Bottle conditioning a Brett beer

[Thefatdoghead]

I'm going to be doing a Westvleteren 12 clone soonish. Half the batch just using Trappist high gravity and the other half primary ferment with trappist then secondary (in a glass carboy) with Brettanomyces bruxellensis

First question is, will this be an ok style to try with Brett. Iv'e never used Brett before.

I'll be leaving the brett on the beer for 6-8 months in the glass carboy so when I bottle, should I just use some dry wine yeast with a small amount of candi sugar?

Or

What is the best way to go about bottling and carbinating this with the Brett. Just want to get about 2.5- 3 volumes Co2 and not get bottle bomb's.

Thirdly, Would Roeselare give me a more complex beer than just straight Brettanomyces bruxellensis?

 

[manticle]

Do you like orval? That's straight brett in secondary.

Roeselare is a mix of bugs and depending on the use/re-use factor, they can balance differently each ferment. I had a batch I reused a couple of times (usually close to 12 months later each time). The final batch had about the limit of acetic I like and I'm fairly certain that would have increased had I used it one more time. Didn't get much aceto in the first batch.

Brett is a slow worker so at the 6-8 month mark, sample and check gravity is low (I can't remember what mine were - 1006 or lower I think) and that it tastes roughly where you want it. If not - set and forget for another few months. Reduce oxygen exposure if you don't want aceto to get out of hand (especially if you use the roeselare).

I added a wee bit of dry yeast with my priming sugar but the brett yeasts are hardy - just slow.

 

[Thefatdoghead]

I haven't tried Orval but Ill get some and see before I brew.

Thanks for the other info on Roeselare.

If I have the Brett in secondary in a glass carboy, would I be better off just leaving the beer for longer than 6-8 months so I don't break the pellicle and oxidise the beer?

 

[manticle]

I would go for 12 months personally.

 

[Thefatdoghead]

12 months it is. Ill then taste and measure gravity. Rack to bottle bucket with wine yeast and candi sugar.

Thanks for the info.

 

[manticle]

Check the babblebelt forum for more info from regular sour/funk beer brewers

 

[Thefatdoghead]

Sweet website man. Thanks
Got some reading to do.

 

[neonmeate]

how did these turn out?