Framboise

I received a recipe book for Christmas! I was flipping through and by chance my finger landed on a lambic recipe, specifically a Framboise. The making of a lambic, specifically a Framboise, is a very fragile and wonderful process. Traditionally, after a spontaneous wild fermentation produces what is known as lambic, the lambic is refermented along with raspberries to produce Framboise, a fruit beer.

Spontaneous wild fermentation would be very difficult for a homebrewer, so there are yeast strains available on the market to reproduce the fermentation. However, traditional methods of making lambic also require a souring of the mash. The souring of the mash is the random variable in making a lambic for homebrewers. An easy technique (which I hope promotes consistency) for souring is this:

During the sparge, draw off 6 gallons of wort. Let the wort cool to 130 degrees F, then add 1/2 pound pale 2-row crushed malt to the wort, mix thoroughly, seal with a lid, and let sit for 12-24 hours, depending on how sour you want the final product. After 12-24 hours, strain the malt, add hops and boil as usual.

This was my first time "souring mash," and I have to say, the smell and taste of a soured mash is quite unusual and different... exciting!

During the racking of the beer to secondary, the raspberries are heated to 150 degrees in a minimal amount of water for 30 minutes, then the entire mixture is added to the beer. Traditionally the fruit would only be added after several years (1-3) aging of the lambic.

Recipe:

6 lbs Belgian Pils malt
3 lbs Wheat malt
1 lb Flaked Wheat
.5 lb 2-row pale (souring)
10 lbs frozen raspberries
.5 oz Tettnanger
1 pack 5112 Brettanomyces bruxellensis
1 pack 3942 Belgian Wheat

Add both packets of yeast for primary fermentation.

primary: 2 weeks
secondary: 12 weeks
bottle condition: 3 months - 1 year