Flanders Red on Malbec Skins

[72IBU]

I have been wanting to brew a Flanders red for a while, and finally settled on the Landers Fred recipe by Saccharomyces. I also started a Malbec wine kit last weekend that included a muslin bag with about 2 oz of oak chips and 4 oz of dried grape skins.

My thought is to ferment the Landers Fred on the bag of oak and grape skins. I am thinking that I will also brew a second Landers Fred with no oak or skins to blend with.

Does the group have any thoughts on this? Has anyone done anything similar? I am planning on using the Roeselare blend, will there be any issue with a little wine yeast being added too?

 

[Calichusetts]

I don't have any experiential input but am planning my first flanders as well. I would ferment as usual then add the oak and skin to the secondary. Just to avoid cross contamination, overpowering flavors or other issues. Maybe transfer over the oak and skins which will definitely have some lees on it after primary.

Not that I know what I am doing but I am planning a french ale to start, brewing up a traditional flanders later then blending the two over oak for 6 months to a year. Will probably soak the oak in a nice bottle before hand. I don't drink wine but the wifey has a nice collection.

 

[72IBU]

I have considered waiting to add the oak and skins to the secondary. I am torn over which method to go with because I don't want it to taste like bubbly malty malbec, I want a nice flanders red with a little malbec and oak character.

I am also considering using a neutral yeast to primary with and then pitching the Roeselare. Part of this is because I want to make sure I get a good clean fermentation first, and part is because I only have time to brew tomorrow but the Roeselare doesn't get delivered until Tuesday.

 

[72IBU]

After some thought, here is what I am going to do:

I am brewing a 6.5 gallon batch for the skins and oak. I will do a quick 8-10 day primary (I usually do 3 weeks minimum for primary) with Safale 05. I am then going to put the muslin bag of skins and oak into the secondary and rack onto that, and then pitch the Roeselare. I plan on mashing at 158 so the bugs have plenty to chew on after the 05 is done working. Batch #2 I will do everything the same except no primary, I will just pitch the Roeselare right away and let it do its work for an extended primary.

Hopefully this should give me 2 solid beers to blend. I also hope to keep both yeast cakes for second and third batches becoming more sour than the first.