Dubbel to Flanders/Oud Bruin

[mikegrau]

I'm in mid-fermentation of a 1.070 Dubbel using Wyeast 1388. It's a 15 gallon batch in three 6.5 gallon carboys. I'm interested in pitching some bugs into one of the carboys, but wondering if this is necessarily a good idea. A couple of things I'm considering...

1. Is it too late to be introducing bugs into a beer that's already fermenting? Should I wait until it finishes completely?
2. Is it okay to do this on top of 1388, rather than using a more neurtral strain like 1056?
3. What would be a good culture to introduce…Roselaire? Lacto? Brett? Peddio?

I've only brewed a sour once before to moderate success. I'll be kegging and force-carbonating the final product (in a dedicated sour keg). I'm not looking to nail any specific style, but just to produce a tart, enjoyable brew. I'd even consider throwing some sour cherries in part or all of it at some point. Thanks!

 

[rexbanner]

I am in the process of formulating and brewing my first sour, waiting on a dubbel to finish so I can harvest some wlp530 which I'll use for the primary yeast. I have a copy of Wild Brews that I've pretty much finished reading. I've done a fair amount of research and talked to a guy who knows sours pretty well so I'll offer my advice, which isn't based on any firsthand experience. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

1. Nope. Some Flanders beers are inoculated along with primary sacc, some when primary fermentation is almost done, some after. I am planning to inoculate right away along with primary yeast, 530, because I don't want to have to wait as long.
2. I have heard that sours fermented with neutral yeast can lack a bit of complexity, and I believe Russian River uses 530. I know plenty of people use American or English yeast strains.
3. I believe that pedio and lacto (no brett) are considered more traditional for a Flanders brown, but these rules seem pretty trivial. Roselaire has brett, but I'd see no reason not to use it.

 

[mikegrau]

Thanks rexbanner. Is there any prevailing opinion whether Roselare should be pitched on top of S. Cerevisea, or racked then pitched? (Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere...I'm new here and still learning my way around.)

 

[Almighty]

1. When you pitch the bugs will dictate the final product. Assuming you will use the Roeselare yeast (which I highly recommend) the sooner you pitch the more sugar that lacto has a chance to digest and create lactic acid. If you pitch after fermentation you will have less sourness, but over the course of 1 -2 years the pedio will add much more lactic acid.

2. A yeast that produces more esters will add much more complexity to the final product. I recommend a Belgian yeast that produces a nice balance of fruity esters and phenols. So WLP530 is great and so should Wyeast 1388.

3. It really depends on which direction you want to go. But a Belgian Dubbel base is pretty close to a Flanders Red or Oud Bruin so I would lead in that direction. And for that roeselare is fantastic.

I currently have some of my Flanders Red on cherries and it boosts the sourness quite a bit and really enhances the cherry note. I'm a fan.