All-brett Fermentation

[Chad]

I'll see if I can remember to check back in on this post in 6 months to report the results
I will go with pitching into the primary (plastic fermenter) as recommended by my research, but will keep a watchful eye on it and when it is close to where I would like it I will keg then, and then see if it slowly improves from there before putting it in the fridge. A little bit of experimentation.
It's now sitting next to my Flanders Red Ale which is in a glass carboy with an oak dowel in the bung . This one I am controlling the O2. I just don't have a second glass carboy for the Brett beer.

 

[kook]

This is what I am currently having issues trying to find out.
I have a packet of Brett Lambicus which I am wanting to add to the end of a near finished ferment. But I am trying to decide whether to rack the beer to a keg or another plastic fermenter. In the keg there is no oxygen getting in, but in the plastic there is. If I don't find an answer soon, it will go in the keg and find out for myself.

When I've added Brett after ferment it's always been at bottling/kegging time. I just halve the priming amount and let it do it's thing.

I've got a pale Belgian in secondary (Better Bottle) at the moment with Brett L, Pedio and Lacto. I've just got a plain silicone stopper in it. Will give some feedback in a few months as to how it's tasting.

 

[Chad]

I've done two all-brett fermentations. They worked pretty much like sacc, just slower.

I slanted a few vials at time of pitching, and it sure is slow to grow. Most slants usually take 4 days to completely grow before putting into the fridge, but the Brett only started to show signs of life at day 4. The fermenter is just as slow, with small specs starting to form on the surface.

 

[pmolou]

just found this off a sour beer powerpoint by russian river


Brewing 100% Brett Beers nIncreasing the oxygen will increase your cell count but will decrease the overall character of the Brettanomyces.

nBrettanomyces will behave differently when fully aerated.

nAt RRBC it has been our experience that an all Brett fermentation will have a long lag phase between the heat X and initial fermentation.

nRushing the fermentation with aeration, higher cell counts, and temperature will reduce the "funkiness" of a 100% Brett beer.

nOn a 1.060 original gravity wort, once active, a 100% Brett fermentation will ferment to 1.020 in about 10 days. It will take about 8 weeks for the beer to drop to a bottling SG of 1.010.

nOnce bottled, it will take will take 3 to 4 months to become carbonated and clear any "sickness".

 

[kabooby]

Thats what I thought. I have got a vial of Brett C and Brett L in a 2.5 litre starter atm. After a week I have noticed yeast growth but no real fermentation happening yet.

Kabooby

 

[neonmeate]

just dug out my last bottle last night of my brett anomalus + yoghurt berliner - now 2 years 3 months old.
certainly was very tropical tasting from the anomalus - really pineappley and i don't know, random tropical fruit cheesiness. durian perhaps....
never did get rid of that slight acetic whiff. but i would like to try it again on its own without yoghurt, i think the yoghurt may well have added some other strange stuff.

 

[Trent]

It's now sitting next to my Flanders Red Ale which is in a glass carboy with an oak dowel in the bung . This one I am controlling the O2. I just don't have a second glass carboy for the Brett beer.

Chad
You may be aware of this, but from what I have read and heard (vague memories, granted) but having wood in the neck of a glass carboy can occasionally lead to cracked carboys. My understanding is that as some of the wood is immersed in the beer to impart oak character, and reduce O2 at the same time, the wood eventually swells and becomes impossible to get out of the neck, or swell enough to crack the neck and spill beer everywhere. Maybe try and wiggle the oak dowel up and down every other day?
As I said, you may be aware of it, but I just thought I would point it out.
All the best
T.

 

[kook]

Not only that - but oak barrels are toasted. Oak dowels are not toasted, and may infact be treated.

If you really feel that you need oak, use a very small amount of chips or cubes. Remember - it's not the oak that defines these beers, its the bacteria. Most of the barrels these breweries use have had wine in them for a long time, removing most of the oak character.

I guess if you really wanted to, you could find a known untreated oak dowel, toast it and soak it in red wine for a couple years. Then take it out and use it in your beer. Personally I think cubes are an easier solution.

 

[Stuster]

To answer for Chad, the idea is not to add oak flavours, kook, but to get very slight levels of oxygen into the wort in order to mimic the slight levels that you get when fermenting in a wooden barrel. There's a huge thread on the Brewboard (at least I hope it's still there) with a number of very knowledgeable wild brewers who use this method. Personally, I just used a plastic barrel.

 

[kook]

To answer for Chad, the idea is not to add oak flavours, kook, but to get very slight levels of oxygen into the wort in order to mimic the slight levels that you get when fermenting in a wooden barrel. There's a huge thread on the Brewboard (at least I hope it's still there) with a number of very knowledgeable wild brewers who use this method. Personally, I just used a plastic barrel.

Fair enough. I'd presume you end up with raw oak flavours in the beer though? Unless the bugs break it down.

I know Raj Apte mentioned this many years ago, but I remember him saying something later on about making sure you toast the oak.

 

[Stuster]

That's a good point. Hadn't thought of that. I was never convinced it was necessary, plus I don't have any glass fermenters. Seriously thinking of getting some for lambics though.

 

[marlow_coates]

Hey All-Brett guys,

Thought I would bump this, to see if any have finished and been tried?

What are they like?

Any recomendations for future all-brett brew brewers?

Apologies if this thread has been picked up and taken off elsewhere.

Marlow