Mixed sour culture
Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus in one packet, which is what a lambic house has in its barrels. Slow, unpredictable and the only realistic route to a spontaneous character at home.
Apparent attenuation
80-95%
80% - 95%
Fermentation
18-26 C
18C - 26C
Flocculation
Low
Stays in suspension. Expect haze, and expect it to keep working.
On a 1.050 wort
1.002-1.010
the finishing gravity its range implies, or 5.3-6.2% ABV
The same organism, different labels
Wyeast 3278 Lambic Blend
White Labs WLP655
Omega All The Bretts
Labs do not confirm each other’s provenance and these are not guaranteed identical. They are close enough to plan a batch around, which is what the list is for.
Find this strainWhere it belongs
- Lambic
- Gueuze
- American Wild Ale
Pitching it
Slow. Expect months rather than days, expect the gravity to keep falling long after it looks finished, and never package until two readings a fortnight apart agree.
Other wild strains
Brettanomyces bruxellensis
80-95%Barnyard, leather and horse blanket, developing over months. Attenuates dextrins that Saccharomyces leaves behind, which is why a Brett beer keeps drying out in the bottle.
Brettanomyces claussenii
80-90%The gentle Brett: pineapple and light tropical fruit rather than barnyard. The one to use if you want funk that a first-time drinker will still enjoy.
Brettanomyces lambicus
80-95%The cherry-pie Brett, with a sharper, more medicinal edge than bruxellensis. Traditional in lambic and assertive enough to need blending.