First time Labic

[BlackWatchBrewery]

Hello All...

First time here. I made an all-grain Lambic (my first) and needed some input on what I am seeing here.This is 3 months into fermentation. I used Wyeats Lambic for this. I assume this is normal considering the nature of the yeast\bacteria in Lambic but wanted to make sure.

Thanks

 

[gamb0056]

Wow - that's quite the pellicle. I'd say it looks pretty normal, but indicates that there is plenty of oxygen in the carboy. There is quite a bit of head space, which could explain the O2. How often do you open it to sample? Nothing wrong with a big pellicle, but be careful not to open the fermenter too often or you can introduce to much O2 and end up with excessive oxidation or acetobacter.

 

[BlackWatchBrewery]

Wow - that's quite the pellicle. I'd say it looks pretty normal, but indicates that there is plenty of oxygen in the carboy. There is quite a bit of head space, which could explain the O2. How often do you open it to sample? Nothing wrong with a big pellicle, but be careful not to open the fermenter too often or you can introduce to much O2 and end up with excessive oxidation or acetobacter.

Ok, good to hear. I have only opened it once in the 3 months its been sitting there. I usually dont like opening it up for obvious reasons like you pointed out.

 

[Calder]

Wow - that's quite the pellicle. I'd say it looks pretty normal, but indicates that there is plenty of oxygen in the carboy. There is quite a bit of head space, which could explain the O2. How often do you open it to sample? Nothing wrong with a big pellicle, but be careful not to open the fermenter too often or you can introduce to much O2 and end up with excessive oxidation or acetobacter.

Oxygen may be a reason for a pellicle to form, but I disagree that the presence of a pellicle is an indication of the presence of oxygen.

I have pellicles on beers that went into glass fermenters while still fermenting (creating CO2), and have very little head space. Generally I rack from the primary while still fermenting, or add some additional fermentables when I rack. All my sours are done this way, with very little headspace, and are never opened from racking until bottling. Everyone forms a pellicle.

 

[badlee]

Beautiful non the less

 

[gamb0056]

Oxygen may be a reason for a pellicle to form, but I disagree that the presence of a pellicle is an indication of the presence of oxygen.

After some more reading, I agree. According to "The Yeasts, A Taxonomic Study" (Kurtzmen, Fell, & Boekhout, 2011), a number of Brett species can produce a pellicle under anaerobic conditions. I had no idea.

 

[BlackWatchBrewery]

I am not on here much so I forgot to report back.

Unfortunately I had to dump this. Is was terrible. I was sour but there was little to no sweetness to offset that. It was undrinkable. I dont think I will be tackling this again.

Ill stick to Belgians from here on out. Stick to what I know.

 

[Xpertskir]

I am not on here much so I forgot to report back.

Unfortunately I had to dump this. Is was terrible. I was sour but there was little to no sweetness to offset that. It was undrinkable. I dont think I will be tackling this again.

Ill stick to Belgians from here on out. Stick to what I know.

WHOA....a good sour is typically not made in 9 months....


Also, a lot of people, myself included love bone dry sour beer

 

[Coff]

Wow, far too soon to dump a Lambic. Even if you thought it was too sour, or too dry, it sounds like the perfect beer to use for blending.

What you described sounded good even by itself...

 

[nofootbreak]

If you were expecting something like Lindemans than I can see why you might have been disappointed... but it sounds to me like it would have been a good beer.

 

[CA_Mouse]

My first Lambic was 11 months in the making and it was absolutely one of the best I've ever tasted. Very tart with almost no sweetness and 8%ABV. I've already brewed it's replacement and will be brewing another so that next year I will have 2 different versions. I didn't sample mine until the pellicle dropped (actually waited a week after it dropped). I never opened it after I racked it onto the fruit and added the Belgian Sour Mix until I sampled it. I kegged it a week after first samples were pulled. So I think you pulled the trigger a bit too soon. If the sample didn't taste good, you should have left it alone for another 6 months.

 

[PoorInRain]

even if you thought it was too sour, or too dry, it sounds like the perfect beer to use for blending...

+1

 

[FredTheNuke]

Wow you sure have a nice Pellicle....