alanwelam
Well-Known Member
Hey guys... next week some time I'll be brewing my first Lambic. I have a little more research to go, but I know there is a wealth of knowledge here on HBT and I thought I'd post my plan and see what advice there was.
Here is the recipe:
5# light dry extract
3.3# wheat dry extract
2.0 oz Hallertauer hops that have been aged 3 years
Wyeast Lambic Blend #3278.
Plan:
1. Brew on brew day as normal. Pitch yeast pack into primary
2. Primary for 1 week at 70-72
3. Rack to secondary (fill secondary with CO2 first to inhibit mold from fruit)
4. Add 10# peaches. Peaches have been cubed into small pieces and in freezer
5. Attach blow-off tube to secondary
6. Add 2 oz of French medium roast oak chips
7. Let sit for 1 year.
8. Bottle
9. One more year...
10. Enjoy.
I saw somewhere that I will not be able to use the bucket again for regular brews after using it for a wild brew. My first question is should I be running the secondary in plastic or glass? If I use glass, can it be cleaned enough to reuse?
I know that the plastic fermenter will allow some oxygen to pass through, but glass should not. Oak barrels used in true Lambic production allow the passage of oxygen through the barrel.
Also, I have seen some using a regular yeast and then adding the Lambic blend after primary fermentation is done. Wyeast suggests dumping the package into the primary fermenter by itself. Should I try to stir up some yeast during racking from primary to secondary to ensure that a wide variety of yeast/bugs are present? I don't want the natural flocculation over the primary fermentation to change the profile of the yeast too much. I see a lot of guys not racking to a secondary, which would prevent the need for this.
Let me know what you think... I'm excited about this brew! All came about because the gf wanted me to brew a clone of Lindeman's Peche... I know this won't be a clone, but she enjoys a good lambic. I won't be pasteurizing or back-sweetening mine.
Here is the recipe:
5# light dry extract
3.3# wheat dry extract
2.0 oz Hallertauer hops that have been aged 3 years
Wyeast Lambic Blend #3278.
Plan:
1. Brew on brew day as normal. Pitch yeast pack into primary
2. Primary for 1 week at 70-72
3. Rack to secondary (fill secondary with CO2 first to inhibit mold from fruit)
4. Add 10# peaches. Peaches have been cubed into small pieces and in freezer
5. Attach blow-off tube to secondary
6. Add 2 oz of French medium roast oak chips
7. Let sit for 1 year.
8. Bottle
9. One more year...
10. Enjoy.
I saw somewhere that I will not be able to use the bucket again for regular brews after using it for a wild brew. My first question is should I be running the secondary in plastic or glass? If I use glass, can it be cleaned enough to reuse?
I know that the plastic fermenter will allow some oxygen to pass through, but glass should not. Oak barrels used in true Lambic production allow the passage of oxygen through the barrel.
Also, I have seen some using a regular yeast and then adding the Lambic blend after primary fermentation is done. Wyeast suggests dumping the package into the primary fermenter by itself. Should I try to stir up some yeast during racking from primary to secondary to ensure that a wide variety of yeast/bugs are present? I don't want the natural flocculation over the primary fermentation to change the profile of the yeast too much. I see a lot of guys not racking to a secondary, which would prevent the need for this.
Let me know what you think... I'm excited about this brew! All came about because the gf wanted me to brew a clone of Lindeman's Peche... I know this won't be a clone, but she enjoys a good lambic. I won't be pasteurizing or back-sweetening mine.