Friday, February 10, 2012

Flanders Red - Tasting


It has been 16 months since I brewed this beer. While still young for the style, it has been bottles for almost 4 months now and I thought it was ready for review.  (See recipe at bottom)

Pours with almost no head. Reddish brown with medium clarity.
Fruity brett like mild wild yeast aroma.  Maybe some cherries.
Mild tartness, fruity and refreshing with a hint of malt.  Some Cherry and citrus.
Light and refreshing, with a little carbonation.
It goes down easy. Goes well with a meal, but could also be a summer thirst quencher.  Everyone who has tried it so far says they like it.  I would have liked it to be more sour, more carbonation and higher original gravity.
Lauren says: she liked this one, it wasn't too hoppy or too syrupy, but still has a little sweetness.

About the beer:
I brewed this beer back in September 2010 based off of a recipe on themadfermantationist, which is based from someone else's beer inspired by Roddenbach.  Still early in my all grain days, I came in a bit low with the gravity, but it still came out good. After 1 month in primary, it aged for another 11 months before I bottled.

Flanders red is a Belgian beer fermented with a variety of wild yeast and aged in large oak vats for many months. As home brewers, we can purchase this yeast as the wyeast Rosselear blend. Similar to the organisms used in brewing lambic beer.

Recipe:
  3lbs Rarh pilsner
  3lbs German Vienna
  3lbs German Munich
  1lbs Rahr white wheat
  1lbs Briess Caramel 60L
  1/2 lbs Belgian Special B
Mash @ 157 for 60 min
  1oz German Hellertau (60 minute)
  WYeast Rosalere blend

Notes:
   9/12/10  Brewed   OG=1.045  (poor efficiency)
    9/24/10  G=1.011
   10/10/10 Secondary  G=1.011
    4/16/11 G=1.08
       'Wild' aroma+taste.  Not much sour.  Reminds me of La Roja
       Hazy reddish-brown
    6/22/11 G=1.005 + 1/2 oz med toast french oak
       Cherry pie?  good clarity.  Reddish brown.  not much sour
    9/18/11 - Bottled 4gal + 4oz sugar  G=1.005  ABV=5.25%
       Reddish brown; medium clarity
       Smells of a sour beer.  Taste of sour but not too tart.

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