Flanders Red recipe ingredient question.

Beer Recipes
1

I am thinking about brewing up a Flanders Red and was looking around at recipes.
According to this http://www.byo.com/stories/beer-styles/article/indices/11-beer-styles/659-flanders-red-ale
“Flanders acid ale brewers toss corn grits — up to 20% — into the mash, first boiled to achieve gelatinization. For homebrewers, flaked maize is a convenient alternative. Corn contributes a smoothness to the wort plus a bit of starch for the eventual microorganisms.”

The BJCP site says
“Ingredients: A base of Vienna and/or Munich malts, light to medium cara-malts, and a small amount of Special B are used with up to 20% maize. Low alpha acid continental hops are commonly used (avoid high alpha or distinctive American hops). Saccharomyces, Lactobacillus and Brettanomyces (and acetobacter) contribute to the fermentation and eventual flavor.”
It would seem to me if a style calls for up to 20% corn it would be a fairly critical ingredient.
Yet none of the recipes I have seen on line include any corn.
Any one have any thoughts on this?

2

I used the recipe posted by Denny in this thread as a starting point for my recipe:  http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=23766

I have now brewed my version 4 times and do blends.  Won silver at the 2nd round NHC last year.  I use 1kg of flaked maize in mine.

3

Thanks the recipe I have so far is

Pilsner or pale 6.75 lbs  62%
flaked corn 2 lbs  19%
vienna  1.375 lb  12%
caramunich 0.5 lb 4%
roast barley  2 oz  1% (Added at end of mash for color)
hops either kent goldings or hallertau @ 60 minutes for 10 ibu’s

4

The recipe I linked, as well as mine, uses about 30% crystal malt, which I think works really well in a Flanders Red.  I can’t really comment on how yours would turn out with just 4% crystal, but regardless, I would advise mashing high, around 156-158F.

5

An old reference that includes grits.
http://www.brewery.org/brewery/library/Rodnbch.html

Somewhere I might have an old download where Peter Boucheart talked about the Rodenbach recipe.  That had 9% corn, 4 % wheat.

6

This seem a little better?

6.75 lbs pilsner/pale  50%
2.25 lbs flaked corn    18%
1.25 lbs Munich      10%
1.25 lbs crystal 120        11%
1.25 lbs  special roast    11%

7

I personally wouldn’t use special roast or crystal 120.  I thought your first recipe was pretty good, just boost the caramunich and drop the base malt accordingly:

Pilsner or pale 4.25 lbs
flaked corn 2 lbs
vienna  1.375 lb
caramunich 3 lb
roast barley  2 oz

You can play around with it.  A small vienna or munich addition is optional, but I really don’t think it will have much impact.  You can use different types of crystal malts, but try to stick to those in the med to light range, say 20-60L.  As for the roasted malts, keep it to an ounce or two, but use whatever you want.