my first brew

[grod31]

step one
12 lb 2-row/1lb acidulated ground together. 3 lbs red wheat milled separately.
steep without a grain bag on my electric stove then strain into mash tun
bring 6-8 gallons (1.3qts per lb of grain)of water up to 170F add to a large vessel called the mash tun,when water temperature hits 160 add grains to hot water to form the mash.
strain,mash all grains together at 155 for 1 hour
step2
produce sweet liquid called wort for boiling
sparge until intended color( pH of the wort you're collecting has drifted out of the 5.2 to 5.4 range/ gravity of 1.008-1.012)
Transfer sparged wort to a boiler where hops is added boiled for 75 1&1/2 oz added at 40 mins. half oz added ad flame out.(possibly left in until secondary) mins before cooling for fermentation.
add to 6 gallon fermentation bucket cool down and add yeast/cultures.
10 days later at secondary transfer to 5 gallon carboy add brett and 6oz of wine soaked oak chips at this time.
Using B.lambics described as pie cherry-like flavor and sourness along with distinct “Brett” characterTasting
taste once a month..
if in 4 months it taste okay i will make the variants.
grape must
blueberries
rose hips

notes
16 lbs @ 1.3 quarts a pound = 5.2 gallons
Hot water at approximately 178 F is slowly added to the top of the grain bed during sparge-
-adding a bit of lactic acid always seemed to brighten the flavor
B. lambicus) are listed at 12% tolerance.
-needs least 3-6 months aging is generally required for flavor to fully develop.
Roeselare cake
YEAST STRAIN: 3763 | Roeselare Ale Blend

Aging up to 18 months is required for a full flavor profile and acidity to develop. Specific proportions of a Belgian style ale strain, a sherry strain, two Brettanomyces strains, a Lactobacillus culture, and a Pediococcus

" I put my cake into a gallon jug with apple juice between brews then bottle the juice and dump it into the fermenter with some new yeast when I am ready to use it again.. The juice keeps my bugs alive and makes a great wild brew."

typically, I will use about 6 ounces of chips for souring once all the oak flavor is gone from them. -

[BDawg]

Welcome!

Its great that you are excited to brew your first solo batch. Sours are awesome and you can do a ton of things with them as a base as you have correctly pointed out.

That said, I would highly suggest that you brew a more traditional style as your first batch.
Sours can be very tricky and temperamental. They require advanced sanitation techniques (yes, oxymoron) or you end up with vinegar. All that, and they take a LONG time to mature to where they are drinkable, so you won't even know if you have been successful for a long time. On top of that, you will need to keep a separate set of plastic/rubber cold side equipment so that you don't cross contaminate future "traditional" batches.

If you really want to start with a Belgian, try a Belgian Pale or a Witbier first. The yeasts won't require special handling like a brett beer would and you will have one ready MUCH sooner. I'd avoid a Saison (SLOW finicky yeast) and the Belgian Strongs need a bit too much conditioning time.

Also, consider a German Weissbier. You will be able to knock one out in 10-14 days from brew day to starting to carbonate.

Good Luck and PLEASE feel free to ask here when you have questions. We want to see you succeed and we are here to help.

[grod31]

Thank you, i understand you are looking out for me and giving advice to ensure my best rate of success. I have been told that even if i do everything right it doesn't mean it will taste good.I am prepared to wait 9 months for a beer im happy with.I hope in 9 months I have a beer im happy with .... I am ,a hands on type of person atm what i need is experience. I don't mind failing few times.
I choose this as my first beer to start but i will make other styles while i wait. I have collected 5 carboys and 1/4 a garage worth of brewing equipment over the years while reading but never brewed anything of my own.

[Ozwald]

I 2nd everything BD said. Even if you're prepared to brew in the interim, I would put the sour on the back burner until you've got some experience under your belt. A wheat, as BD suggested, is a good one to start with.

[grod31]

Thanks... i edited my original post because it wasn't fully coherent. please take a look back over it
ill keep you posted with my progress/failures . i have helped a friend brew 3 different batches of ales and IPAs so im not going into this blind.
i spent a whopping 46 on this recipie( that no one has even one comment about)

as far as "advanced sanitation techniques " i am a mycologist. i have grown mushrooms fr over a decade. I have a sterile room with a laminar flow hood that i can use at any hour of the day.I do work with agar and petri dishes that if a single cell were to land on it would ruin my progress.
if anyone has any input about my recipe or plan please feel free to add. i will be making tis batch tomorrow.
The ONLY reason im separating the red wheat is because i dont have a grain bag/cooking pot big enough to hold everything. other than that it would all be together.

[BDawg]

Good deal. You seem pretty intent on sour first, so let's make sure that you get off to a good start.

I'd suggest you use a plastic bucket for a sour, as oxygen can get through a little better and the bacteria will like it better.
Oxygen can't pass through glass, obviously.

The mash temp is good. The bacteria will like having the higher dextrin content from the higher mash temp.

Did you calculate the predicted pH of your mash given your water chemistry? If not, you may or may not need the acid malt to hit desired saccharification pH range, depending on your water chemistry. It is most important to get to where the mash will convert first. You will develop lactic sourness from the bugs.

[grod31]

I am going today to get either a meter or a test kit for ph. i am also going to pick up another 4 pounds of acidulated malt.I have a pound of dextrose at my disposal i can add some if you think it would be beneficial to the bacteria .

[grod31]

okay so after a bit of tweaking and the usage of a brew calculator i altered my recipe to have up to 5% alcohol.also ajusted the SRM and IBU accordingly to my stlye of beer
15 lb american 2-row
3lb american red wheat
2lb german acidulated malt
.3lb dextrose -2.6%




-bring 7 gallons to 170F put into mash tun
when water temperature hits 160 add all grains to hot water to form the mash.
-mash all grains together at 155 for 1 hour
produce sweet liquid called wort for boiling
-sparge wort until intended color( pH has drifted out of the 5.2 to 5.4 range/ gravity of 1.04-1.054) boil gravity of 1.038
-boil wort for 1 hour
10 mins before flame out add 1 oz hops. flame out add another ounce of hops
cool downing ice bath add yeast/cultures