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Lambics - Tony Vacek (January 1998)
Lambics are tough to brew. The Belgians we have found out use open fermentation method with the spontaneous fermentation being accomplished by local yeast infecting the brew. With all the effort we go through to insure that only the yeast that we have purchased gets to the beer this seems to be crazy. Envision for a second the places where they let the beer ferment. There are buildings with holes in the ceilings, Spiders and cobwebs over the fermenters. No wonder they get such sour tastes. But somehow through all this the Lambics come out with unique tastes that are both refreshing and desired. One point to consider is that prior to Pasteur and his findings all beer fermentations were random. We did not know about the various organisms that caused the fermentation process. Another thing that Lambics must have is at least 30% of their grain bill must be made up of unmalted wheat. Many Lambics are made with various fruits to add to the flavor such as cherries, peaches or raspberries to name a few. The original Lambics came from a very small area of Belgium in the province of Brabant called the Senne Valley. Belgians do not brew their Lambics in the summer because of the multitude of wild yeasts in the air at that time. So most brewing is done during times of cool temperatures.The actual name Lambic is from the Latin "lambere" which translates as sipping. The most acknowledged source of the term lambic comes from a town in the center of the lambic producing area known as Lembeek. This village was once the hub of all lambic beers. Another possible source is the name of the mash tun used in the lambic process known as Alambic. Lastly some have noted that the Spanish word "Alambic" translates to distillery during their presence and may be another source.
The lambics are all complex flavors this may be in part to the various stages of development. First we have the initial infection with bacteria that starts the fermentation process. This can last several weeks. This bacteria then gives way to the yeast that actually produces the alcohol. After several months the next fermentation begins, the Lactic Fermentation. The main player here is Prediococcus. This is where the lactic acid continues to increase and the ph of the beer falls. During and after this phase the Brettanomyces kick in and generate the barnyard aromatics. After about one year a pretty good beer starts to develop. At this point there are some brewers that have become proficient blenders that take this new product and blend it with older lambics. This mixing of the old and the new produces a taste that neither had before. Some of these blenders do not even brew their own beer but specialize in the art of blending lambics.
Can you brew a lambic at home? It has to be hard without the proper bugs in the house that you are brewing in. You can use the lambic yeasts that are on the market and you also can add lactic acid to try and imitate the natural lambics. A better source seems to be using the yeasts found in commercial lambics to create your own lambic. There are two items to consider with this approach first is the cost of purchasing the commercial Lambics. The second item is that you have to drink most of the Lambics to get to the desired residues. This may be tougher than you think, if you need help with this dirty job I might be available to help. With the residues you will have the complex organism that can help you to create your lambic. In a way you are the blender and can exercise your art. We have mentioned that with Lambics brewing is done during cool temperatures. You must make sure that no extreme fluctuations in the temperatures occur during the fermentation process. The shock of wide swings may destroy the actual organisms that you have gone to extreme measures to cultivate.
The hops that are used in lambic brewing are typically aged to the point that no other brewer will use them. All the normal hop characteristics are gone except for the antibacterial agents. The boiling hops used are more than normal with no other additions typically. Some homebrewers have taken hops and baked them at a low temperature. This will speed the aging process and remove the hop aroma. In Lambics the use of fruit per gallon is higher than in other fruit beers. This is due to the long aging process where the fruit flavors will tend to dissipate. One to two pounds of fruit to a five gallon batch is a good place to start. After you experience your own house lambic you can adjust from here. Plastic fermenters are more desirable than glass in that there is typically more exposure to the air that with the use of glass. Do not rack the brew at all. In normal brewing you tend to rack off the sediment to prevent off flavors from developing where as in Lambics you want that off flavor for your brew batch. With the production of Lambics you must be very careful not to infect your brewing area or equipment with the off yeasts and bacterias. This could cause your next batches of beer to turn out contaminated. Some homebrewers who do attempt to brew Lambics actually get separate equipment and areas just for the Lambics to prevent any possible cross over into their normal beers. With all that in mind good luck in your lambic attempts.
