So here's the recipe I chose for my first 100% Brett fermentation with the Brett Lambicus (prior 2 were with Brett Brux Trois). Based the cherry references in the descriptions, I opted towards a Flanders red grist with some chocolate roasted malts added. Tasting the wort, I'm not sure the chocolate was a great idea. I should have stuck with just the crystal malts, but we'll see how it goes. I've been using a "Countdown" base grist of 4 lbs Pils, 3 Vienna, 2 Wheat, 1 Munich (or vice versa on the Wheat and Munich) for many of my sour and wild beers. I've been happy with that thus far.
I attempted wet milling my grain with this batch. The husks stayed completely intact, cracked, but intact. So I stirred numerous times and let it go 90 minutes rather than my normal 60. I still ended up with a lousy 60% efficiency. It lautered like a dream, for what it was worth, but won't do that again.
Recipe: Lambicus Countdown
Recipe Overview
Wort Volume Before Boil: 26.50 l [actual 28.2 l]
Wort Volume After Boil: 22.71 l [actual 22.5 l]
Volume Transferred: 20.82 l [actual 22.5 l - ferment in kettle]
Water Added: 0.00 l
Volume At Pitching: 20.82 l
Final Batch Volume: 18.93 l
Expected Pre-Boil Gravity: 10.6 Plato [actual 8.7 Plato]
Expected OG: 12.3 Plato [actual 10.7 Plato]
Expected FG: 3.1 Plato
Expected ABV: 5.0 %
Expected ABW: 3.9 %
Expected IBU (using Tinseth): 14.3
Expected Color: 21.8 SRM
Apparent Attenuation: 74.9 % [actual 60% - due to wet milling trial]
Mash Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Duration: 60.0 mins [actual 90 minutes]
Fermentation Temperature: 70 degF [pitched at 68, let it freely rise]
Fermentables
4.00 lb (33.7 %) Chinese Pilsner Malt
3.00 lb (25.3 %) German Vienna Malt
2.00 lb (16.8 %) German Wheat Malt
1.00 lb ( 8.4 %) German Munich Malt
12 oz (6.3 %) Australian Crystal 110 EBC
5 oz (2.6 %) US Chocolate Malt
5 oz (2.6 %) UK Pale Chocolate Malt
4 oz (2.1 %) Australian Crystal 190 EBC
4 oz (2.1 %) Belgian Special B
Hops (Target IBU 15, Tinseth)
10 g UK Bramling Cross (6.3 % alpha) Bagged Pellet Hops First Wort Hopped
15 g US Goldings (4.9 % alpha) Bagged Pellet Hops 15 Min From End
10 g UK Bramling Cross (6.3 % alpha) Bagged Pellet Hops 15 Min From End
Other Ingredients
Burton Water Salts 5 g used In Mash
Wyeast Beer Nutrient Blend 2 g used In Mash
Oak Cubes, French Medium Toast 20 g used In Fermenter
Yeast: Wyeast 5526-Brettanomyces Lambicus, pitched from a 1 week old 1.75L starter which was on a stirplate for the first 2 days, then stored at room temp until brew day. Very loose slurry, so pitched 1.5L - only decanted a glass full for tasting.
About a 10 minute rest at 130, then raised by infusion to 151, rested for an hour, then raised by infusion to 158 for another 30 minutes. Batch sparged twice.
Stirred the wort during chilling to aerate in the kettle. Stirred again for about 3 minutes the following morning (about 18 hours later). No visible activity at that time. At 24 hours was fully active. Surface looks more like a thick English yeast cake would look. Really dense looking. Didn't disturb it, but curious how thick it is. If it's just an illusion or not, and perhaps it's thin and wispy.