Lambic

Lambic (or lambic ) is a Belgian specialty beer that is produced by spontaneous fermentation. Processed varieties, for example, Geuze, Faro, Kriek and other Fruchtlambic beers. Since May 7, 1998 ( TSG TSG, engl. ) Is the traditional composition or the traditional manufacturing process of the product as a TSG protected.

Origin of the name

The beer is called in Flemish Lambic, Lambic Lambic or, in French Lambic. The name possibly comes from the Flemish city Lembeek or the Flemish word for firing boilers, alambiek ( alembic ).

History of the lambic

The ingredients for Lambic are indeed as with other beer brewing process also water, malt and hops, but it is no added yeast, but this is "captured" by an open storage of the brew from the ambient air. This method is not implemented, but spontaneous fermentation was until the discovery of microbiological contexts, the standard method in the production of beer, now the lambic is one of the few exceptions in which this method is still applied.

Production

Ingredients

Wheat, malted barley, water, hops

Production

The wort is boiled for several hours using the above ingredients in a vessel. Then the brew is placed in an open vat or trough in which the wort at room temperature, in turn, stops a few hours. This is to ensure good air circulation, because the yeast is not added, but " captured" from the air. Due to the free temperature control, it is not possible to brew Lambic all seasons, because in the summer it is too hot and too cold in winter, in order to achieve the desired colonization by the yeasts. After storage in the tub, the starting product is traditionally bottled in oak or chestnut barrels. From now on, the process is controlled by the person no longer readily. The brewer must wait for a spontaneous fermentation, the occurrence of which can last up to months. The taste differs quite strongly, because the yeasts are instrumental in the development of taste, and there are added special or standardized yeasts. First, the beer fermented to about 5 % of alcohol by the action of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the dies as a result of the alcohol content. Subsequently, the residual fermentation takes place by Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus.

As a result, a very dry beer with a typical flavor and due to the fermentation in oak barrels rather low carbonation.

In further processing steps, the Lambic can be further processed into Geuze.