Whatchu Talkin' 'Bout???

My apologies for the delay since the last lil ditty.  After talking to some friends who were reading their favorite beer blog, and especially after talking with my dad and sister-in-law, I realized that I need to include some background info on some of the lesser known tidbits I write about.  SO, with that, my lambic fact was intriguing to me since I have a special place on my tongue for lambics and fruit lambics.

What is a lambic you may be wondering?  Well, it's a pretty distinctive beer that got it's start in the Pajottenland region of Belgium which is southwest of Brussels.  A couple of ways they're set apart from your standard beer is that they use unmalted wheat in at least 30% of the grain bill (according to my fact, it's actually 35% now) as well as aged and dried hops which have lost their bittering qualities.  These babies are typically brewed between October and May; any later in the year and there are too many unfavorable microorganisms in the air.  They're fermented spontaneously by leaving the wort (unfermented beer) open to air of the Senne valley.  Wild yeasts and favorable bacteria in the air find their way into the sugar rich wort and go to work; the 2 most common organisims being Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus  

One of their only similarities to other types of beer is that they're top fermented like ales but after a primary ferment, they get to continue to ferment and condition over the span of a year to three years.  And don't let the fact that bacteria is in this beer scare you; they help give lambics their characteristic dry/cidery/sour flavor.  One thing to remember is that finding a truly "pure" lambic outside of Belgium will be pretty much impossible.  Cantillon Brewery in Brussels bottles a Grand Cru Bruocsella  that can be found elsewhere; if I find one, you can bet that I'll be writing about it!  

So if you can't have a 'pure' lambic, what are your options?  Fruit lambics of course!  Breweries like Lindeman's, which has been commercially brewing these beers since 1811, has a great raspberry lambic called "Framboise", a peach lambic called "Peche", and a cherry lambic called "Kriek".  You'll find other breweries' versions in blackcurrant, and strawberry, but don't be surprised to see various other fruits.  

Another style to be aware of is a Gueze.  These are blends of one and two year old lambics which are then bottled and allowed to bottle condition since they're so young.  

Now go find a lambic and enjoy!

Random Beer Fact: 12/16/10

In 1965, a Belgian royal decree mandated that lambics must contain a minimum of 35% wheat. It also ordered that labels state the name and location of the brewery.

Oaked Bourbon Stout, FINALLY on tap!

So I'm a few days late on the update, actually, 6 to be exact.  At any rate, it's finally on tap in the DLR-kegerator!  I pulled a sample on Friday 11/12 and to my surprise, this custom beer (it was my first 'from scratch' creation) had a pretty solid coffee flavor.  While I like coffee stouts, that's not at all the flavor I was going for, and I was hoping things would continue to mellow out.  Since I had also put the bourbon soaked oak in the secondary, I was at least expecting a hint of both.  The only thing there was a TINY bit of the bourbon.  So, since I had some time I went ahead and soaked some more chips in the Makers and added it to the carboy on 11/16.  That sat for another 3 weeks when I finally got another taste while kegging.  As a good friend put it, "Damn dude, this is probably your best one yet!"  Yep, I will go ahead and say I'm very happy with how this one turned out; it'll have to go into the rotation.  It's got a slight bourbon flavor, and still has your standard chocolatey stout flavor.  Not to mention how smooth it is!  The final ABV: 6.5%

USA Top 25 Beers for 2010

According to Wine Enthusiast Magazine, the top 25 beers made in the US are...

TOP BEERS!

Thoughts?

Pumpkin Porter!

So after talking to my friends at the bike shop about what beer they would like to have next, the topic of pumpkin beers came up; specifically Pumpkin Porters.  I have a pretty good base porter recipe so I guess I'll be throwing some pumpkin in the mix to see how it comes out.  Check back for updates...

Oktoberfest update

So the day came (yesterday) that I needed to bust open my carboys of Oktoberfest; which was made in mid-September.  I had (2) 6-gal carboys of the stuff and I had used different yeast for each.  After lagering since then at 32F I opened the first one up last night to transfer it to a keg.  After getting the siphon going I pulled a sample to check the gravity and of course to taste, and boy was I in for a surprise.  Something had happened (most likely contamination) and it just didn't taste right; AT ALL!  In fact, I would put a slight vinegar flavor along side a soapy flavor.  I promptly stopped the transfer and snagged the other carboy.  After a quick rinse/re-sanitize the keg, I started "#2" going and pulled another sample; this one was definitely on the spot and had a nice crisp flavor.  I'm curious to see how it'll taste once some CO2 gets thrown at it, so I'll have to swing by the shop to snag a glass.  As for the bad batch, well, down the drain she went.  After 20-something batches of beer, I FINALLY came to one that I had to throw out.  I was hoping to never go through that, but as I have been told many times, "it happens to everyone".

Slainte,
DLR