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Bottling Dawson's Kriek

Northern Brewer General
#1

Well my Dawson’s Kriek kit has been in the secondary for 4 months. Per the instructions - I should bottle soon. I was going to bottle with corks/cages but economically - isn’t gonna happen right now. Will do with some of my swing tops instead. (didn’t have corker or bottles and also am very glad I brewed it when I did - price on the kit has gone up considerably)

I’m re-reading the instructions and unless I’m blind - it wants me to carb in the normal way. Will there be enough yeast after 4 months to carb or should I inoculate it again with a yeast?

Original yeast used was WYEAST 3278 Lambic blend.

Thoughts?

Should mention it was the extract kit, not the AG which seems to have different instructions for some reason.

#2

I’ve done 1 kit to completion and have 2 more in the works. I don’t claim to be an expert but I’ll give you my thoughts…
First off, I never thought that it was done at 4 months. I liked the taste the best at about 7 months but around 9 months when I actually bottled tasted off, though not bad. ! year later in bottles and it’s one of my favorite beers, though the cherry has mellowed. The bugs in the lambic blend just keep working.
Next…When I bottled, I did add a little champagne yeast…Not sure I’d do that again but at the time I’d read it here. Some one will correct me but I’m of the impression that the lambic bugs will carbonate with you sugar just fine, though it may take longer than usual.
I was also very paranoid about over carbonating. I ended up bottling in 187ml and 750 ml champagne bottles as they can handle much more pressure…It probably wasn’t needed but they have carbed up higher that I anticipated. I capped with o2 caps and waxed.

My next batch sat on the yeast cake for 4 months before I added the cherries. I’ll let that sit at least another 3-4 months before I transfer to 2ndary along with some cherry concentrate. After that another 2-6 months…not sure yet.

Another batch…Primary for 3 months, add 1 can cherries, wait 3 months, 2ndary with 2nd can of cherries…waiting another 3 months to bottle. I’d like to wait longer but It’s for a buddies birthday. I want a month to carbonate.

Best of luck to you!

#3

Thanks - maybe I’ll let it sit a while longer. I popped a messed to NB via facebook yesterday to see what they think. I don’t know why the directions for AG and Extract would be different when it comes to the fermentation side of things.

So you did yeast+priming solution or just yeast?

I have no problem letting them condition another year in the bottle, just kinda wanted my fermenter back! lol.

#4

I haven’t done a Lambic and am still only five months into my Flanders Red but that seems awfully early to be bottling to me. What got me started on sours was a Brewing TV episode:

http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/e ... our-beers/

Dawson talks about his Dawson Kreek kit here and bottles a five year old batch and then uses the guts to inoculate a few other batches. Pretty interesting for someone like me who had never really learned much about sours.

#5

If you want it carbonated, you need sugar…the yeast was just insurance. When I get to bottling my next batch, i plan to do 1 or 2 bottles without adding yeast and the rest will get about 2 grams of us-05. i just want to see what happens.

I highly recommend watching the Brewing TV episode on sours…episode #49

#6

Oh, And much like they did on that episode, Don’t waste the cherry guts…That is, if you really don’t need the fermenter space…If you do, get another fermenter like I did :slight_smile:
I racked a honey brown onto the guts…Truthfully, I bottled it too early and hated it for about 9 months. I was about to dump it all last month because I was tired of it and it had matured into a really great sour brown. I’m so glad I didn’t dump it.

I plan to always Re-use the guts if possible.

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