Steady as She Gueuze

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.044 FG = 1.005 IBU = 8 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.1%
This Gueuze is a typical, traditional Belgian-style recipe. Brew frequently throughout the year cellaring your Gueuze for months to years. After a year, if you have at least 3 batches of different ages, you can begin experimenting with blending. Your best option is to test your patience and begin blending after 3 years with a minimum of 3 batches.

Ingredients

6.2 lbs. (2.8 kg) Dingemans pale ale malt
2.2 lbs. (1 kg) Dingemans pale wheat malt
0.5 lb. (227 g) Dingemans Cara 45 malt
2.4 AAU Fuggle hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acid)
Wyeast 3278 (Belgian Lambic Blend) or White Labs WLP655 (Belgian Sour Mix I) or East Coast Yeast ECY01 (Bug Farm) blend
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.2 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (2.5 L/kg) and a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C) using 2.7 gallons (10.1 L) of water at 166 °F (74 °C). Hold the mash at 152 °F (67 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete, about 60 minutes. In your hot liquor tank, bring 4.4 gallons (16.7 L) of water up to 170 °F (77 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F water (77 °C), collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is 5.75 gallons (21.8 L). Add hops once a boil is reached. Total boil time is only 30 minutes. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch 1 package of yeast, do not make a starter prior to pitching as a starter can alter the blend’s fermentation characteristics. Ferment in primary at 68 – 70 °F (20-21°C) for two weeks. Move to a secondary fermentor, which will act as your aging and conditioning fermentor. This can be plastic, glass, stainless or a wood barrel. Age three months to three years and blend with other batches of Gueuze.

Steady as She Gueuze

(5 gallons/19 L, extract with grains)
OG = 1.044 FG = 1.005 IBU = 8 SRM = 7 ABV = 5.1%

Ingredients

3.5 lbs. (1.6 kg) pale dried malt extract
1 lb. (0.45 kg) wheat dried malt extract
0.4 lb. (181 g) Dingemans Cara 45 malt
2.4 AAU Fuggle hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acid)
Wyeast 3278 (Belgian Lambic Blend) or White Labs WLP655 (Belgian Sour Mix I) or East Coast Yeast ECY01 (Bug Farm) blend
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step

Place the crushed grain in a muslin bag and steep in 5.25 gallons (20 L) of water at 160 °F (71 °C). After 20 minutes remove the grain bag, allowing the grains to drip back in to the brew pot. Off heat, stir in all the dried malt extract. Top off with water to get the pre-boil kettle volume to 5.75 gallons (21.8 L) and return to heat. Add hops once a boil is reached. Total boil time is only 30 minutes. Chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C) and aerate thoroughly. Pitch 1 package of yeast, do not make a starter prior to pitching as a starter can alter the blend’s fermentation characteristics. Ferment in primary at 68 – 70 °F (20-21°C) for two weeks. Move to a secondary fermentor, which will act as your aging and conditioning fermentor. This can be plastic, glass, stainless or a wood barrel. Age three months to three years and blend with other batches of Gueuze.