The Duchesse ....

[EagleDude]

I am gearing up to brewing a flanders and I would be ecstatic to brew something close to the Duchesse de bourgogne. How does BCS's flander's red compare? Everyone loves the duchesse, so how can we brew it? I sure haven't seen it in CYBI ...

[uncle_bad_touches]

The BCS recipe will probably get you something more along the lines of a Rodenbach/Rodenbach Grand Cru. And by this I mean a much drier, more vinous beer. I've read that Duchesse pasteurizes their beer so that the bugs don't eat it down to nothing and thereby leaving it a much sweeter beer.

Here's what I would do - brew the BCS recipe, pitch the bugs and then wait a year. Then when it's ready re-brew the recipe again, but ferment with a normal ale yeast. Then you can blend them to your taste. But you'll need to keep them refrigerated and/or consume them quicky, or else the bugs will go to town and you'll end up with bottle bombs.

[Sent From My iPhone]

Isn't The Duchess back-sweetened too?

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I don't love the Duchesse. I think it's too sweet. But to each their own!
I think if you want to get like Duchesse you will probably have to back-sweeten, and the easiest way to do that without pasteurizing is to add Nutrasweet or saccharin.

[Dubba_Brew]

I don't know... I've got a soft spot for the Duchess, only because it was one of the first sours I ever had. It got me into the great sours that are now out there. If it weren't for the Duchess, I never would have tried any Russian River sours... then where would I be?!?!

All that being said... I think it's too sweet for my tastes, now.

[Oktober]

The Duchesse is definately a great 'gateway' sour beer.

-Okt

[EagleDude]

The Duchesse is definately a great 'gateway' sour beer.

-Okt

That is exactly why I want to brew the Duchesse ... most of my friends have not had a "sour" beer and it is getting too expensive to buy the $6 10oz bottle of Duchesse everytime I want to introduce the style to someone. They usually like the Duchess, begin to appreciate the sour tones and I switch them to the Roddenbach. I figured if I brewed a Duchesse style first that I could introduce the style to many friends and then move on to brewing more sour versions of the flanders.

With that said, I am not keen on adding Nutrasweet or saccharin to the beer, so that is not a viable option for me. As an alternative, could I brew a batch of the BCS flanders red with the Roselare blend, age it appropriately. Then when it is about time to drink, brew another batch that I ferment with something like the Cal Ale yeast. Keg both batches separetly and let everyone mix the two to their prefered level of sourness?

Feel free to tell me this would be a horrible idea.

[BadRock]

I love it...


That's all I've got to say bout that!