Can I drink It

[travis0123]

I did a lambic last year, cleaned brewing bucket with soap, bleach and sanitizer after fermentation. Last week I used the bucket for a kolsch, first cleaning with soap, bleach, and sanitizer.

I sampled the brew today and found it to be crazy sour. Could it be the old lambic blend stuck in my bucket, or some wild thing? Can I, should I drink it?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

If it tastes like a good sour, enjoy it, whatever the cause.

I haven't done a lambic yet, but most people who do either do their ferments in glass carboys or have separate plastic buckets designated for their sours only. If you have a tiny little scratch anywhere it could still harbor some lacto or pedio no matter how well you try to disinfect.

 

[travis0123]

I thought it couldn't happen to me! I sanitize and clean to the n'th power. Lesson learned i guess. is there any way to kill this stuff? Boiling water?

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

I thought it couldn't happen to me!

I am forcibly reminded of an old driver's ed. film. That's what they all think. 99 good brews, what could happen with the 100th?

 

[travis0123]

lambic, the gift that keeps on giving. Or,, lambic, the herpes of beer.

 

[inflictor-of-grimness]

One week to get a sour beer? Sounds like a blessing to me. Does it taste good?

 

[travis0123]

just tasted it again. It puts me in mind of beer with a bit of lemon juice concentrate in it. not so much the lemon flavor, but the tangy and bitter kick. I wish I had more experience with sour beers to give a better description. It doesn't have that barn flavor my lambic had at 12 months old.

 

[Shred]

Your description sounds more-or-less like the flavor I'm getting from my young, (2-month old) lambic. Could be cross-contamination. I did mine in glass but I used the same auto-siphon for a later batch... haven't tasted it yet, but I'm hoping I didn't do the same.

 

[travis0123]

Thanks for the info on your young lambic. I should sell my buckets as buy one bucket--get a sour culture free.

I am assuming even a wild strain of bacteria that may have soured my brew is still consumable.?

 

[Shred]

They say no known pathogens can live in beer. I've never tested it, but I think the consensus will be "drink up".

 

[travis0123]

Roger That

 

[Leithoa]

People do wild yeast brews pretty frequently with no ill effects. The hops and high sugar content go a long way to keeping the nasties out. Since you've already tasted it and aren't dead I'd say let it ride and see how it turns out.
When you cleaned the bucket did you do a soak or a quick rinse?
I once got an infection in some cider in a Mr. Beer Keg. I soaked it for 20-30 min in the hottest tap water I could get mixed with bleach. Haven't had an issue since. But I could just be lucky.

 

[travis0123]

I always do a long soak. Most of the time, I'll do it the night before brew day; or I use the bucket or carboy that's been storing the starsan.