Sour Solera Brew Day

I've recently had a lot of unused capacity in my brewery - i.e. empty carboys. Since I cannot drink beer as fast I can brew it, a long-term project is the obvious solution. A sour would be perfect and I've wanted to do a Lambic style beer for a while. This one isn't quite a Lambic since the choice of yeast is not quite right (more driven by the need to pitch what was in the proliferating Mason jars in the fridge than by stylistic accuracy), but it is a sour, and I hope will resemble a Lambic. I'm also planning to turn it into a solera. In about a year, I'll draw off 3 gallons and fill the rest of the carboy space with 3 gallons of new beer.


BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Lambic-esque Solera Year 1
Style: Straight (Unblended) Lambic
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 7.53 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.88 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal  
Bottling Volume: 4.85 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 8.8 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.3 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU        
5 lbs 8.0 oz          Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)            Grain         1        50.0 %       
5 lbs 8.0 oz          Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM)               Grain         2        50.0 %       
0.50 oz               Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min        Hop           3        8.8 IBUs     
1.0 pkg              Geuze Tilquin Dregs
1.0 pkg               Brettanomyces Claussenii (White Labs #WL Yeast         5        -            
1.0 pkg               Brettanomyces Lambicus (White Labs #WLP6 Yeast         6        -            
2.00 oz               Oak Cubes, American (Secondary 12.0 week Flavor        7        -            


Mash Schedule: Temperature Mash, 2 Step, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 11 lbs
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Name                    Description                                          Step Temperat Step Time    
Protein Rest            Add 14.75 qt of water at 118.6 F                     113.0 F       15 min       
Saccharification        Add 0.00 qt of water and heat to 122.0 F over 15 min 122.0 F       30 min       
Mash Step               Heat to 149.0 F over 4 min                           149.0 F       15 min       
Mash Step               Add 0.00 qt of water and heat to 159.0 F over 4 min  159.0 F       45 min       
Mash Out                Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min                          168.0 F       10 min       

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 5.41gal) of 210.0 F water

Starter: Jan. 22, with re-used Brett. C.; Brett. L. (from an experimental beer that oxidized and became rather vinegary); and dregs from Geuze Tilquin, cultured by a guy in the homebrew club. By Jan. 25 the starter was actively fermenting and smelled pretty strongly like rising bread dough.

Brewed 1/30/16:
The direct heat step mash was a slow and labor intensive process, since I had to constantly stir while applying heat in order to avoid scorching and to distribute the heat throughout the mash. I hit my temps well, but over the course of the 159F step some of the mash may have cooled a bit.

To sparge, I transferred the mash from my 5-gallon kettle into my MLT, and added rice hulls after the sparge became stuck. The 210F sparge water may have extracted some tannins but apparently this is normal for a lambic. The buys will chew some of them away.

Pre-boil OG was 1.044, slightly under volume. Post-Boil OG was 1.060, slightly below volume.

Cooled to 135F, racked to sanitized sour bucket and allowed to cool overnight to pitching temps. I left some trub in the kettle but probably transferred a bit of it into the fermenter. 5.25 gallons into the bucket.

Wort was hazy with protein and / or starch. Good, a starchy wort is desirable for this style.

I am not sure if the long multi-step mash is necessary, but it's traditional, and my wife was away all day. So why not?

1/31/16: Decanted half of starter and stirred up the settled yeast. Pitched into wort without aerating at all. Left at room temp approximate 70F.

2/21/16: Active stages of fermentation were over. Racked to 5 gallon carboy, with 2oz of boiled oak cubes. (Boiling to remove excess tanins.)

Added dregs: Roselare and Wyeast Dabom from previous beers. Also contains some champagne yeast used for bottle-carbing.

2/26/16: Made low gravity starter and added dregs of Boulevard Saison Brett 2015. Will add Roselare dregs as well, and then if I get some fermentation will add to main beer.