[pyrite]

I've only used the White Labs Belgian Sour Mix WLP655 in oak barrel aging as a solara, and was wondering how the Wyeast Roseselare matches up.  Since it takes about a year for the souring flavors to develop I thought I would seek some insight before I uptake the prolonged task of aging. If you like one product over the other, or have noticed a difference in either's behavior please let me know.

 

[tschmidlin]

I would pick the Roeselare blend every time.  I did a side by side comparison, the WLP655 came out way too tart and a bit rough, the Roeselare was plenty sour but smoother with a fuller mouthfeel.

[narvin]

What kind of beer are you making?  Sour beers have a delicate balance of different acid producing yeast and bacteria and you're going to get a different profile in a Flanders Red vs. a Lambic.  Roeselare is supposed to be based on the Rodenbach bugs and is great for a Flanders Red.  For a Lambic, I'd go with the White Labs, or Wyeast Lambic Blend (3278) which are not identical but more similar than either are to Roeselare.

[pyrite]

Oud Bruin is the style of beer I'm making. I have a refurbished 30gal French oak barrel and was going to inoculate it with either the WL Sour Mix or the Wyeast Roeselare.  I've enjoyed using the WL Sour Mix in combination with a Belgian Triple recipe and a 10gal French oak barrel, and thought I would try a different sour style. However, I was not aware that Roeselare was based on the Rodenbach microbes.  I'm not particular to keeping to the style guidelines, and am more inclined to produce a beverage that is smoother and more palatable.  Narvin I'm glad you explained the differences between the two products.   

[narvin]

Roeselare would be great in an Oud Bruin.  If you want it less sour, you can ferment with sacc strain in primary and add the bugs in the secondary.