Friday, April 13, 2012

Lambic Update - 5 Months


Over the weekend I was taking a hydrometer reading of the lambic (it’s down to 1.004) that I brewed last November and I decided to do a tasting. This lambic is not very complex, but hopefully complexity will come with age. I’ll probably pitch vials of Brett-C and the Brett brux Trois that comes out next month to introduce some more funk. Unfortunately, Richmond is a desert when it comes to finding commercial mixed-fermentation beers. Once in a while I might find a bottle from New Belgium or The Bruery with brett, but they are few and far between and beers with lactobacillus are unheard of.
Aroma: decidedly sour with hints of citrus; no vinegar character; a tiny hint of leather; no hop aroma or diacetyl
Appearance: pale yellow; mostly clear but with a slight haze; small bits of floating pellicle; still – no head or carbonation
Flavor: slightly sour – nowhere near as sour as indicated in the aroma; a touch of leather; citrusy; no hop bitterness or flavor; no diacetyl
Mouthfeel: still; thin mouthfeel; slightly slick on the palate; no warmth or astringency
Overall Impression: lacking complexity; needs more time for the Brett to take over and create complexity; would like more sourness – will probably need to blend with a Berliner Weisse to increase the acid bite

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