My batch is actually just some additional beer that needs to be added to top-off the barrel because of evaporation and I suspect some plain and simple thievery, but I'm happy to pitch in so to speak. I like a good gueuze every once in awhile but I would never brew ten gallons for my own personal consumption. This batch allows me to experience the enjoyment of brewing a new style and be able to draw off some every so often in small amounts.

I'll be pitching Wyeast's lambic blend 3278 for this beer and I've made a starter using (don't tell anyone) cane sugar. The starter already has the smell of a lambic, sour and funky. I expect the primary fermentation will be complete in 7-10 days at which point I will deliver and transfer it into the barrel which is located up in that God forsaken land of Boulder Creek.
The following is the recipe and if I think of it I'll post some pics of the transfer process in a couple of weeks.

10 gallon batch with an 82% efficiency
(I ended up only achieving an 82% efficiency and had calculated for 90% so I will try to boil off some to reach my target original gravity.)
10lbs. Pils malt
.5 lbs. flaked wheat - white
4 lbs. flaked wheat - red
1.5lbs. wheat malt

Boil 90 mins. with 4oz. of old German whole hops
Chill to 65f. and pitch Wyeast 3278 lambic blend starter
Ferment (in a plastic fermentor bag to protect my fermentor from contamination) until complete and transfer to barrel for aging.
O.G. 1.043
F.G. 1.010 from primary

ABV 4.7% from primary
SRM 2-3
The whole hops I'm using are about 5 years old and have a distinctive 'cheesy' smell. They will go into a large mesh bag and stay in for the entire boil.
2 comments:
Mark, completely off-topic but some advice please. I'm not happy with the dilution rate mentioned on some UK brewing forums for using Starsan as a no-rinse sanitizer. Can you tell me what sort of dilution rate you would use if making up a spray? Much appreciated.
Hi Mark,
as you know, Star San claims 1oz of acid sanitizer is effective diluted into 5 gals. of water. So, if you make a 5gal. batch of it you can just fill your spray bottle from that. If just making enough for a 1 qt. spray bottle like I have you would need 1/20th the amount, or in U.K. terms 1.5 milliliters for a proper mix.
But, what I actually do is squirt a little in the spray bottle, fill with water, shake. If it's foamy, I figure I'm good. I'm most likely using more than I need but better safe than sorry and it's such a small amount, it's not much of an expense. Cheers!
Post a Comment