varied and limited . It was not mentioned in the German purity law of 1516 which stated that beer could only be made of malt , hops and water . Old english brewers called the yeasty foam that would rise to the top of fermenting beer “ godisgood ” and knew to gather some godisgood from one fermentation to add to a fresh batch to get it started . It would be added fresh or would be collected in a vessel and kept cool or dried on logs , sticks , linen , rope or made into cakes to be used later . The act of saving and reusing yeast naturally isolated yeast strains and combined with the use of hops ( which are naturally antimicrobial ) created the modern version of beer we ’ re familiar with worldwide today . This modern beer is mild with occasional fruitiness from the yeast , sweetness from the malt , and / or bitterness from the hops . It is the result of centuries of science and occupational diligence taming our beer just as we have done with the culinary delights we frequently find on our tables . These beers are designed around keeping out all of the wild yeasts and bacteria . If any of these come in contact with a more modern beer , an infection could occur . One that could potentially effect the entire brewery . I studied a situation in which one pump was repaired with the wrong style of weld , allowing one strain of wild yeast to make itself a home there and infect all the beer that left the brewery . All production had to be halted and the source tracked down , costing the brewery dearly in lost sales and market share . Lambic breweries are not concerned with any of this .
Lambic starts with 60-70 % malted barley and 30-40 % unmalted wheat . After mashing the liquid wort is separated from the grain and boiled using aged hops . Hop bitterness doesn ’ t pair well with the flavors of lambic and aging hops greatly reduces the bitter-causing alpha-acids while the antimicrobial benefits remain to keep the beer from spoiling . After boiling the hot wort is sent to a wide and shallow metal vessel ( commonly called a coolship ) located in an attic area of the brewery to cool . There vented windows ( sometimes aided by a fan ) allow the outside air to bring in some of the over 120 different microorganisms that ferment the beer . The brewery itself is also a haven for them . The very wood of the brewery and the vessels used for aging the beer harbor these organisms and aid in the inoculation ( or pitch , as it ’ s commonly called ). Once cooled and pitched , the beer goes on to ferment and mature in wood until it ’ s called upon for blending .
The success of lambic beer being so tasty and not being a nasty sludge is partly due to the unique mixture of organisms or “ flora ” found in the air of the Pajottenland and Zenne valley . The best yeast and bacteria strains thrive on the skins of fruits , vegetables , and other vegetation . Centuries of farming in this mild climate have isolated dozens of unique flora that have proven their worth in fermenting some amazing beer . Another reason this beer is not only palpable but delicious is the adeptness of the brewers at taming these wild microscopic beasts ! Each of these organisms can produce flavor-rich chemicals like lactic and acetic acids and yeasty esters as well as off-flavors and aromas . Diligence , knowledge , and patience are needed to encourage the best tasting beer . Expert blending is necessary for this as well . The longer a beer is aged , the more sugars have been converted to acids making it more sour while also breaking down components of the wood it ’ s being aged in and creating more musty flavors . This older beer is blended with younger beer which tends to be sweeter with the more delicate esters that can be lost in aging .
Lambic beer could have remained just a regional specialty if it weren ’ t for the zealous beer drinkers of the United States and the importers willing to cater to them . The craft brewing boom of the last three decades created very adventurous brewers and , as a result , very adventurous beer drinkers . It wasn ’ t long before American brewers were making their own lambic-esque beers . Most are using specially cultivated “ wild ” strains purchased from commercial yeast suppliers , some are collecting and cultivating their own local yeast and bacteria strains , and some are going all the way and using coolships to do true spontaneous fermentation with great results .
Cuvée Francisca proved to be a real treat . Old gueuze usually is a beer recommended mainly for enthusiasts as newcomers to the style tend to be surprised or even turned off by the wild flavors that can be sour and oaky combined with the “ funky ” flavors described as leather , barnyard , goaty , or horse blanket . Francisca is dry and complex yet not overly so . Flavors of pears , apples , and grapefruit , hints of oak and sherry with a medium tartness . The musty flavors are gentle and round it up very well . It ’ s a fine beer and I can imagine it ’ s not much different to the fine beers they were making when it was just a small brewery on a farm 200 years ago .
Lambic beer is a testament to those who choose not to sacrifice their methods and ways of life to the cult of modernity . Whether it be from love , dogma , stubbornness , or all of the above , they do it the old way . They are the ones who see two roads diverged and take the one less travelled by . “ And that has made all the difference .” Chris Keller has worked in beer sales for a distributor , as a brewer for Saint Arnold Brewing Co . in Houston , and is the owner of Pint and Barrel Drafthouse in Palestine , Texas .
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