Lambic 2013

My “annual” Lambic was the third beer in my triple-duty weekend.  This was the second time I had brewed a Lambic.  I was happy with the acidity in the first Lambic but the funk was lacking.  I transferred this directly onto the yeast/bug cake from the first Lambic and then also pitched a new vial of WLP655.  I’ve yet to taste it from the bottle, but the hydrometer sample was nicely acidic and there was a little more funk in the second attempt, but still not where I want it to be.

 

Brew Date: 4/27/2013

Beer Number: B32

Beer Name: Lambic 2013

Type: Lambic

Primary Fermenter: 6 gal. glass carboy (469 days)

Secondary Fermenter: n/a

Volume: 5.5 gal into fermenter

OG: 1.049

FG: 1.002

Expected IBU: 7

Expected SRM: 4

Expected Alcohol %: 6.17%

Calories: 157

Ingredients:

4 lbs., 3.5 oz. Weyerman Pilsner Malt

4 lbs., 11 oz. wheat malt

1 lb. flaked wheat

.5 lb. rice hulls

7 g. Mt. Hood pellet hops (6.0% AA) 90 min.

WLP 655 – Lambic blend

Step by Step Process:

Wort

1. Crushed grain in Barley Crusher, double-crushed wheat
2. Heated 16 qts. strike water to @168F and poured into mash tun
3. Added grains to tun and stirred – temp. settled at @150F at top of mash
4. mashed @ 1 hrs,
5. 2 gallons of boiling water was added to mash
6. Recirculated @ 2 qts.
7. Opened valve slowly and then wide open and drained into kettle
8. While draining, fired burner and set heat on medium.
9. When empty, filled with 3.5 gals. of 190F water, stirred mash, recirculated and drained
10. When empty, filled with 3.5 gals. of 190F water, stirred mash, recirculated and drained
11. Collected a total of @ 10.5 gal. wort
12. Brought to a boil
13. Added 7g. Mt. Hood hops at 90 min.
14. Using wort chiller, cooled to below 100F in @ 15 minutes
15. Covered kettle and allowed to cool overnight (inside garage)
16. Transferred to carboy on top of yeast/bacteria cake from B21 Lambic 2011 that had been bottled/kegged earlier in day
17. @ 48 hours, krausen was evident
18. @4 days krausen had risen through airlock
19. Airlock was removed, cleaned, sanitized and replaced back on carboy

Packaging (8/9/14)

20. Bottled 13 – 12 oz. bottles with 2 Muntons carbonation tabs per bottle
21. Transferred the remaining @4.5 gal. to a sanitized/CO2-purged keg