What's lambic beer then Jim?

[Reg]

:huh: :blink:

[Jim]

It's Belgian (I think), and is fermented using airborne yeast. Apparently they actually raise the exposed brew up to an opening in the roof of the brewery to let the yeast get at it!

I've never tried it, but it's supposed to be good stuff, but an acquired taste.

[Reg]

Seems a bit counter-intuitive as we normally go to such lengths to avoid wild yeast infections... :huh:

[Jim]

Yeah, it does. It can only be brewed in places where the particular yeast they need occurs naturally in the air.

[nimhbus]

i've had that. it was extremely odd, like liquid stilton. cheesy.

[Reg]

QUOTE (nimhbus @ Jun 3 2005, 09:35 AM) i've had that. it was extremely odd, like liquid stilton. cheesy.
Mmmm... That description deos little to make me wanna try it.

Where did you have lambic beer, Nim?

[jean-yves]

yes, Jim's right, it's Belgian beer and only brew in that place where the natural yeast occur, it's another kind of fermentation, we call it " fermentation spontanée"

I've try it , sorry but it's bad !, that's only my opinion

[nimhbus]

QUOTE (Reg @ Jun 3 2005, 08:08 PM) QUOTE (nimhbus @ Jun 3 2005, 09:35 AM) i've had that. it was extremely odd, like liquid stilton. cheesy.
Mmmm... That description deos little to make me wanna try it.

Where did you have lambic beer, Nim?
in the porterhouse pub. there was one here, but there's one in covent garden, too, i think. they have hundreds of beers there, and brew their own..

[Big T]

I love the stuff! It's generally only brewed in an area close to Brussels. The "normal" stuff is usually called "gueuze", and is quite sweet and sour. When they add cherries, raspberries or other fruits it becomes kriek, frambozen or any of a variety of other names. They definitely do peach versions of it as well.

I'm currently brewing a Brewferm kit of kriek, will be interesting to see how like the "real thing" it is as this is just a standard fermentartion and not a spontaneous one.

As an aside, does anyone have much experience of the Brewferm kits, and if so which ones and any tips? I also have the tarwebier (wheat beer, similar to Hoegaarden I assume) which I'm going to make soon. Belgian beer is my favourite so I was really pleased to find kits for some of the better known styles on sale in the UK.

Cheers, Tony

[bitter_dave]

Hi Tony

Welcome to the Forum!

I know very little about belgian beers - I like the different versions of Leffe and that's where my knowledge pretty much ends.

The brewferm kits are apparently excellent, though, I've heard. I've made up a 'Grand Cru' kit, which I tried the other day - perhaps a bit too early - i hope it will mature nicely. You could certainly feel the alchohol, that's for sure.

The only advice I've heard in regards to these kits, and belgian beers in general, is to use candi sugar instead of normal sugar or brewing sugar... but you probably know this already

[Big T]

Hi bitter_dave,

I certainly join you in admiring the various types of Leffe

I'm quite into my Belgian beers, really enjoyed the brewery tour at Hoegaarden. Despite being bought out some years ago by InBev (Interbrew as was), all Hoegaarden is still brewed in the original small brewery in the village of Hoegaarden, not too far from Brussels. InBev have quite a stranglehold in Belgium of the beers well known internationally, they own Stella Artois, Hoegaarden, Leffe etc.

For kriek, I used standard brewing sugar, I think the candi sugar is more for the abbey type beers, though I may be wrong there (and subsequently regret what I did with the kriek!) I'll report back in a couple of months.

The other Brewferm kits look really interesting, if the kriek turns out nice I'll definitely get some of the others. Amborix in particular looks really nice.

In the meantime, having just found this forum, I'm going to have a go at turbo cider tomorrow

Cheers, Tony

[Big T]

Thanks for that DAAB, will remember it for next time as it's a potentially (relatively) expensive mistake to make if you use the wrong sugar!

Will use candi or spray malt on the wheat beer and subsequent Belgian kits.

Cheers, Tony (just off to make my first batch of turbo cider now!)

[Immy's Dad]

Hey Big T!

If you'd like to know more about brewing belgian beer then go no further than.........................................America!


That's right, I still use an american website and forum (tastybrew.com) where they love their Belgian beer. They have lots of recipes and info on Belgian beers, I myself have never tasted one I would say I enjoy.

Sorry if mentioning other sites is taboo.

[bod]

i think the only reason other sites have an issue with people mentioning other sites is that they run their own online shops, where as this is jims little baby/addiction, so no issues there.

[hoppybob]

lambics are one of the true treasures of the beer world.... miles apart from real ale

i personally prefer gueuze beers, these are blends of old and young lambics and are generally very dry, sour and intense

lambics can be either fermented unblended ale that is indigenous to the Senne Valley of Belgium and are spontaneous fermented. Lambics can also also be blended with fruit which is added after spontaneous fermentation has occured

if you're looking to try a gueuze i recommend girardin black label, boon oude gueuze 2002 or drie fonteinen

good fruit lambics are best unsweetened, most of the ones available readily in the UK are tamer and sweeted (ie.belle vue, timmermans and to a lesser extent liefmans) If you're looking for a good fruit lambic try cantillion saint lamvinus (pricey but worth it), cantillon kriek and kriek de ranke