Roeselare question

So I brewed a flanders red with roeselare a few weeks ago. This is my first time using this yeast and just wanted to see how to proceed. How long should I wait to transfer to secondary? My plan is to add cabernet soaked oak chips and some sour dregs, just trying to plot out my timeline.

I'm not an expert at this exact style but when I've done Orval style brews that needed long aging with brett I went to secondary after about 3-4 weeks and it turned out fine for a 5 gallon batch.

A few guides I've read say you can go to secondary as soon as visible signs of fermentation have stopped.

As long as you don't leave it in primary for a ridiculous amount of time I think you'll be alright. I guess the main thing is to avoid autolysis.

Im also not an expert. I have read that people will also just leave it on the yeast cake so that that the brett or the bugs will consume the yeast after there is no more consumable sugars. Thats what i am doing with my flanders red and it is quite good so far.

Thanks for the responses. It's my understanding that autolysis isn't much of a concern on the homebrew scale because there isn't much weight on the yeast. I guess I'm wondering if moving to secondary will effect the souring and pellicle formation

nah, my flanders red has been on the cake for approximately 6 months now and it is doing good. Nice pellicle and the sourness level is getting there.

jjw5015 said:

Thanks for the responses. It's my understanding that autolysis isn't much of a concern on the homebrew scale because there isn't much weight on the yeast. I guess I'm wondering if moving to secondary will effect the souring and pellicle formation

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The yeast will still die over time. Its not a concern cause the brett will take care of the dead yeast. i plan on transferring my flanders red to secondary after about 3 months then brew another and add the wort on the cake.

Autolysis is not an issue with sour beers.

Rack whenever you want ...... or not.

I usually rack as fermentation starts to slow down. That way I leave the trub behind, but carry over a significant amount of yeast.

Left mine on the yeast. Tried after 4 months - a little funk and no sourness yet. I'm going to leave it for another year before sampling again. Patience.

I have read that leaving on the cake for extended aging can give a more rustic funk that is generally considered appropriate for lambics, but not necessarily desirable for Flemish sours and American sours. I left my Roeselare batch of Oud Bruin in primary for 1 month, then racked to secondary and plan to keep it there until at least 1 year before I start considering packaging, blending, putting on fruit, etc.

j1n said:

The yeast will still die over time. Its not a concern cause the brett will take care of the dead yeast. i plan on transferring my flanders red to secondary after about 3 months then brew another and add the wort on the cake.

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Just know that the next beer you throw on the cake may come out quite different since the proportion of yeasts and bacteria change with fermentation and time. I hope both beers turn out great for you.

pdxal said:

Just know that the next beer you throw on the cake may come out quite different since the proportion of yeasts and bacteria change with fermentation and time. I hope both beers turn out great for you.

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Oh yeah i know. Most of the saach will prob be dead by the time i pitch the new wort on top of the cake. The 2nd batch is supposed to be much more sour than the first. i plan on blending the two after a year, keg or bottle one half then start a solera with the other half.

Theres a recipe on the recipe section for Flanders red and this is the process.

j1n said:

Oh yeah i know. Most of the saach will prob be dead by the time i pitch the new wort on top of the cake. The 2nd batch is supposed to be much more sour than the first. i plan on blending the two after a year, keg or bottle one half then start a solera with the other half.

Theres a recipe on the recipe section for Flanders red and this is the process.

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It should be interesting how the beers differ. Solera can be a great way to manage your sour program. Michael Tonsmeire's book has a good section talking about it, if you haven't already read it.

pdxal said:

It should be interesting how the beers differ. Solera can be a great way to manage your sour program. Michael Tonsmeire's book has a good section talking about it, if you haven't already read it.

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I have the book right here on my desk. I just started to read it, not that far into it yet.