Oud Bruin and Sour Beer Newbie

[Thomasaug]

Tomorrow is brew day for my Oud Bruin. This is my first one and using the NB kit with Roselare yeast pack.

I've probably brewed 20 batches in my life and looking for a new challenge. Realize I have to make mistakes to learn, but would love to hear your insight regarding these beers to aid in the process.

I love sour beers (the Rodenbach family beers (Grand Cru, etc.) are my personal faves) but have had some Gueze beers that were just too sour for me (Lindeman's Curvee for me). I do enjoy the Petrus Oud Bruin, but haven't had many Oud Bruins otherwise. Flanders Red ales I've enjoyed without exception (as mentioned later, This is why I'm planning to add the oak and/or fruit flavorings. To make the sour not too overpowering, but complexely flavored and tasty).

Had a few questions:

1) Would you leave this on a yeast cake for a full year, move it onto secondary off the yeast cake (and after how long), or bottle condition it for 6 months after 6 months on the yeast cake (1 year total)? Or (as I fear) should I leave it on a yeast cake for a year and then bottle condition it for up to six months?

2) Is it ok to brew this in glass as opposed to plastic (heard not enough air might enter it and kill bacteria)?

3) Was told to use a dreg (which is the bottom of a beer, I've gathered). Would you advise against using the dregs of another sour beer (Lindemans Framboise)? Oud Bruin is a bit difficult to find near me. How important is dregging (rounding out and improving the bacteria/yeast quailty is what I've gathered) and is it strongly recommended (I have a Framboise in the fridge so can add a few ounces no problem)?

4) I'm planning on adding medium French oak chips (steam first for ten minutes, I've read). Should I add in primary or throw in towards the end? I have two ounces- too much/little? Any success/failure with these (Oud Bruins may not need them)?

5) I was considering throwing in a fruit purree. I would do this towards the end of the ferment (maybe during a short secondary period). Has anyone had success/failure doing this?

6) I've heard you should dedicate equipment to sour beers. Thats fine for tubing and a fermenter valve. A glass carboy I've heard can be cleaned. How about plastic items that only briefly touch it; such as a funnel and a plastic bottling container. Will these get contaminated from the sour yeasts/bacteria if they touch after fermenting and that for a short time?

7) I'm considering blending it with a different style to limit the sour taste. May sample before I do so. Was considering a brown ale (I can't brew lagers inas I have a small apartment)? Any recommendations and is it worthwhile to blend this style to make it more palatable (based upon my aforementioned tastes)?

8) Am I doing to much to castrate this style with the oak/fruit/blending? Don't want to eliminate the delicious Oud Bruin style but would like a drinkable complex beer.

Would love to hear others experiences with these as well.

Thanks for reading!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

1) Would you leave this on a yeast cake for a full year, move it onto secondary off the yeast cake (and after how long), or bottle condition it for 6 months after 6 months on the yeast cake (1 year total)? Or (as I fear) should I leave it on a yeast cake for a year and then bottle condition it for up to six months?

If you are going to do an oud bruin or Flanders red you should go primary (as long as necessary), secondary for 12-18 months and bottle condition long enough to carbonate.

2) Is it ok to brew this in glass as opposed to plastic (heard not enough air might enter it and kill bacteria)?

Yes most people use glass. For reds which have more acetic flavor you want more oxygen exposure so a wooden dowel run through the stopper will do enough. For an oud bruin you don't want the oxygen exposure so glass or a better bottle is preferable.

3) Was told to use a dreg (which is the bottom of a beer, I've gathered). Would you advise against using the dregs of another sour beer (Lindemans Framboise)? Oud Bruin is a bit difficult to find near me. How important is dregging (rounding out and improving the bacteria/yeast quailty is what I've gathered) and is it strongly recommended (I have a Framboise in the fridge so can add a few ounces no problem)?

Dregs help get a more diverse culture in your fermenter which will make the flavor more complex. It doesn't have to be oud bruin, anything sour or spontaneously fermented can be used as long as it's not pasteurized or filtered clean. Lindeman's fruit beers are pasteurized although the cuvee rene is not.

4) I'm planning on adding medium French oak chips (steam first for ten minutes, I've read). Should I add in primary or throw in towards the end? I have two ounces- too much/little? Any success/failure with these (Oud Bruins may not need them)?

Oud bruins do not need oak but if you add oak you should add after primary fermentation ends.

5) I was considering throwing in a fruit purree. I would do this towards the end of the ferment (maybe during a short secondary period). Has anyone had success/failure doing this?

You would add during a secondary. The fruit won't make it less tart or sour since the fruit adds more sugars to ferment and create the acids responsible for sourness.

6) I've heard you should dedicate equipment to sour beers. Thats fine for tubing and a fermenter valve. A glass carboy I've heard can be cleaned. How about plastic items that only briefly touch it; such as a funnel and a plastic bottling container. Will these get contaminated from the sour yeasts/bacteria if they touch after fermenting and that for a short time?

The less that crosses between clean and sour batches the less opportunities for cross contamination. That said, I used the same equipment for clean and sour/wild for over a year with no cross contamination.

7) I'm considering blending it with a different style to limit the sour taste. May sample before I do so. Was considering a brown ale (I can't brew lagers inas I have a small apartment)? Any recommendations and is it worthwhile to blend this style to make it more palatable (based upon my aforementioned tastes)?

A brown ale or blonde ale will be fine but you'll need to do something to prevent the sour bacteria and brett from fermenting the beer you blend with.

8) Am I doing to much to castrate this style with the oak/fruit/blending? Don't want to eliminate the delicious Oud Bruin style but would like a drinkable complex beer.

Brew what you want to drink.

 

[FarmerTed]

I love sour beers (the Rodenbach family beers (Grand Cru, etc.) are my personal faves) but have had some Gueze beers that were just too sour for me (Lindeman's Curvee for me). I do enjoy the Petrus Oud Bruin, but haven't had many Oud Bruins otherwise. Flanders Red ales I've enjoyed without exception (as mentioned later, This is why I'm planning to add the oak and/or fruit flavorings. To make the sour not too overpowering, but complexely flavored and tasty).

You should check out Sam Adams' Stony Brook Red. I had a bottle a few days ago, and was surprised by how good it is (best SA beer I've ever had, and I like most of their regular beers). It's on the milder side, and is really well balanced. I'm not a huge fan of the super sour stuff myself.

 

[RiverRat280]

I transfer off the primary yeast cake after it flocks out and let the brett do thier job. Lambics are left on the cake to get those real funky flavors. I have dedicated sour equipment for all plastics post boil, anything glass or SS can be cleaned and I wouldn't trust any plastic or gaskets with bugs. I don't secondary in plastic because I'm too worried about too much acetic acid, I'd rather under then over do it in a beer I had for 6+ months.
Last time I made 10 gallons and kept 5 as straight Flanders Red and took the other 5 and split to two 3 gallon fermenters, one with raspberrier and one with cherries. three beers for one brew day.

 

[Thomasaug]

You should check out Sam Adams' Stony Brook Red. I had a bottle a few days ago, and was surprised by how good it is (best SA beer I've ever had, and I like most of their regular beers). It's on the milder side, and is really well balanced. I'm not a huge fan of the super sour stuff myself.

I would give it a try, but haven't even seen it yet.

 

[Thomasaug]

Thanks for your help; got it in primary now. Got a long way to go though!

 

[DarthMalt]

Subscribed, in the event this continues...

 

[Thomasaug]

Well, it's been nine months on primary. Not too much longer. Considering moving it to secondary now, or to wait awhile longer.

The oud bruin doesn't have much of a pellicide but does have a thin layer on the top. It looks clear and delicious.

Still debating the raspberries and the oak chips and suppose I will have to decide soon.

Planning on a house purchase in June, so may save the first bottle for that. May even decide to upgrade my beer brewing equipment and brew a large batch in my new place!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

That thin layer is the pellicle.