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Lambic Digest #0759
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Date: Thu, 4 Jan 1996 00:30:06 -0700
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Subject: Lambic Digest #759 (January 04, 1996)
Lambic Digest #759 Thu 04 January 1996
Forum on Lambic Beers (and other Belgian beer styles)
Mike Sharp, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Do You Know These Beers (Guillaume le Mechant)
Belgian driving and drinking (Dan McConnell)
Cork Finished Bottles (Christopher Nemeth)
New Subscriber (wyatt)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 07:34:37 -0500 (EST)
From: Guillaume le Mechant <sirwill1 at netaxs.com>
Subject: Do You Know These Beers
> Date: Tue, 2 Jan 1996 18:14:33 -0500
> From: WALZENBREW at aol.com
> Subject: Do You Know These Beers?
>
> Mort Subite - Kreik Lambic
> Piraat - strong blonde ale (like Duvel - how does it compare?)
> Bornem - abbey dubbel style
> Ichtegem's - sour red ale similar to Rodenbach (how does it compare?)
> Golden Dragen (Gulden Draak) - amber ale (no other info)
> Houten Kop - amber spiced ale; primed in the bottle
> Augustijn - golden Abbey ale (tripel?)
> St. Hermes - golden abbey ale (tripel?)
I've tried three of the above. Piraat and Golden Dragon are very much
along the lines of the "Belgian Strong Ale" that can be found in most
California brewpubs. Very yeasty, a little too sweet for my taste, not
impressive. The apparent alcohol content seemed low and both brands had
that "drink me fresh" feel to them. I doubt that age will improve either
one. These are recent impressions (9/95).
I sampled a bottle of Augustijn in 1986 and immediately bought a case.
Even though it was bottled in small (25cl) bottles, I let most of it age
and the case was gradually consumed over a 3 year period. I really can't
recall details but I remember thinking it was VERY good and it definitely
aged well. My palate has become more educated over the past 8 years and I
wonder what I'd think of it now. BTW, I don't think it's a tripel. More
along the lines of a "strong ale." Bottom line on this one is that if I
were to fall across a case, I'd buy it.
S'Will
_____________________________________________________________________________
_ _ _
_ sirwill1 at netaxs.com _ "In the yin and yang of life, even the highest _
_ _ virtues seem to sometimes have a harmful aspect. _
_ _ _
_ _ (Kamala) _
____________________http://www.netaxs.com/~sirwill1__________________________
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 09:16:22 -0500
From: danmcc at umich.edu (Dan McConnell)
Subject: Belgian driving and drinking
I stumbled on this tidbit yesterday....
>Monday January 1 7:58 AM EST
>Belgian Driven Off Beer
>BRUSSELS (Reuter) - Belgium, renowned for its beers and beer drinkers, is
>shunning the national
>beverage after a clampdown on drunk driving, figures released Sunday showed.
>National consumption and production slumped in 1995 as tough drunk-driving
>laws introduced a
>year ago began to bite, the Belgian food retailers' magazine, Gondola, said.
>A slowdown in beer drinking, which averaged 188 pints a person last year,
>fueled an estimated 5
>percent drop in production in 1995.
>With one of the worst records in Europe for car accidents, Belgium
>introduced spot fines of $155 a
>year ago for drivers with a blood alcohol level of more than 0.5
>milligrams per liter. The previous
>limit was 0.8 milligrams.
DanMcC
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 09:50:57 -0600 (CST)
From: Christopher Nemeth <nemeth at gate.id.iit.edu>
Subject: Cork Finished Bottles
During 1995, the Digest pursued a line of discussion related to corking.
Last summer, I did my own experiment on a biere de garde batch which I
put up in both champagne bottles and crown-capped 12 ounce bottles.
My objective was to get the benefit of cork aging at minimal extra cost
and hassle.
I inserted a size 9 straight-sided wine cork into the neck of each
champagne bottle using a hand-held cork inserter, which retails for about
$18. After two weeks, I learned that this biere de garde can launch a
size nine cork about a yard in a flat unassisted trajectory.
After a quick trip to the hardware store, I fabricated simple wire
enclosures for the remaining bottles to hold the corks in place. Now
months along, they're collecting dust, forming mold on the minor seepage
and looking suitably ancient. I'll probably open one this spring, a year
into their storage. As for taste, alas, sampling the 12-ouncers showed
that the recipe (for a version of La Choulette amber, in the Indigenous
Beers special issue of Zymurgy) isn't what I had hoped for.
I'll plan to post an account of the dramatic side-by-side comparison
tasting between capped and corked versions.
Best of fermentations in '96.
- --Christopher Nemeth Chicago Beer Society Certified Judge
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 03 Jan 96 17:58:53 pst
From: wyatt at Latitude.COM
Subject: New Subscriber
Wyatt Jones
WyattJ at latitude.com
Hello All,
I just recently subscribed to the lambic digest and wanted to
introduce myself as well as ask a few questions. I have been brewing
for about 15 years. I have been thinking about trying to brewing
lambics for some time but have hesitated because of the risk of some
nasty beasts ruining the rest of my brews. I have read most of the
past lambic digests and the FAQ on lambics as well as the styles book
by Guinard (sp?). I have a lot of questions but some of them are
probably going to be answered only by experience
First Question:
I know that the Pedio and Brett need to have dextrins and starches to
sustain them through the long aging period. I also understand that the
dead yeast act as nutrients. In looking at the past digests it seems that
at least part of the trub also helps. Normally I would think this was
stupid question but with lambics it seems a lot of commonly accepted
brewing practices are inappropriate. Do you want to use a wort chiller to
precipitate cold break? Do you want to keep the hot break proteins out of
the fermenter or are these used as well. I assume that the cold break is
siphoned into the cask to provide nutrition for the microbes during aging.
Is this correct? A lot of the things I have been reading have been
contradictory but nothing is said about this.
Second Question Group:
I have never used casks before and I am a little nervous about
contamination. I have found 4 used (for chardonay) 30 gal reconditioned
(but not shaved) French oak casks. As I don't have equipment quite that
large I plan to run two batches. I don't have a lot of room so I plan to
keep it in the spare room I use as a "cellar". It seems to stay cool most
of the year except in the summer. I might buy some kind of refrigeration
device when and if it becomes necessary. I am pretty anal about
sanitation but I can't do anything like autoclave my fermenter. I usually
sterilize my starters in a pressure cooker anyway but that is out of the
question for a batch of real brew. I plan to keep separate equipment for
items that are likely to harbor contamination such as rubber and plastic
items, everything but glass and metal.
1. How isolated does this area need to be from my brewing area?
2. I assume the max. temp wanted is 75 degrees F. Is this correct?
To develop the complexity I understand that it is important to vary
the temp to enhance the development of the different organisms.
Has anybody done any research on the effect of various yearly
temperature curves (I plan to monitor and experiment anyway but
with a feedback loop the length of lambic aging I definitely would
appreciate a head start)?
3. What should the humidity of the area be.
4. Any special cask conditioning hints? I just bought the Pale Ale
styles book and it has a section on cask care (I haven't read it
yet) but I am interested in optimizing for lambic (that's the only
reason I bought the casks).
Third Question Group:
This turbid mash thing is confusing me. I have seen a few
different techniques and have read about the milky white appearance
of the wort in this digest. I would be interested in hearing about
your favorite mashing schedule, techniques)and especially in the
reasons why you use it. The concept of a turbid mash is pretty
foreign to me at this point and probably will be until I try it.
Makes me a little nervous.
Fourth Question:
Where are the best sources to get cultures? I have obtained a
Brettanomyces Bruxellensis culture(Wyeast), and have Brettanomyces
Lambicus and Pediococcus Damnosus cultures(Yeastlabs) on order. I
would like to get more variety but that will probably take some time.
Anyplace I can get K. Apiculata. I understand that the major
contribution of this yeast is for clarity but am open to more info.
The Sachromyces culture I plan to use is the Wyeast German Ale ( I
forget the Number) as it is more attenuative (slightly) than the
American Ale (Wyeast 1056) suggested and I generally like it better
although it produces less of a yeast cake which may be a problem if
dead yeast are required to feed the other microbes during aging. I
could add yeast nutrient with the Brett culture after the main
fermentation. Any comments?
------------------------------
End of Lambic Digest
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