Adding Orval Dregs

[Swinging Beef]

I have a Tripel in 2ndary that I fermented using the Wyeast Canadian-Belgian strain.
The Belgian Blond that I used to make a starter yeast for this brew is a nice enough drop but a not exactly to my taste, and I think it is the yeast's fault, as Ive brewed it with the Wyeast Belgian Abbey II and Ardennes before and been stoked.
So.. rather than bottle a mediocre batch of tripel, I was wondering what would happen if I introduced some deliberate funkiness to the brew from the dregs of a bottle of Orval?

Has anyone else done this kinda thing before?
Are the results good?
Any tips or warnings?

I recently got to have some Farmhouse and Lambic beers while in Japan and really enjoyed the stinkiness from them, and then last week had a Piraat beer, that I thought I detected some sour Brett style aromas in, so I was wondering if the Orval dregs might take the brew down that kinda path.

 

[sam]

Yep it's been done.

Yep it works.

Here, here and here are some threads.

Search and enjoy.

 

[Swinging Beef]

Thanks mate, your search skills far outweigh mine.

No one mentioned how long to leave it down for or how to treat equiment that has been in contact with brett...

 

[sam]

Thanks mate, your search skills far outweigh mine.

No one mentioned how long to leave it down for or how to treat equiment that has been in contact with brett...

Leave it until your happy with the flavour - it can take quite a while to kick in I think, leaving it for a year is common. Ideally, the brett in Orval should have a year to get going after it's been bottled, so a similar timeframe seems appropriate.

Isolate brett gear to brett, or burn it after use. I don't think it's worth exposing your 'normal' fermentation gear to brett. Especially rubber grommets, o-rings, plastic, things with places to hide.

 

[kevo]

I did this with a pretty non-descript beer over a year ago. Had added some xtra dextrines to give the brett something to munch on over time.

Bottled in Orval bottles....just in case.

Poured the dregs into the fermenter once things had settled down.

Gave this some time in a warmish spot, then bottled. Primed a couple. Left some unprimed.

They have all carbonated, BUT, with the original beer being pretty straight forward, it just tastes like the Orval dregs and not much else. The unprimed ones have come up quite well i think, the others ended up being overcarbonated.

And I'd probably rather drink Orval than my dodgy taste-alike...

But works and is worthwhile I think. Give it a go.

Kev

 

[KillerRx4]

Isolate brett gear to brett, or burn it after use. I don't think it's worth exposing your 'normal' fermentation gear to brett. Especially rubber grommets, o-rings, plastic, things with places to hide.

I reckon if your sanitation in general lacks to the point that yeast can find places to hide & contaminate future wort, you will be having bigger problems with bacteria spoilage than wild yeast contamination.

As far as I'm concerned, effective sanitation will kill any residual brett in your fermentation equipment.. That is unless your fermentin in wooden barrels.

 

[kabooby]

I reckon if your sanitation in general lacks to the point that yeast can find places to hide & contaminate future wort, you will be having bigger problems with bacteria spoilage than wild yeast contamination.

As far as I'm concerned, effective sanitation will kill any residual brett in your fermentation equipment.. That is unless your fermentin in wooden barrels.

Very true. There is wild yeast everywhere and we manage to brew clean beers. If you leave your fermenters open while in storage they would get wild yeast in them. All of this is solved by a good cleaning and sanitizing procedure. Brett is no different.

Kabooby

 

[Swinging Beef]

I have an old 20 litre fermenter I dont use anymore.. I thought that might be the go for the Brett-ing.

Sam... one year you reckon for the brett stinkiness to really take hold?

kevo... this tripel is ok, its just that I feel the yeast lacks character. Ive made this tripel three times now with the same grist bill, just changing the yeast, and Im just not thrilled with the outcome on this occasion. I was hoping the dreggs might add some complexity.

killerRx4... you may be right, but Ive read, partikkarly with plastic vessels and the like, that brett will happily lie dormant in fine scratches such as those caused by scourers until fed again.

 

[kevo]

I think you should have a go.

My beer is well over a year old now in the bottle and is very drinkable.

How many 'bottles worth' of dregs are you planning to add?

Kev

 

[Swinging Beef]

the threads that sam hooked me up with all say add dregs of one bottle

Ive got 23 litres to fiddle with.
Was thinking i might split it, and add cardomon and coriander to 10 litres and throw the Orval dregs into the other 13 litres.

 

[kevo]

10L with dregs
10L with spices

Leaving 3L of what you have now in stubbies to taste/compare the effect of the changes.

kev

 

[Swinging Beef]

10,10,3 sounds like a plan.
Now .. where are my Hoegaarden bottles?

 

[bconnery]

Very true. There is wild yeast everywhere and we manage to brew clean beers. If you leave your fermenters open while in storage they would get wild yeast in them. All of this is solved by a good cleaning and sanitizing procedure. Brett is no different.

Kabooby

This is very true. A homebrewer I know says "It's a yeast and it can be killed like a yeast"
That said, I retired two fermenters that were looking fairly old and scratched into lambic production and that's where they will all go from now on, maybe a roselare one too...

 

[Swinging Beef]

The deed is done.
Excellent excuse for having an Orval before lunch!