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Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 00:30:05 -0600
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Subject: Lambic Digest #900 (July 20, 1996)
Lambic Digest #900 Sat 20 July 1996
Forum on Lambic Beers (and other Belgian beer styles)
Mike Sharp, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Re: SA lambic article (Daniel S. McConnell)
Re: Oak Casks (Espourteille, Francois)
of lactose and wyeast (Rick Kessler)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 07:29:14 -0500
From: danmcc at umich.edu (Daniel S. McConnell)
Subject: Re: SA lambic article
Well, at least I tried....
>From: SCAinquiry at aol.com
>Date: Thu, 18 Jul 1996 17:07:08 -0400
>To: danmcc at umich.edu
>Subject: Re: SA lambic article
>
>Dear Dr. McConnell:
>
>I'm terribly sorry to announce that Scientific American does not grant
>permission for electronic reprintings of any articles.
>Perhaps permission could be acquired if it were to be reprinted in a
>print-format.
>
>Yours Truly,
>Scientific American
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 96 09:20:53 EST
From: fespourteille at mmt.com (Espourteille, Francois)
Subject: Re: Oak Casks
Al Korz clarified a point I was making a couple of posts ago:
"Although it sounds like Francois is implying here that the oak is used
as a place for the microbiota to hide, it may be mininterpreted by some
that the oak is expected to provide some flavour/aroma. I'll get to the
character imparted by the oak soon, but first, I'll like to address the
issue of fermenter permiability. I believe it was Martin that first
indicated that some oxygen permiability may be necessary for the Lambic
microbiota to work at their best. This is the reason that I chose to use
HDPE for my primary and then glass for my secondaries (yes Jim, making
sure to pick up much of the dregs during transfer)."
The oak indeed is used as a surface for the bacterial population
to colonize and to carry such population from batch to batch. I
should probably have been more specific as to the oak; I am partial
to French oak (no nationalistic reasons behind that) because it
imparts little or no flavor to the beer. American oak imparts lots
of flavor, such as vanila, woodsiness, especially in the first few
batches. My early attempts at Lambic in American (white) oak from
Arkansas were so strongly flavored from the barrel as to hide lots of
the other flavors. As the barrel ages though, it seems to contribute
flavors more in line with those found in traditional Lambics,
potentially filling the flavor gap resulting from incomplete or simple
cultures (using only the three basic organisms). But that took about
three years to happen! (I age 1 year in oak before blending). Al is
correct in pointing out that the bacterial population needs very small
amounts of oxygen after the main fermentation is complete. Barrels
fulfill that need by allowing some oxygen to enter the beer during
that year of aging.
Al continues with:
3. European oak (the type that oak Lambic casks are made of) is far less
oaky than US oak.
4. Most of the casks used in Lambic production are old and certainly after
two or three uses most of the oaky flavour will be gone. Some casks at
Cantillon are over 100 years old!
It is for these reasons that I believe that the oaky character we get in
Lambieks is probably made by the microbiota.
Al.
European oak indeed has little flavor. The only reason casks were
used initiallly was probably because they were the only thing
available at the time (way back when), not to add anything to the
beer. However, for the homebrewer, the use of casks helps us build
and keep a working population of Lambic organisms that are not easily
available in homebrew shops; also, once you have a "good" barrel,
infected with the right blend of organisms, it is much easier to make
good Lambic year after year. The trick is to achieve a "good" barrel,
and given the cost ($$$) of French oak, you don't want to damage too
many barrels!
I am new to this digest and I noticed references to literature that I
am not familiar with. Does anyone have a list of relevant Lambic
articles that could be posted, other than the traditional books
available to homebrewers and the literature cited in J.X Guinard's
book? Or perhaps scientific publications available in the U.S.
dealing with the complex world of Lambic production or specific
aspects of it? Any help appreciated.
Thank's
Francois.
------------------------------
Date: Fri Jul 19 10:23:05 1996
From: <rick at NJ06mon.house.gov> (Rick Kessler)
Subject: of lactose and wyeast
A couple of quick questions for the yeast and bacteria experts out there:
First, to follow up on the discussion of Wyeast Lambic Blend, does anyone
know if they are still producing their Brett Brux culture? Although I
would always add that culture in addition to lots of different bottle
dregs, I thought their culture was actually more worthwhile for ales
other than lambics and would be sorry to see it go.
Second, I know that sacchromyces do not metabolize lactose, but what
about brett strains? Are peddio able to metabolize it?
TIA,
Rick (rkessler at hr.house.gov)
------------------------------
End of Lambic Digest
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