Falmouth Flanders

Eric Mo'Bigs and I Have set out to make a Flanders Red based off of Jamil's straightforward recipe on BN, only difference is we are going to create multiple worts for blending and just plain old fashion homebrewing fun.  As we know, bugs multiple faster than Sach does, so our plan is to brew with the Rosaleare blend from Wyeast and and let her sit for 2 months (which we have now done).  The next step is to rack the beer and pitch a fresh, identical wort onto the remaining cake in its enirety.  Who knows where this rabbit hole will lead, but it'll be fun running it down!

Grist
39% - Vienna - 5.25 lbs.
39% - Pilsner - 5.25 lbs.
11%- Munich - 1.5 lbs
4% - Aromatic - .5 lbs.
4% - Special B - .5 lbs.
4% - Wheat Malt - .5 lbs.

Hops - .8oz - EKG

Yeast: Roselare - and complete repitch to cake.




Stats
OG - 1056
FG - low low low
ABV - TBD
SRM - 12


We both worked the same process and plan to take a look back in the Spring.

Brew Day

Falmouth Flanders One (FF1)
8/27/14 - Eric brews.  All is as stated above.  Into bucket fermenter.
11/21/14 - TTransferred FF1 to glass.  Initial tasting - Souring and dry. Goood mouthfeel but body low.  Not tart yet but on the away.  Stone fruit accents.  Medicinal taste on the sideline.  On track.

Plan is to oak around January with Medium - M+ oak cubes.

11/21/14 - FF2 Brewed, all is as above.  Harvested cake from FF1 and discarded most the mold that had accrued atop the pellicle.  We should have top cropped the whole pellicle before the transfer.

Next step - top up carboy into neck to reduce  exposure to air.  Need to keep that acetic acid character to a minimum. Was listening to The Sour Hour on BN and they say to not let sours in primary "too long."  I will make it a practice t rack off the primary cake at 3 months and do my initial tasting at that time.  I have been fearful of transferring the beer, but three things need to be considered:

1.  The beer should not age on the primary cake.

2.  3 months is a good time for an initial tasting.

3.  Utilizing good process of CO2 for purging new vessels, purging when doing a tasting and/or transferring and standard sanitation will allow for minimal O2 uptake.

4. I haven't been topping up my carboys after initial fermentation.

1/9/14 - FF1 - on a good trajectory - light funk, low acid.  Did not purge with CO2. Added Hungarian oak cubes

FF2 - same path as FF1 with slightly more funk to date. Purged with CO2.

3/11/15 - FF3 - added 6g baking soda, 5 CaCl and gypsum. - Mash 156.  Same grist as previous. Only adding 2g Warrior at FWH for 5ibu's to let the lacto run a little more.

Racked FF2 to new fermentor.

Better efficiencies these days and I realize I didnt adjust.  Looking for a 1048 preboil gravity to target a 1056 OG. 

 Hit the pre-boil gravity at 6.5G.  2g of Warrior in FWH targeting 5ibu.

Racked wort into FF1/FF2 slurry.  Slurry took up half gallon...also left a pint and change of the beer to grab some active bugs.  Purged both FF2 and FF3.

Tasting FF2 - slight acetic charcter starting to show through.  Malt is forward.  Body is medium-low and finish is bone dry.  Brett funk is lingering as is a tannic charcter. I think FF 2 should get the cherries.

FF1 - has oak

FF2 - cherries

FF3 -

4/1/15 - tasting
FF1 - thin body, acetic apparent, especially on nose, but not overbearing, slight funk, overripe fruit aroma, and in the flavor.  Smooth draw and big vanilla at the end.
FF2 - more ripe fruit than FF1, higher relative funk and a bread aroma, malt, taste is very malty, malty finish, medium-plus body, lingering funk and there is a residual sweetness.  Also smooth.  Funk is a littele more forward on then nose.  There is a medium-low perception of hot alcohol, but only the aroma...not necessarily fussel, but its there.
FF3 - appearance cloudy, but similar color will come with clarity.  aroma is sweet funk, sweet fruit, slight maltiness, no acetic. Not as malty as FF2, perceived bitterness coming from funk, medium body, veryb little sour, but you can tell it starting at a very young age, no lingering funk and perhaps a little percived lingering sourness, almost tannic.  The best start of the three.

7/1/15 - 10lbs thawed black cherries to FF2.

9/1/15 - blending session - 1:1:2, Oak:Yeast:Cherry

Next:
1. blend 3G Cherry versio,/n to 1.5G Yeast, and 1.5G oak in a wild bucket.
2. Take remaining cherry, add to bottling/blending bucket and do the same blend.  Probably 1G cherry, .5G oak, .5G yeast.  Bottle with sugar tabs.  Clean cherry fermenter.
3. Add big batch blend blend from wild bucket to cleaned cherry fermenter.
4. There will be equal amounts of yeast/oak at about 3G each.  Add all yeast version to oak fermenter.  Plan to add fruit and additional lacto to this version later.
5. Harvest yeast.