Mashing Instructions:
“Simplified” Version of Cantillion Turbid Mash
Heat 6 gal of water to 140 degrees. Shoot for a strike temperature of 113F after doughing in. Rest for 10 minutes.
Add approx. 10 gal of boiling water over 5 minutes. Stir all the time. Stop when you reach 136F degrees. Your mash will be very soupy.
Remove 2 gal of soupy liquid from the mash tun and heat in a 2nd kettle to 176F degrees. Keep it there for now.
Add up to 12 more gallons of boiling water to main mash tun until it gets up to 150F degrees. It will be even soupier now. No rest needed here.
Transfer another 10 gallons from mash tun to 2nd kettle. Try and maintain temperature of 176F. The main mash will be resting at this time.
Add up to another 12 gallons of boiling water to bring mash tun to 162F degrees. Let it rest 15 minutes. It will be very thin.
Run off as much liquid as you can from mash tun into boil kettle and start boil.
Transfer enough liquid from the 2nd kettle to the mash tun to get to 167F degrees. Rest for another 15 minutes. Any remaining liquid in the 2nd kettle should be added to the boil kettle.
5 minutes into the rest in step 8, start recirculating the wort to “clarify” it. Sparge with 180 degree water until gravity falls to 1.005. You will be collecting more than 40 gallons.
Boil for somewhere from 2-4 hours until your gravity climbs up to at least 1.050.
Yeast:
Pitch with White Labs 570 (Golden Ale yeast). Fairly neutral for a Belgian. Ferment in the high 60's.
In 2 months, pitch Pediococcus Damnosus. Ferment in the 70's or 80's.
In 4 months, pitch Bret. Lambicus and Bret. Bruxellenis Ferment in the 70's or 80's/
Add fruit or additional wort if desired at 2 month mark. You can add to an oak barrel, but that barrel will never be available for any non-sour beer in the future.
Plan on aging a minimum of one year. Three years are better.