Flanders in a Better Bottle

[Herms]

Hey,

My Flanders (Jamil's recipe) is just starting to ferment, so I need to figure out what I am going to do for the second fermentation with the bugs (Rosselare pack).

I'm not getting the chair leg or the dowel rod. The chair leg or dowel rod will create some type of seal, since there is no airlock, won't pressure build up and stop any oxygen from flowing into the carboy. In one of Raj Apte's tests he had beer flowing out of the chair leg. How is it allowing oxygen in.

Does the chair leg or dowel breaking thru the pellicle have some added benefit?

I basically decided to go with a glass carboy, oak cubes and a carboy cap and airlock. But I ferment in better bottles and would have to pick up a glass carboy, which for some reason seem to be expensive now ($40), I can pick up a new better bottle for $25.

Then I started thinking that a better bottle may be perfect for a Flanders. It has a very low oxygen permeability, way less than a bucket, but not zero like glass. So with a carboy cap and an airlock, some oxygen would get in thru the better bottle. The oxygen would be coming in thru the walls of Better Bottle, kind of like a Barrell? Any thoughts?

Mark

[huskerbrew]

I can't comment on the Better Bottle, though it seems plausible. Regarding the carboy situation, according to my LHBS the glass carboys are being imported from Italy now instead of Mexico. The company apparently shut down the carboy operation in Mexico and now the only carboy manufacturer in the world is in Italy, hence the jump in price. FWIW I've seen them as high as $60 for a 6 gallon model. The guy at my LHBS says he uses the Better Bottles for wine and mead with no ill effect.

[Brandon]

3 awards later for my Flanders Red (JZs recipe) I can only say this. Go with a bucket. Easy as hell, and works great. My beer fermented down to around .20 ish and then transferred to the bucket with Roselare for 6-7 months. I just dont see any reason to spend the extra money on a Better bottle.

[Herms]

I already have the better bottles, just trying to decide on whether or not to use the chair leg or not.

I'm thinking the better bottle is sort of similar to the bucket. Both let O2 in, the better bottles probably let in less O2 over time.

Now that Rodenbach will no longer be imported, I need figure out how to brew this style.

[Brandon]

Now that Rodenbach will no longer be imported, I need figure out how to brew this style.

WHAT? I was unaware of this! I would have bought more when I was in Florida last month. damn

[Herms]

That's what I hear. At first I thought it was just Redback, then I heard it was everything.

[cmgray]

I'm thinking the better bottle is sort of similar to the bucket. Both let O2 in, the better bottles probably let in less O2 over time.

I was thinking the exact same thing. I emailed JZ a while back on it, but without experiments or numbers on O2 permeability it's hard for him to say anything for sure. But I've got 10 gallons aging away in better bottles so I'll let you know in about 6 months how it works.

[Herms]

It's been just over a month in the better bottle. The pellicle is just starting to form. Thought it would form a lot quicker. I'm guessing it will take at least 3 months before it completely covers the top.