First Lambic Results

I brewed my first and only lambic back in Oct '08, and it's been getting funky with Wyeast 3278 in a dark closet ever since.
I sampled it in Oct '09, and SWMBO agreed it has nasty, medicinal stuff. I was tempted to dump it, but haven't needed the extra secondary, so it has sat.
I sampled it today, and it matured into a tasty brew. Light malt flavor and tartness, has some horse blanket mustiness, mostly in the aroma. Quite happy I didn't dump it!

I noticed that the volume in the fermenter is about 1" less than my original fill line. I've had a bubble airlock on, and I replaced that with a double layer of Al foil.

I now want to add cherries to it. Looking at some of my favorite Lambic breweries, they add ~2# cherries per gallon. I think I'm going to get some fresh Oregon cherries, crack them slightly, then add them to the secondary.

How long to folks like to let it sit on the cherries?

Good to hear you didn't dump it. Lambics take quite a long time to develop.

Anyways, to throw my 2 cents in: I would put in 2-3 pounds/gallon and let it sit at least another year on the cherries. If you can put the pits in, all the better. I made a kriek a few years ago and it turned out great by letting it sit on the fruit (pulp, pits, juice, all of it) for over a year. Then, bottle and let it sit another year or so.

Another year or two sounds just fine.

I love that homebrewing benefits from my innate laziness

gxm said:

Another year or two sounds just fine.

I love that homebrewing benefits from my innate laziness

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im nerotic, so the fermenting some sours in glass has been nice so i can peek.
My lambic on the other hand is on oak so no such luck.
Guess ill have too buy some more boon untill then.
lol

Glad too hear yours turned out.