Lambic Yeast Selection

[tbred]

After tasting some sours, I have decided to brew my own. I am still in the planning phase and was wondering what yeast or bug blend would be a good foundation to use in addition to bottle harvested bugs?

My local homebrew store is Great Fermentations and would prefer to be able to pick it up in store rather than ordering it online.

Thanks for all the incoming suggestions!

 

[sweetcell]

My local homebrew store is Great Fermentations and would prefer to be able to pick it up in store rather than ordering it online.

GF only stocks WL and Wyeast, per their website, so you're stuck using ol' Roesalare, Belgian Lambic Blend, etc. none of these offerings are very exciting. i would almost suggest just fermenting with a nice belgian strain and doing nothing but bottle dregs (lots of them, perhaps start collecting before you brew and store them in some starter wort).

IMO, if you're going to go through the trouble of aging something for a year, why not go with the best? something like The Yeast Bay's Melange or a bug mix from ECY will yield a more interesting (and sour) beer than anything from The Big Two Labs (TBTL).

 

[j1n]

GF only stocks WL and Wyeast, per their website, so you're stuck using ol' Roesalare, Belgian Lambic Blend, etc. none of these offerings are very exciting. i would almost suggest just fermenting with a nice belgian strain and doing nothing but bottle dregs (lots of them, perhaps start collecting before you brew and store them in some starter wort).

IMO, if you're going to go through the trouble of aging something for a year, why not go with the best? something like The Yeast Bay's Melange or a bug mix from ECY will yield a more interesting (and sour) beer than anything from The Big Two Labs (TBTL).

Where are you getting your sours? Only place around me is Total wine and the selection isnt that great. plus most of the selection doesn't have dregs in it. Think the only one i got in my last hault that has dregs is Monks Flemmish Red.

 

[tbred]

Where are you getting your sours? Only place around me is Total wine and the selection isnt that great. plus most of the selection doesn't have dregs in it. Think the only one i got in my last hault that has dregs is Monks Flemmish Red.

Big Red Liquors has a small selection of sours. It seems to turn over quickly. I normally shop at the one in Plainfield, but my buddy swears the one in Brownsburg is better. Just drank a Bruery Oude Tart last night that I had picked up.

 

[j1n]

Big Red Liquors has a small selection of sours. It seems to turn over quickly. I normally shop at the one in Plainfield, but my buddy swears the one in Brownsburg is better. Just drank a Bruery Oude Tart last night that I had picked up.

Well i was asking Sweetcell cause hes not too far from me and i could go to the same shops he does. The place you mentioned i looked up and in is Indiana.... Doesnt really help me.

 

[sweetcell]

Where are you getting your sours? Only place around me is Total wine and the selection isnt that great. plus most of the selection doesn't have dregs in it. Think the only one i got in my last hault that has dregs is Monks Flemmish Red.

i'm surprised that Total Wine doesn't have more sours with live dregs. i'm in MD so i don't make it to TW very often. i'll keep an eye open next time i'm there. they must have more than just Monks...

i typically pick up sours at:
- Whole Foods (the one close to my work, in Foggy Bottom, gets a decent sour every now and then. NoVa WFs get lots of good stuff, i would assume sours too)
- Rodmans
- online orders (once or twice a year)
- trades

i also brought back over a dozen bottles from belgium this summer, still working my way through those

another source of bugs are bottle shares: i'm the only sour brewer of the gang, so i show up to bottle shares with a small Mason jar of weak wort. the gang knows to leave me the last pour of anything tart or sour

i'm not familiar with the good bottle shops in NoVa, but there have to be some. where are you located?

 

[sweetcell]

i'm surprised that Total Wine doesn't have more sours with live dregs.

you're probably already aware of this, but just in case: http://www.themadfermentationist.com/p/dreg-list.html - could be useful for looking up what TW does have...

i'm not familiar with the good bottle shops in NoVa, but there have to be some.

i asked on another board, and folks suggested:

Arrowine (definitely carries a lot of sours)
Lee Heights Shops, 4508 Lee Hwy, Arlington, VA 22207

Lost Dog in N. Arlington

a few blocks from there is a place that carries probably 100 different bombers in stock
K-1 Daily Store
Address: 2516 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 22204

 

[j1n]

Thanks for the info! Were you the one that brought the sour to the GB? not the last one but the one before.

 

[sweetcell]

got another one:

Westover market has an excellent selection of hard to find beers (but kinda spendy), 5863 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205

Thanks for the info! Were you the one that brought the sour to the GB? not the last one but the one before.

the group grain buy? yeah, that was me & my sour saison. really happy with how that one turned out. sent two bottles to NHC... kinda wishing i had them back, i only have a few more left! you're of asian descent, right?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

I'm with Sweet Cell. I've made lambic Mead from Belgian lambic blend. It came out very good! But ECY 20 kicks it's butt.

 

[j1n]

got another one:

Westover market has an excellent selection of hard to find beers (but kinda spendy), 5863 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA 22205


the group grain buy? yeah, that was me & my sour saison. really happy with how that one turned out. sent two bottles to NHC... kinda wishing i had them back, i only have a few more left! you're of asian descent, right?

Yeah, i was the one and only Asian guy there. I tried your sour and it was very good.

btw i appreciate the info. will def hit some of those spots this weekend and get more sours. esp ones with dregs.