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Style Series: Flanders Oud Bruin
and Red Ales |
By Jim Wilson
These beers derive their sourness from lactobacilli and acetobacters. Long aging and blending of young
and well-aged beer may occur, adding to the smoothness and complexity. Much of the hop character is lost
during aging. Red beers are distinctly tart/sour, brown ales less so with more malty/fruity complexity.
COMMERCIAL EXAMPLES: RODENBACH (RED ALE), LIEFMAN'S GOUDENBAND (BROWN ALE).
At the end of Friday June 22, Alex Puchner of BJ's talked about Flemish Red Ale and Oud Bruin styles.
I didn't know much about either style, but I like Chimay Red so went to the session hoping to learn
something. What I got was an opinionated, very entertaining discussion of traditional brewing that
has its foot on a banana peel.
Alex started by clarifying that, in his mind, this group of Flemish Sour Browns consists of Rodenbach
Grand Cru and all the wannabes. He stated that "RGC is the World's greatest beer", leading me to wonder
just where he stood on the subject. "It is consistent, refreshing and very drinkable compared to lambic".
Unfortunately, it is produced by a process that can't be replicated simply. He dismisses the red vs brown
debate and says these are members of the same beer style. We love it for its complexity and the accountants
hate it. Arghhh! Lawyers and bean counters are the bane of my life.
Brewing and first fermentation are normal, if complicated. The real action takes place in the conditioning
and aging process. Pale, Vienna, Munich and corn are step mashed and brewed for 90 minutes. Northern Brewer,
Target and Brewer's Gold are used in moderation (15 IBU). The wort is cooled and a 20 component yeast
complex is pitched and allowed to ferment and condition for 5-8 weeks. The beer is then aged in large
(120 to 650 hectolitres) oak tuns for about 2 years before the beer is blended and bottled for sale. The
oak is only scraped and cleaned every 20 years and the beasties that live in the wood improve the beer's
flavor making it one of the most wine like beers according to many.
RGC may or may not become extinct because of the cost of the process, so Alex has tried his hand at
duplicating its profile. His recipe includes 2 row, Munich, CaraMunich, maize and chocolate malt
infusion mashed at 67 degrees C and brewed for 2 hours with French oak chips and Goldings hops.
After cooling, he pitches with Wyeast 3942, lactobacilli and brettanomyces. The beer is interesting,
but after 10 months, has a smokey phenol character he doesn't like so the search goes on.
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