Exploring the Wild Side of Spontaneous Fermentation

The world of spontaneous fermentation is a blend of historical brewing methods, a unique reliance on mother nature, and a bit of luck. This session explores the marvelous history of Lambic beers of Belgium and the contemporary version made stateside. We go into recipe formulation, turbid mashing, aged hops usage, coolship inoculation, and what happens under the microscope during the extended aging process.

Learning Objectives

• Explore the history and drinking culture of Lambic in Belgium
• Learn how to brew your own Lambic-inspired beer as a homebrewer
• Understand the journey of wild organisms from a microscopic level during the extended aging process

About the Speakers

Chris Leguizamon is an Advanced Cicerone, certified Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) judge, and the Education Program Manager for Pure Project in San Diego, California. He has hosted both internal and external events that highlight the importance of sourcing ingredients, sensory driven classes, and beer style talks. Chris is also a member of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Brewers Guild, as well as the Education Columnist for San Diego Beer News.

Winslow Sawyer is an award-winning brewer hailing from the Santa Cruz Mountains. With a strong background in agriculture and sustainability, he joined the Pure Project team as co-founder and head brewer in 2015. Winslow approaches brewing with intellectual curiosity and with care for the ingredients, farmers, and the entire ecosystem that makes sustainable brewing possible.