All Access Subscribers can download the Beersmith and BeerXML version of this recipe. Subscribe today.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.065
FG: 1.015
IBUs: 26
ABV: 6.8%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
10 lb (4.5 kg) pilsner
1 lb (454 g) Munich 10°L
8 oz (227 g) Caravienne
8 oz (227 g) wheat malt
8 oz (227 g) crystal 45°L
2 oz (57 g) black patent
HOPS SCHEDULE
1 oz (28 g) Columbus at 20 minutes [26 IBUs]
YEAST
Wyeast 1007 (German Ale) Yeast
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 152°F (67°C) for 75 minutes. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as needed to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the hops according to the schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to about 59°F (15°C), aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 60°F (16°C) for 4–5 days, then toss in 2–3 oz (57–85 g) of wheat malt and allow the temperature to rise to 67°F (19°C); hold there until fermentation is complete, gravity has stabilized, and the acidity is where you want it—perhaps 2–3 weeks. Crash, package, and carbonate.
BREWER’S NOTES
To keep it cleaner—and closer to modern French bière de garde—simply leave out the handful of grains (and the bugs that live on them). If you want something closer to the lambicky origin story and don’t mind waiting some months, you could always go with a mixed culture such as Wyeast 3278 Belgian Lambic Blend. You can imagine other possibilities, such as bottle conditioning with Brettanomyces. However, don’t be afraid to try my handful-of-grains method—it’s simple, useful, and the results are restrained.