BklynCyclone
Active Member
I started my first lambic last year but I didn't exactly follow the schedule I was planning on as life happened and I more or less forgot about it in my fermentation room. I know that I haven't technically done things correctly to date, and am not interested in what I should have done. However, I'm interested in what those experienced with lambics would do with what I've got now. Here's the synopsis of the beer in question to date:
February 14, 2012: Brewed a 10 gallon batch of 1050 or so with a bit of saaz hops, mostly maris otter with a little caramel malt for color. Split into two glass carboys and pitched wyeast lactobacillus, splitting one pack between the carboys. Placed in water tub with aquarium heaters and kept at 76 degrees for 3-4 months. Continued fermentation between 64 and 66 degrees.
Easter Sunday, 2013: Finally brewed another batch of beer(life happened, specifically I had twins), and realized I still had wyeast lambic blend and pedio in the fridge, expired. Figured wth, and pitched them both. Nothing seemed to be going. Taste of beer was still sweet, but with a yogurt tang. (only had lactobacillus in it up to this point).
April 16, 2013: Started a white labs brett over the weekend. On the 16th I noticed that the previous brett I had pitched was now actively fermenting. Pitched a 2 liter starter of the white labs brett divided into the two carboys to add another strain of the brett.
April 20, 2013: Added 2 oz of medium toasted oak cubes soaked in bourbon for a week to one carboy.
Not sure what to do next other than wait. I'd like to add cherries to one of them, probably the oaked version. Plan is to bottle and cork in belgians on 2/14/14, drink on easter 2014-2020, special occasions only if it turns out ok. Not sure when I should add the cherries, or what I should add (canned cherries, or fresh) I'm thinking I could add fresh in season, which would be about perfect timing, but defaulting to those of you that have done this before.
I pretend like this beer doesn't even exist, so much so that I never actually pitched the brett 2 weeks after the lacto like I originally intended. (Instead waiting over a year accidentally). Current fermentation temp is 64-65, will likely stay within a degree or 2 of that either direction.
Any ideas of what I should do next? I do have a 5 gallon barrel ready, but I think I want to do a couple imperial ipas in there first, then turn it into my sour barrel. I'll basically have a base version lambic, and then an oaked cherry version when I'm done for comparison.
February 14, 2012: Brewed a 10 gallon batch of 1050 or so with a bit of saaz hops, mostly maris otter with a little caramel malt for color. Split into two glass carboys and pitched wyeast lactobacillus, splitting one pack between the carboys. Placed in water tub with aquarium heaters and kept at 76 degrees for 3-4 months. Continued fermentation between 64 and 66 degrees.
Easter Sunday, 2013: Finally brewed another batch of beer(life happened, specifically I had twins), and realized I still had wyeast lambic blend and pedio in the fridge, expired. Figured wth, and pitched them both. Nothing seemed to be going. Taste of beer was still sweet, but with a yogurt tang. (only had lactobacillus in it up to this point).
April 16, 2013: Started a white labs brett over the weekend. On the 16th I noticed that the previous brett I had pitched was now actively fermenting. Pitched a 2 liter starter of the white labs brett divided into the two carboys to add another strain of the brett.
April 20, 2013: Added 2 oz of medium toasted oak cubes soaked in bourbon for a week to one carboy.
Not sure what to do next other than wait. I'd like to add cherries to one of them, probably the oaked version. Plan is to bottle and cork in belgians on 2/14/14, drink on easter 2014-2020, special occasions only if it turns out ok. Not sure when I should add the cherries, or what I should add (canned cherries, or fresh) I'm thinking I could add fresh in season, which would be about perfect timing, but defaulting to those of you that have done this before.
I pretend like this beer doesn't even exist, so much so that I never actually pitched the brett 2 weeks after the lacto like I originally intended. (Instead waiting over a year accidentally). Current fermentation temp is 64-65, will likely stay within a degree or 2 of that either direction.
Any ideas of what I should do next? I do have a 5 gallon barrel ready, but I think I want to do a couple imperial ipas in there first, then turn it into my sour barrel. I'll basically have a base version lambic, and then an oaked cherry version when I'm done for comparison.
