Flanders red question

I do think the acetic acid mostly comes from brett. I came to this realization on my own (if anyone but me take my realizations for anything), when I read about a brewery souring by oxygenating brett only beers in barrels. I cannot remember the brewery name but in the presence of oxygen brett will produce acetic acid. I have not found a metabolic pathway map for brett (I haven't look real hard though), if I could find one it would explain everything. If one does not exist who knows then. A metabolic pathway map would demonstrate what is made in the presence of oxygen versus anaerobic conditions. I'm trying to figure these things out and do research but even with my university library has limited offering on Brettanomyces behavior. A large majority of academic research papers is directly related to the wine industry with the only beer references from 20yrs ago from Leuven about lambics.

When I find anything cool I'll post up and share the info.

You should contact Chad from the Brettanomyces Project and now Crooked Stave. I remember him talking about this, but not sure where the reference is. His AHA presentation has some good info:
2011 Presentations Brewing with Brett

Another question I was going to transfer this and put more wort on the cake but haven't had a chance to brew lately and there is now a pretty gnarly Pellicle formed I brewed this Flanders red on the first of November today is December 26th is it still ok to transfer off and add wort to the cake?

Yes, that will work well. The viability of the Sacc strain may be pretty low, so you may want to add some more to help start the fermentation. I recommend using a balanced Belgian strain, but you can use whatever you currently have. It will not make a huge impact on the beer over the long aging period.

Ummmm the Sacc yeast strain will matter in the final outcome. Highly recommend the Belgian strain over a generic profile ale yeast. There is a whole post on HBT somewhere where this is discussed. Now that being said I am not saying that the beer will be bad or not turn out if you use a neutral strain just won't be as interesting.

JacobS said:

Ummmm the Sacc yeast strain will matter in the final outcome. Highly recommend the Belgian strain over a generic profile ale yeast. There is a whole post on HBT somewhere where this is discussed. Now that being said I am not saying that the beer will be bad or not turn out if you use a neutral strain just won't be as interesting.

Click to expand...

I seriously can't imagine the sacc strain having any impact on a Flanders red. Not mine, anyway. There are 2 brett strains in the Roeselare blend, so that's all that I needed.

I also think the Sacc strain will make a difference, but I don't think it is that significant. Has anyone actually done a side by side comparison? My only reference is from year to year batches. I preferred my batches with a Belgian strain, but the final flavor could have been influenced by other factors.

Well I'm going to repitch the slurry so the Brett strains are going to be built up so I might add some wlp550 that will have from a belgain pale that's about finished.

@Almighty,

I'd be up for doing a side by side if you or anyone else is. Say we both brew two batches one with neutral yeast, one with Belgian yeast, then add an agreed upon souring blend, trade examples after 1yrish?

The reason why the Belgian strains are preferred is for the sacc strain's ester production. Brett will take those esters and do interesting things with them, available acids and alcohol. It will make a more complex beer. It's my experience that the esters result in a more prominent brett flavor.