strange-steve
Quantum Brewer
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- Apr 8, 2014
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I think often these styles have a much more complex grain bill than is typical for a Beigian beer, often a bit of Vienna and/or Munich to add a little richness to the base malt flavours, as well as a decent portion of crystal.It was an extract batch with steeped special B and some maltodextrin
I've noticed that the typical flavours of Belgian yeasts don't really come through much in sour beers, at least in my experience, and tend to be outshone by the other complexities. I can't explain the mildness of the Brett funk, there's usually enough left to keep it happy even with a high attenuating primary yeast. Which Brett strain was it?I fermented upfront with a Belgian yeast and then added Brett and lacto. I wonder if the ale yeast dominated and didn’t leave enough for the Brett
Generally I'd agree with you there, but this is one style where a little acetic character is definitely a good thing. In Brewing Classic Styles Jamil mentions that a sealed glass carboy doesn't allow enough oxygen ingress to produce that flavour and one trick that people use is to use an oak peg rather than a rubber bung.I’m generally pleasantly surprised with the lack of acetic character in my sour beers which speaks to decent process, but you’re right this one could’ve done with some more character or complexity.
I reckon that blended cultures, like the Roeselare blend, are the way to go with these beers rather than individually pitched cultures. It has 2 sacch, 2 brett, a lacto, and a pedio culture in it which without a doubt adds to the complexity of the style thumb