Acetic acid in Flanders

[brewinhard]

How many of you have brewed flanders reds with the Raj Apte method? I am wondering if it is worth the effort or should I just secondary with a stopper and airlock? Will the stopper/airlock give me enough acetic acid in the final product? Any thoughts or experience with this?

[Mylo]

I don't think a stopper/airlock is going to give you any acetic acid character. The acetobacter needs some oxygen - and the airlock is going to prevent any oxygen from getting in there. I think you would be better off in a bucket for a while - and then go into the glass. Or try the Raj method.

Not speaking from experience here - just from what I have been told.


Mylo

[Stewbacca]

i have been reading around that alot of people are using better bottles since they let very small amounts of oxygen in.. dont know from experience though....

[brewinhard]

Can I also assume that when racking I am introducing oxygen as well (I'm sure my methods aren't perfect with my autosiphon!)? What about if I take the stopper off every now and then just to let some oxygen in? Maybe before the pellicle forms so it doesn't block oxygen uptake? Keep the ideas rolling in....!!

[ChrisKennedy]

By all accounts that I have read at the Babble Belt, there is no acetobacter in the Roselare blend. So where is the acetic acid coming from?

[Quin]

I think it's the lactic acid you are after not acetic. Acetic would be what you would find in malt vinegar. The pediococcus will generate the lactic acid and is found in the Roselare blend.

Jamil mentioned on the Flanders Red show that the carboy fermentation didn't have enough sourness, but the bucket had too much. He blended the two. I don't recall if he said which type of airlock he used.

I think the wooden dowel and Roselare are key to brewing this style according to the pope.

[Bellmer]

I don't think a stopper/airlock is going to give you any acetic acid character. The acetobacter needs some oxygen - and the airlock is going to prevent any oxygen from getting in there. I think you would be better off in a bucket for a while - and then go into the glass. Or try the Raj method.

Not speaking from experience here - just from what I have been told.


Mylo

There won't be any oxygen introduced unless you are a typical person and not anally checking the airlock to make sure it never runs dry. If it runs dry, you're introducing some oxygen.

As far as no acetobactor in the Roselare blend, if that were true then it wouldn't be an exact copy of the commercial version (which I never really assumed that it was). It is supposed to have minor acetic character and requires some finessing to keep to a minimum according to reading I have done in the past.

If you want to read about someone who has extensively tried the Raj method, improved upon it, and keeps meticulous notes etc. online check out http://madfermentationist.blogspot.com/. Michael Tonsmeire is a great guy and will answer any questions you may have.

I didn't want to mess with the whole dowel/chair leg thing, so I'm rockin an ounce of oak in a better bottle. I'll post how it turns out if the damn pellicle ever falls. Going on 13+ months now.

Best of luck.

[jamilz]

Sometimes the pellicle doesn't fall. Lots of reasons as to why it doesn't. Give the beer a taste every month or so, trying not to disturb things too much. When it tastes right, rack it.

Acetic acid character in the Flanders red should be minimal. A complimentary component, not a dominant one.