keg of sour I always have in the fridge. I don't run it thru the tower, just use a party tap on it. I've also painted that keg a different color than my clean beer kegs. I've been doing this for probably 7-8 years or more and never have any contamination issues.

 

[Home_alone1]

I just use the red Portuguese floor corker with the Belgian corks.

 

[Yourrealdad]

So Home Alone you are saying the red Portuguese corker works with champagne and Belgian bottles and Belgian corks? Just double checking

 

[Home_alone1]

So Home Alone you are saying the red Portuguese corker works with champagne and Belgian bottles and Belgian corks? Just double checking

Yes, I just use a spacer under the the nut because the nut doesn’t thread down far enough and without a spacer the corks get pushed in to far to properly put a cage on. The cork is a tight fit , but not to tight that you can’t push it into the corker , if you want when I get off of work tomorrow I can take pics

 

[Kent88]

I think the most obvious thing to do with a lot of lambic is drink it.

I'll see myself out now.

 

[Yourrealdad]

Yes, I just use a spacer under the the nut because the nut doesn’t thread down far enough and without a spacer the corks get pushed in to far to properly put a cage on. The cork is a tight fit , but not to tight that you can’t push it into the corker , if you want when I get off of work tomorrow I can take pics

No need for pics at this point. Thank you for the info. Just want to make sure everything works well together before I drop the dough on it.

 

[505-Brewer]

I use the same Co2 setup with separate valved line for a keg of sour I always have in the fridge. I don't run it thru the tower, just use a party tap on it. I've also painted that keg a different color than my clean beer kegs. I've been doing this for probably 7-8 years or more and never have any contamination issues.

Same here. No issues. CIP your gas lines from tine to time and you’ll never have any issues.