615
edits
Changes
m
no edit summary
Lambic grist is composed of a barley malt such as pilsner malt and a large percentage of unmalted wheat (30-40%). This grist is carried through a multi-step, labor intensive multi-step mashing process known as a [[Turbid Mash|turbid mash]]. During turbid mashing, a portion of unconverted starchy wort is removed from the mash and heated to denature the enzymes. This starchy wort is carried to the boil without full conversion and it supplies wild yeasts and bacteria with carbohydrates that Saccharomyces cannot ferment.
This starchy wort then goes through a long boil (on the order of 4 hours) where it is heavily hopped with aged hops (~on the order of 2.5-3g/l<ref>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/sourhour2015_05_wildfriendship.mp3 The Sour Hour Episode 11 with Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash, Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, and Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River]</ref>(~49 minutes in)).
===Cooling and Fermentation===
A spontaneously fermented unblended ale that is indigenous to the Senne Valley of Belgium. Lambics traditionally use a large percentage of unmalted wheat and [[Turbid Mash|turbid mashing]], a labor-intensive mashing process to retain a high level of dextrins which are unfermentable to normal brewing yeast. The flavor is dominated with a unique tartness and brettanomyces character from the wild yeast and bacteria that inoculate the brew. These microbes are sourced from both the ambient environment when the beer is open cooled and from the barrels in which lambics typically ferment.
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 5.0-87.0%
===G(u)euze===
A number of non-traditional sweetened fruit lambics can be found. These may sometimes be identified by especially low abv (<3%). Breweries producing sweetened lambics frequently use fruit / sugar syrups rather than whole fruits.
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-87.0%
==Lambic outside of Belgium?==