AG73 - Flanders Red Ale

[strange-steve]

A combination of sciatica and insomnia meant I was up at 5 this morning, so I decided to get an early brew on.

I've been meaning to brew this style for a while now, especially after tasting @JFB's outstanding Flanders red last year, and now that I've got myself a glass carboy it's about time I got it started.

Flanders Red Ale

Recipe Specs
Batch size: 19 L
Total grain: 4.565 kg
Original gravity: 1.054
Final gravity (estimated): 1.008
ABV: 6.04%
Colour: 16 SRM
Bitterness: 13 IBU

Grain Bill
1.75 kg Vienna malt
1.5 kg Pilsner malt
350 g Munich malt
200 g Special B
200 g Aromatic malt
200 g Wheat malt
150 g Caramunich II
150 g Flaked oats
15 g Carafa special II

Hop Bill
10 g Magnum Pellet (10.7% AA) @ 60 mins

Notes
Mash at 68°c for 60 mins and 75°c for 10 mins

Ferment at 20°c with Wyeast 3763 - Roeselare blend

Age for 12 months before bottling.

 

[strange-steve]

OK so the first f*** up of the day is complete (it wouldn't be a proper brew day for me without at least one). When bringing it up to boil, I noticed that it had actually started boiling even though the temperature was displaying only 93°. Then realised that the temperature probe wasn't fully inserted.

The result of this is that I have no idea what temperature I actually mashed at, but probably mid 70s I would guess. I have a feeling it won't matter too much with a mixed fermentation beer like this, but this is something I'll need to look out for in future

 

[The Baron]

Whoops Steve
I too am brewing this morning started at 7am doing a mango pineapple IPA. Adding frozen fruit on day 4/5 with fruity hops and dry hop.Good luck

 

[strange-steve]

Whoops Steve
I too am brewing this morning started at 7am doing a mango pineapple IPA. Adding frozen fruit on day 4/5 with fruity hops and dry hop.Good luck

Thanks mate, and good luck with yours, it sounds fantastic :thumba:

 

[strange-steve]

All wrapped up now. OG was a couple of points under the expected 1.056, probably due to the high mash temperature. The wort is a lovely reddish brown colour though and it has a beautiful toffee and fruit flavour to it.

 

[Leon103]

Bet this will be amazing. May have to make one of these myself

 

[strange-steve]

Well this is bubbling away happily this morning and smelling delicious. This is my first time using a glass fermenter and it's pretty cool seeing how much movement there is during fermentation.

 

[BeerCat]

I brewed mine on the 1st of March. What is it like young? I thought i might bottle a few and put the rest in dj's once i manage to clean them.

 

[strange-steve]

I brewed mine on the 1st of March. What is it like young? I thought i might bottle a few and put the rest in dj's once i manage to clean them.

No idea what it's like young tbh. I'd imagine the flavours would be less complex, perhaps lacking the acetic character that comes with age and oxygen exposure.

 

[BeerCat]

No idea what it's like young tbh. I'd imagine the flavours would be less complex, perhaps lacking the acetic character that comes with age and oxygen exposure.

So by racking it i can increase acidity?

 

[strange-steve]

So by racking it i can increase acidity?

Not necessarily increase the acidity but potentially change the type of acidity. Acetic acid (vinegar) is produced by acetobacter in the presence of oxygen, which is generally undesirable but in a flanders red a little is wanted. Too much is unpleasant but just a little gives it a lovely fruity, mouthwatering quality which reminds me of something like balsamic vinegar and cranberries, delicious.

 

[BeerCat]

Are you doing the full fermentation in your glass DJ? Mine took a while to stop bubbling and had a heavy krausen that lasted about 7 days from day7. Hope you don't get a blowover.

 

[Clint]

Is this like the GH that takes "years"?

 

[strange-steve]

Are you doing the full fermentation in your glass DJ? Mine took a while to stop bubbling and had a heavy krausen that lasted about 7 days from day7. Hope you don't get a blowover.

Yeah I won't be moving it till bottling day. I was a bit worried about the head space in the carboy so I've fitted a blow off tube just in case.

Is this like the GH that takes "years"?

I don't have the GH book so I don't know, but could well be. About a year according to Jamil in Brewing Classic Styles.

 

[Clint]

Thanks...iirc I think a year comes into it!

 

[matt76]

Is this like the GH that takes "years"?

Yes it is: "Ready to drink = 1+ years"

 

[strange-steve]

Well this has actually stopped bubbling already, only 3 days in and the krausen has mostly dropped. Not sure if that's normal or not.

 

[Llamaman]

I think in Rodenbach Grand Cru the old ale in the blend is aged 3 years in barrel.

 

[strange-steve]

As the famous sign at Cantillon says, "time does not respect what is done without it".

 

[The Baron]

It'll come up on Facebook memories in 1 years time Steve so you know it will be ready to drink then if you have forgotten about it lol