The Brewer

Lambic Style Brewing Guide: The Wild Frontier

Lambic Style: The Patience of Job

True Lambic can only be brewed in the Pajottenland region of Belgium, using spontaneous fermentation from the local air. However, as homebrewers, we can create incredible “Lambic-style” wild ales by pitching our own blend of wild critters. This is not a beer you brew in a month. This is a project that takes one to three years.

1. The Microbes

You need a “Bug Blend.”

  • Saccharomyces: Standard ale yeast.
  • Brettanomyces: Wild yeast (Bruxellensis and Lambicus) for funk.
  • Lactobacillus: For sourness.
  • Pediococcus: For deep acidity and “ropiness” (which Brett eventually breaks down).
  • Commercial Blends: Wyeast 3278 (Lambic Blend) or WLP655 (Belgian Sour Mix) contain all of these.

2. Ingredients

The Malt: Turbid Mash?

Traditional Lambic uses a “Turbid Mash” to leave massive amounts of starch and dextrins in the wort for the slow-acting wild yeast to eat over years.

  • Homebrew Hack: Mash high (70°C / 158°F) to create a less fermentable wort. Or add Maltodextrin powder to the boil.
  • Grain: 60% Pilsner, 40% Flaked Wheat (Raw wheat is traditional).

The Hops: Aged

You want preservative power without bitterness (which inhibits the bacteria).

  • Aged Hops: Use hops that are 2-3 years old and have lost their alpha acids. They smell cheesy. This is good.
  • Alternative: Use a tiny amount (5 IBU) of very low alpha hops.

3. Process: The Long Wait

  1. Brew: Mash high, boil, cool.
  2. Pitch: Add your Lambic Blend.
  3. Forget: Put the fermenter in a dark corner. Do not touch it.
    • The Pellicle: A weird, dusty, bubbly film will form on top. Do not skim it. It protects the beer from oxygen.
  4. Wait:
    • 6 Months: It will be mildly sour.
    • 12 Months: The funk appears.
    • 18 Months: Complex, dry, vinous.

4. Fruit: Kriek and Framboise

Most Lambic is consumed with fruit.

  • Usage: Add fruit after at least 12 months of aging. The Brett will eat the fruit sugars, leaving a dry, intense fruit flavor.
  • Cherries (Kriek): Use sour Morello cherries. 2 lbs per gallon.
  • Raspberries (Framboise): 2 lbs per gallon.
  • Apricots: 2 lbs per gallon (Fou’ Foune style).

5. Recipe: “Pajottenland Tribute”

  • Batch Size: 5 Gallons (19 Liters)
  • OG: 1.050
  • FG: 1.000 (Eventually)
  • ABV: 6.5%
  • IBU: 5

Grain Bill

  • 2.7 kg (6 lbs) Belgian Pilsner Malt
  • 1.8 kg (4 lbs) Flaked Wheat
  • 0.23 kg (0.5 lb) Maltodextrin (Food for the bugs)

Hops

  • 50g (1.75 oz) Aged Hops (0% AA) @ 60 min

Yeast

  • Wyeast 3278 Lambic Blend

Instructions

  1. Mash: 70°C (158°F).
  2. Boil: 90 minutes.
  3. Ferment: 20°C. Leave in primary for 1 year.
  4. Fruit: Rack onto 10 lbs of raspberries for 3 more months.
  5. Bottle: You must add fresh yeast (champagne yeast) and priming sugar at bottling. Use heavy glass bottles.

Conclusion

Lambic brewing is an exercise in letting go. You cannot control nature; you can only invite it in.