I brewed this up this weekend. I had to sub Special B for Weyerman's Special W. The grain supplier didn't have special B.
I had been reading Brew Like a Monk, and about Belgian styles in general, there's a lot of recommendation to do step mashes to get a more highly fermentable wort out of the grain. So my mash went like this:
Mash in and hold at 55c (131f) - 10 Minutes
Beta Rest at 65c (149f) - 30 Minutes
Alpha Rest at 72c (161f) - 30 Minutes
Mash Out at 77c (170f) - 10 Minutes
Hopefully, this wasn't a mistake.
Secondly, reading CSI's recipes for Rochefort 8 and Westveleteren 8, they suggest a primary fermentation going from 18c (65f) to 25c (65f) over the course of 7 days. Then dropping to 50f once it reaches 1.010.
I'm following that process myself, but interestingly, I brewed this Sunday night, and now, Wednesday it's gone from an OG of 1.065 to 1.016 already.
View attachment 683364
It seems a little bit fast to me, but we'll see.
It smells amazing in the fermentor, really looking forward to tasting this one.
Do you recommend pitching fresh yeat to bottle if you have it in the fermentor for 4 weeks?