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This is basically a clone of Rodenbach Grand Cru. The idea is to
first brew a dextrinous red ale that has low hopping and ends not too
attenuated, then toss in the Roselare bugs (including but not limited
to lactobacillus, pediocaucus, brett) and let them munch on the
unfermentable dextrins for a year or so, souring the beer up.
Our initial fermentation attenuated too much (after 2 weeks we
were down to 1.013), so we didn't leave much in the way of sugars
leftover for the bugs to eat. We should have aimed for a FG of 1.022
or so. Nonetheless, we set the bugs to work after racking to plastic
bucket secondaries. The purpose of the plastic buckets is to let in
a bit of oxygen, simulating the porous nature of the oak vats this
beer is traditionally brewed in. We also added toasted French oak
cubes to the buckets for the same reason.
In secondary, the bugs formed a white pellicle on the beer and
went to town on remaining sugars and dead yeast. It is still
fermenting as I write this. It smells delicious.
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