Flanders Brown

[prohl84]

Wanting to try my hand at a sour and I figured this would be a nice first attempt style.

I am planning on using West Yorkshire 1496 from Wyeast since the stone fruit esters sound like they would suit this better than some of the Belgian strains. Never tried this yeast before. Going to pitch a lacto starter side by side with it.

Sound solid?

OG 1040- FG 1013

pils ~83%
spc B ~7%
spc roast ~7%
Choc/ Carafa I perhaps ~3%

Mash 155

No exact hop schedule yet but it will be Hallertauer to ~22 IBUs

 

[badlee]

Most likely the lacto will do no souring at all with 22IBUs.
I think the accepted knowlege is that lacto will not do its thing above 8IBUs

 

[prohl84]

The bitterness level is actually in the middle of the BJCP guideline for 17C- 20-25 IBUs. Flanders Brown/ Oud Bruin isn't a really in-your-face sour more of a tart. In the description it states lacto is the main souring organism possibly some acetobacter. Other sources of sourness even come from slight oxidation- this beer will have to be aged considerably I'm guessing to achieve the appropriate sour characteristics.

 

[Biergarden]

The bitterness level is actually in the middle of the BJCP guideline for 17C- 20-25 IBUs. Flanders Brown/ Oud Bruin isn't a really in-your-face sour more of a tart. In the description it states lacto is the main souring organism possibly some acetobacter. Other sources of sourness even come from slight oxidation- this beer will have to be aged considerably I'm guessing to achieve the appropriate sour characteristics.

This is a style I'm very familiar with. It's a beer that, I think, takes a bit of concentration over the months to turn out nicely. It might even take a year or more to really reach niceness. The beer I tried to dial into is Rodenbach and I think I got pretty close, but of course it's not exact. For sure the yeast blends play a large role and I'm not an employee of Rodenbach. Just an admirer.
I'd be happy to share my experience with you as well as my recipe if you're interested.

 

[Hopinista]

I brew one oud bruin per year, I'm thinking about starting to do 2. Take my advice, pitch Wyeast Roselare, it's the Rodenbach strain blend. IMO they make the best oud bruin commercially available in the states.

 

[Biergarden]

I brew one oud bruin per year, I'm thinking about starting to do 2. Take my advice, pitch Wyeast Roselare, it's the Rodenbach strain blend. IMO they make the best oud bruin commercially available in the states.

I have to agree. That blend is very nice and changes over time with subsequent re-pitchings.
I stepped mine up, which changes the ratio of yeasts/bacteria. But, I don't think you can really go wrong with this one.

 

[prohl84]

Thanks for the advice. I will use the 1496 in a mild and have LHBS order me some fresh Roselare when I'm ready to do this plus an extra fermenter or two so the pipeline schedule won't be affected negatively. Love the idea of doing a couple re-pitches to get a different ratio of the organisms- wyeast says not to for that reason- PFAW! I could try to wrangle it from Rodenbach maybe?

Biergarden: recipes always appreciated. Looks beautiful.

 

[Biergarden]

Thanks for the advice. I will use the 1496 in a mild and have LHBS order me some fresh Roselare when I'm ready to do this plus an extra fermenter or two so the pipeline schedule won't be affected negatively. Love the idea of doing a couple re-pitches to get a different ratio of the organisms- wyeast says not to for that reason- PFAW! I could try to wrangle it from Rodenbach maybe?

Biergarden: recipes always appreciated. Looks beautiful.

Were you planning on doing a primary fermentation then adding the Roselare into the secondary?
I tried that and it didn't come out like I hoped it would. The beer was nice, but not soured at all. Since then I've only used the Roselare blend directly into the primary and aged it on oak in the secondary for a few months. The Brett will digest some of the oak's sugars and further change the flavor in an awesome way.
Crash cool, outside in the winter, and kegged and stored cold, outside again in the winter.
BTW that picture was from today. I'm still finishing that glass of breakfast beer.

 

[prohl84]

I would just pitch Roselare alone. Maybe I'll do a small 2 gallon batch as a starter and make the rest a day or two later and pitch my "starter". The alcohol is going to impair the lacto/ pedio maybe that's why pitching into secondary didn't develop correct sourness.

 

[riceral]

I'd be happy to share my experience with you as well as my recipe if you're interested.

Please share the recipe and whatever information you feel important, if you would. I would appreciate it.

 

[Biergarden]

Rodenbach Clone
--------------------------
Boil Size: 12.57 gal
Post Boil Volume: 11.44 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 10.31 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 22.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 33.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 79.2 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 tsp Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -

11 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 52.4 %

3 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3 14.3 %

3 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 14.3 %

2 lbs Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 5 9.5 %

2 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 6 9.5 %

1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil Hop 7 6.4 IBUs

1.00 oz Spalter [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 8 8.0 IBUs

3.00 oz Saaz [4.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 9 19.5 IBUs

1.0 pkg Roselare Belgian Blend (Wyeast Labs #376 Yeast 10 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 21 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 31.13 qt of water at 171.7 F 154.0 F 75 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 8.11 gal water at 170.0 F
Notes:
------
1 oz American oak chips added to secondary and allowed to continue fermentation for another 30 days.


I stepped up the single package of Roeselare yeast which is against the advise of Wyeast, but whatever. I left this beer sit and age in kegs in the cold, which means outside, for 4 months before I tapped the first keg.
I use rain water here so that is why I need the gypsum in the mash.
I mashed a little on the hot side at 156f, but will drop my mash temp to 152f the next time around, only to see how it affects the body of the beer. But, I really like the mouth feel as this came out. I might also dial back on the hops used a little bit, but this certainly wasn't too bitter. There is a suitable balance between the sourness, bitterness, and sweetness.