Fruit Lambic Without Infection

[Mattyc88]

Hey guys, I was gonna try to do kind of a fruit lambic but didn't plan on infecting the beer. I am going to use Wyeast 3278 Lambic Blend in primary fermentation then rack into a secondary with raspberries/blueberries and pitch a brett yeast. Then condition in a stainless steel keg for a couple of months.

I basically want an easy fruity spring/summer beer with light-medium tartness to on the back end. Kind of like New Belgium's Snapshot. Anyone have any thoughts on this? Will it work and get tart/sour without an infection? Also is a couple of months enough time for the conditioning?

 

[BGBC]

What do you mean without an infection?

 

[Mattyc88]

What do you mean without an infection?

I don't know, this will be my first attempt to any kind of sour beer. But I was under the impression that sours are typically intentionally infected with a certain bacteria at some point in the fermentation process to produce most of the sour flavor.

 

[thisisbeer]

The lambic blend you have is "blended" with bacteria. Here is some more info on your choice.

This blend contains yeast and bacteria cultures important to the production of spontaneously fermented beers of the Lambic region. Specific proportions of a Belgian style ale strain, a sherry strain, two Brettanomyces strains, a Lactobacillus culture, and a Pediococcus culture produce the desirable flavor components of these beers as they are brewed in Brussels. Propagation of this culture is not recommended and will result in a change of the proportions of the individual components. This blend will produce a very dry beer due to the super-attenuative nature of the mixed cultures.

http://www.wyeastlab.com/rw_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=129

That bacteria is what gives it the distinct taste. Hard to do one without it.

 

[BGBC]

I don't know, this will be my first attempt to any kind of sour beer. But I was under the impression that sours are typically intentionally infected with a certain bacteria at some point in the fermentation process to produce most of the sour flavor.

I'd read up a bit more on 3278. It looks like it contains sacch, brett, Lacto, pedio, and a sherry yeast.

Short answer is no, no way to make a 'lambic' style beer with just sacch yeast.

 

[Mattyc88]

I'd read up a bit more on 3278. It looks like it contains sacch, brett, Lacto, pedio, and a sherry yeast.

Short answer is no, no way to make a 'lambic' style beer with just sacch yeast.

Thank you both for your responses, forgive me for being slow... So i'm good with just this yeast, or should I get an ale yeast and use that first and then pitch this when I rack to secondary with the fruit?

 

[BGBC]

Just pitch the smack pack, no starter. And it will likely take more than a couple months to peak (even wyeast site says 2 years). No need for add'l yeast/bugs in secondary, unless you really want to.

 

[Mattyc88]

Just pitch the smack pack, no starter. And it will likely take more than a couple months to peak (even wyeast site says 2 years). No need for add'l yeast/bugs in secondary, unless you really want to.

At what point does it start to get any sourness? 3-6 months? Obviously, for my first one I don't want to wait 2 years. I'd like to do one that is a reasonable amount of time from brew to drink so I can get an idea and just recipes etc and rebrew. Once I get it down, i'll do one that is properly aged.

 

[BGBC]

Do a Berliner Weisse or another style if you want something with a quick turnaround. Or look into sour mashing.

If you're set on the lambic, try to be patient. Taste every couple months to see how it's coming along.

 

[Mattyc88]

Do a Berliner Weisse or another style if you want something with a quick turnaround. Or look into sour mashing.

If you're set on the lambic, try to be patient. Taste every couple months to see how it's coming along.

Hmm thanks, I may add some acid malts and use lactic acid during the brew to lower the pH of my wort to maybe help it out a bit. I also do brew in a bag, which generally produces a lower pH beer anyways, I believe.

Thanks for the responses.

 

[BGBC]

Well, best of luck. I should say that I don't have personal experience with that blend, so maybe someone who does will chime in.

If you're really looking for something that approaches the complexity of a good lambic, I think you really need to give the bugs time to do their thing. If you just want a beer that is sour, that's a different story.

 

[eastoak]

if you want a quick sour use some jolly pumpkin dregs and you'll have a sour beer in a few months. lactic acid is a poor substitute for souring bugs.

 

[eastoak]

build up the dregs to a reasonable amount of course.