Beer Forum

Planning on brewing my first Flanders Red with Roselare yeast and had a couple of questions for those of you who have used it before. I am wondering what to expect in terms of fermentation with this yeast so I can plan accordingly. Please advise....

I wanted to pitch whole packet into primary (without a starter) into plastic for about 1 week (or 5 days) until the primary fermentation slows. I am assuming aeration is recommended (60 sec. with pure oxygen)? After this time, can I then rack to glass and add oak cubes for aging or will there be a pellicle already formed that I should not disturb in the plastic? I am guessing that the pellicle will take time to form after the regular sacc. yeast in the culture finishes primary and racking would be wise to separate beer from excess trub for aging, but I just wanted some clarification.


Also, should lambics be aged on oak as well? Should oak be added for the entire aging process (12-18 months), or will that be too much oak (French Med. toast) ?

The pellicle will probably not form in the first week. If you're trying to make a true Flanders Red you should leave it in the bucket the entire time, for up to a year. If you do transfer to glass you should make a wooden bung instead of a regular airlock to allow in a small amount of O2. As far as the oak, JZ uses 1 oz medium French from day 1.

I have read that buckets are too permeable for oxygen and can create some over the top acetic character that might be too much, that is why I was going to transfer to glass.

Has anyone else made any Flanders with Roselare and what was your fermenter methods?

brewinhard wrote:I have read that buckets are too permeable for oxygen and can create some over the top acetic character that might be too much, that is why I was going to transfer to glass.

Has anyone else made any Flanders with Roselare and what was your fermenter methods?

I will be making my first batch next month. My plan is to follow Jamil's plan as close as possible. We have his procedure in BCS and his Flanders podcast.

Hopefully we can keep a thread like this going so we can cheer each other on. This is going to take a loooooong time.....

I'm trying my first sour in a better bottle with a rubber stopper and oak dowel where the stopper would go. It's been about a month. I'll keep you posted.

HopRunner wrote:

brewinhard wrote:I have read that buckets are too permeable for oxygen and can create some over the top acetic character that might be too much, that is why I was going to transfer to glass.

Has anyone else made any Flanders with Roselare and what was your fermenter methods?

I will be making my first batch next month. My plan is to follow Jamil's plan as close as possible. We have his procedure in BCS and his Flanders podcast.

Hopefully we can keep a thread like this going so we can cheer each other on. This is going to take a loooooong time.....

I made his Flander's Red last year when the Roeselare Yeast was out. It is still sitting in secondary a year later in my closet. I fermented it out in primary using Abbey II yeast instead of Cal Ale (my reasoning being that in Belgium do they use Belgian yeast or Cal Ale?). I racked it onto an ounce of medium toast oak, the packet of roeselare, and a can of the oregon's raspberries. I plan on putting in another can when the pellicle falls. So...I'm not entirely following Jamil's lead, but we'll see where it takes me. I didn't engineer any type of oak chair leg or anything, so there should be too much air getting into mine (except for the time the airlock dried out ). Mine is in a better bottle, as that is what The Mad Fermentationist recommends, and it was cheaper at the time.

Right on Bellmer! Best of luck with the fruit additions. Sounds delicious, especially aging with the fruit for so long.

I will be whipping up a few sours in a row come late may , early June. First Flanders Red, then Oud Bruin (will add oak), then a pale Flanders (probalby no oak). I really don't have any temp. control going on and during the summer months I bet the beer will get as high as 75-80 degrees sometimes. Oh well! What else can you do, but try anyway. I love sour beers so much that even a less than perfect version would still probably be enjoyable. And maybe I can blend if they come out too shitty!

Bellmer, how fast did your pellicle form with just the airlock in secondary? Are you able to maintain temperatures as needed or just letting it be?

brewinhard wrote:Right on Bellmer! Best of luck with the fruit additions. Sounds delicious, especially aging with the fruit for so long.

I will be whipping up a few sours in a row come late may , early June. First Flanders Red, then Oud Bruin (will add oak), then a pale Flanders (probalby no oak). I really don't have any temp. control going on and during the summer months I bet the beer will get as high as 75-80 degrees sometimes. Oh well! What else can you do, but try anyway. I love sour beers so much that even a less than perfect version would still probably be enjoyable. And maybe I can blend if they come out too shitty!

Bellmer, how fast did your pellicle form with just the airlock in secondary? Are you able to maintain temperatures as needed or just letting it be?

For long-term fermentation I don't really have anything either, so they have just sat at ambient in the back of my apartment closet (between 70 and 80 throughout the year probably). I'm in the same boat. I love them and figure it's worth a try. If it's drinkable I'll be happy. I just let it go to the elements because I don't have anything better yet. Supposedly it'll go faster but be less complex if it is done at warmer temps, however mine has had a pellicle for 12 months and it still looks pretty thick, so I dunno.

The pellicle on the Flander's Red took about a month to form. I had a Belgian Pale I pitched on top of the yeast cake from the Flander's Red (Abbey II Yeast) that I then added a bunch of dregs of bottles to. That formed in less than a week. I was freaking amazed. It went through primary fermentation and formed a pellicle before the Flanders Red that started first. It all depends on the oxygen present and the amount of food available. The key thing I think is to not worry about it. Pitch it and forget about it. I obsessed over it that first month and I really didn't need to at all.

By the time the pellicle falls in mine, there probably won't be much fruit character left once the bugs are through with it. I always got a vinuous berry-like taste in Rodenbach, so I thought adding some fruit would enhance the complexity a bit. We shall see. Best of luck with yours!