Water profile for lambic

[JulianB1]

This is going to seem a bit out of step with how I described my brewing style in the thread devoted to that, but I'm planning to brew a lambic soon and am looking to aim for as many authentic aspects as possible. I'm not doing a spontaneous fermentation via coolship or anything like that, but I am planning to do a full turbid mash (using roughly the guidelines from Wild Brews), and I was wondering if the water profile is something that I should be paying attention to for this. I've never tinkered with the pH of my water before, or the hardness/softness or really anything at all, just straight out of the tap and into the kettle. So this would be new ground but the whole lambic process is so what the hell.

Chemists and previous lambic homebrewers are welcome to chime in here.

 

[stupac2]

Check out the lambic info thread, someone just linked a zip file with 3 PDFs, one of them is about homebrewing lambic.

But, FWIW, a buddy brewed a "lambic" at my place (it's not spontaneous, but used a ton of wild stuff) and just used the Oakland tap water, unadjusted.

 

[JulianB1]

Check out the lambic info thread, someone just linked a zip file with 3 PDFs, one of them is about homebrewing lambic.

But, FWIW, a buddy brewed a "lambic" at my place (it's not spontaneous, but used a ton of wild stuff) and just used the Oakland tap water, unadjusted.

Cool I'll check that out. Curious what "a ton of wild stuff" consists of. Bottle dregs and/or multiple commercial bacterial cultures?

 

[stupac2]

Cool I'll check that out. Curious what "a ton of wild stuff" consists of. Bottle dregs and/or multiple commercial bacterial cultures?

Both! Dregs from 3F and Cantillon plus several different commercial bacterial/yeast cultures. It looks awesome right now.

 

[JulianB1]

Both! Dregs from 3F and Cantillon plus several different commercial bacterial/yeast cultures. It looks awesome right now.

I guess I should arrange a lambic doming party the night before the brew day and make sure to get the dreg pours from every bottle into a sanitized plastic container.

Drinking a ton of lambic and gueuze, the things we have to do for the science of homebrewing...

 

[axeman91821]

I guess I should arrange a lambic doming party the night before the brew day and make sure to get the dreg pours from every bottle into a sanitized plastic container.

Drinking a ton of lambic and gueuze, the things we have to do for the science of homebrewing...

Indeed. I'm trying to make it a tradition to host a sour tasting on lambic brewday every year.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Check out oldsock's blog @ themadfermentationist.com.

I brew a lambic using his turbid mash schedule two weeks ago. Made for a longer brew day, but it was a good time and I feel like I learned a lot.

Mike's blog has actual volumes as opposed to percentages which made pulling off wort really simple.

 

[Billy Brux]

What is your tap water's profile? Is it chlorinated? What is your grain bill?

 

[Rau711]

I have a custom build coolship that I spontaneously ferment in, I use water through a brita and I think it has worked so far, the raspberry was pretty solid, see how the Cherry does in a few months.

 

[stupac2]

I have a custom build coolship that I spontaneously ferment in, I use water through a brita and I think it has worked so far, the raspberry was pretty solid, see how the Cherry does in a few months.

THAT'S SO COOL. Can we get pictures?

 

[Rau711]

THAT'S SO COOL. Can we get pictures?

Here is the top of it. I had it made to hold about 6.5 Gallons, I think it is good for like 6 though

Here is a close up of the bottom, I like a slight slope to a hole with a SS Ball valve and nipple

Here it is with a 6.5 Gallon Glass carboy next to it for size reference (Kinda, You can't see how wide it is, I wish I had gone wider, but my cousin built it for free so I am not complaining)

Here is the barrel I am using now for the this batch, and the Cherries I used before I filled her up.

I used sweet cherries so I can't really call it a Kriek, but that is just our little secret!

 

[stupac2]

Here is the top of it. I had it made to hold about 6.5 Gallons, I think it is good for like 6 though

Here is a close up of the bottom, I like a slight slope to a hole with a SS Ball valve and nipple

Here it is with a 6.5 Gallon Glass carboy next to it for size reference (Kinda, You can't see how wide it is, I wish I had gone wider, but my cousin built it for free so I am not complaining)

Here is the barrel I am using now for the this batch, and the Cherries I used before I filled her up.

I used sweet cherries so I can't really call it a Kriek, but that is just our little secret!

 

[Rau711]

Last time I used it I had to jimmy rig it into the house (I put it right next to an open window in my kitchen, I am single so this wasn't an issue) once full since I didn't want the flies getting into it out in the garage, I think next time I might have to make a window screen custom lid so I can leave it outside.

 

[stupac2]

Last time I used it I had to jimmy rig it into the house (I put it right next to an open window in my kitchen, I am single so this wasn't an issue) once full since I didn't want the flies getting into it out in the garage, I think next time I might have to make a window screen custom lid so I can leave it outside.

Or do what Cantillon does and infest your house with spiders.

Anyway, that's actually not all that different from something I made for work, is it stainless? It's pretty sweet, I'm impressed. Sometimes I wish I knew how to weld...

 

[Rau711]

Or do what Cantillon does and infest your house with spiders.

Anyway, that's actually not all that different from something I made for work, is it stainless? It's pretty sweet, I'm impressed. Sometimes I wish I knew how to weld...

Yessir, 100% Stainless Steel. I can weld a little, but my cousin is a badass welder with a special touch for stainless. He has been working on the Firestone expansion for a while, he was welding their wort lines and said the requirements were crazy.

 

[stupac2]

Yessir, 100% Stainless Steel. I can weld a little, but my cousin is a badass welder with a special touch for stainless. He has been working on the Firestone expansion for a while, he was welding their wort lines and said the requirements were crazy.

I hope he gets some free beer for that!

 

[Rau711]

I hope he gets some free beer for that!

They treat him like an employee so he gets the same perks they do, I mean in some aspects. He doesn't like stouts so when Parabola came out he hooked me up with some discount bottles. They also had a 3/4 filled keg, can't remember the beer but it was a 1/2 barrel so probably 805 or UJ, and they let him have it. I also got to know when they were bottling beers which was sweet. He is working on the canning line now, or right next to it, should see FW cans in about 6 months is my guess.

 

[Rau711]

Whoa, Back on topic.... Found these pictures of in action beer brewing lambic style.
Here she is right after I got done with the boil

And the next morning I already had action. (Sorry for the Blurry and also for the blue moons)

 

[JulianB1]

Thanks for the advice everyone, but I just want to say that Rau71 ****ing owned this thread so hard it's still applying aloe to sooth the burning sensation.

 

[Rau711]

Thanks for the advice everyone, but I just want to say that Rau71 ****ing owned this thread so hard it's still applying aloe to sooth the burning sensation.

Thank you! First I would like to thank beer for making this possible.

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Whoa, Back on topic.... Found these pictures of in action beer brewing lambic style.
Here she is right after I got done with the boil

And the next morning I already had action. (Sorry for the Blurry and also for the blue moons)

This was 100% spontaneous or more a mixed fermentation?

 

[Rau711]

This was 100% spontaneous or more a mixed fermentation?

100% spontaneous.

 

[Billy Brux]

Thanks for the advice everyone, but I just want to say that Rau71 ****ing owned this thread so hard it's still applying aloe to sooth the burning sensation.

Pics of a home made cool ship are always interesting. However, this has nothing to do with your original question. You didn't respond to my question. Not sure why. If you did, I could have answered your question.

Water adjustments are dependant on a known starting point which is currently unknown to those who could answer your question.

 

[JulianB1]

Pics of a home made cool ship are always interesting. However, this has nothing to do with your original question. You didn't respond to my question. Not sure why. If you did, I could have answered your question.

Water adjustments are dependant on a known starting point which is currently unknown to those who could answer your question.

Yeah sorry, I missed your post on the first time I read through the thread. I haven't taken a reading on my tap water source yet, so you're correct perhaps it would have been pertinent to do so before posting the thread. I suppose I was looking for past experiences or any knowledge of what the water is like for Cantillon/3F/etc.

With regards to grain bill, probably something like 15lbs of Belgian pils and 8lbs of flaked wheat for a 10 gallon batch.

 

[Billy Brux]

I suppose I was looking for past experiences or any knowledge of what the water is like for Cantillon/3F/etc.

With regards to grain bill, probably something like 15lbs of Belgian pils and 8lbs of flaked wheat for a 10 gallon batch.

I don't know what water profile Cantillon uses. It tastes like they don't use the same profile for every beer, but that could be wrong. I've had good results using this profile for light colored lambics. Light before adding any fruit, etc.

Ca - 60
Mg - 5
Na - 10
Cl - 95
S04 - 55
HCO3 - 0

You can't taste the minerals with this profile. There are several different water profiles that would be fine for a lambic, so I'm not saying this is THE profile to use, but it makes a good lambic.

I checked your town's water report and it didn't provide much useful information:

http://www.cityofflorence.com/docs/documents-public-works/2012-water-quality-report.pdf?sfvrsn=0

I can't tell you how to adjust your water unless you know what it contains and know what the pH is. Adding minerals blindly is a crap shoot that can ruin your batch. The water report does indicate your water is chlorinated and might even contain chloramine. Both of them are detrimental to your beer and should be removed. Leaving them in your water can cause off flavors and aromas of band aids or plastic.

The good news is they are easy to remove. At this point, the only tip I can give you to improve your water is to filter it with a good quality water filter that removes chlorine and to add some Campden tablet to your water to remove chloramine. This applies to all styles.

Another option is to start with distilled or reverse osmosis water which has no minerals. Since all the values are zero or very close to it, it makes it easier to achieve your target water by adding things like gypsum and calcium chloride with the assistance of a mash water calculator. Sometimes tap water can't be adjusted in an optimal manner due to it's profile, so many people start with a blank slate (DI or RO water) which can be adjusted any way you want.

If you want to get your tap water tested, you can send it to Ward Labs. https://producers.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.aspx

 

[franch]

nipple

lol