Used Brett and Cider tastes fantastic

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Calder

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Has anyone used Brett to ferment apple juice?

I had a starter of Brett B (WLP650) going and was using it for several beers. I decided to experiment and use some in a couple of gallon batches of cider. Last night I was taking some samples (SG checks) of several brews and checked the 2 ciders with Brett B.

One of them had been going for 24 days, the other for 31 days. Both were at 1.005, and both tasted really delicious. I don't know if they will ferment lower or if they have finished. I'm hoping they are done and they retain all the flavor. Plenty of apple, + lots of fruit from the yeast too.

Anyone else have any experience with Brett and apple juice.
 
Brett is a serious problem for winemakers so I would have thought it would be bad for cider as well. Did you pitch at the same time as the yeast, and use camden tablets? It may be that a brett used for beer won't have much influence on cider. In wine brett kills fruit flavour and leaves a flavour described as "band-aid". I would expect your cider to ferment dry.
If it works for you thats great, not something I would try.
 
Brett was the only yeast used. The fruit flavors are from the yeast. No sour/bad/off tastes.

Brett is supposed to act like regular sacc when used as the primary yeast.
 
Very interesting - I suspect cultivated brett must be quite different to the wild type. I also think that brett gets blamed for off flavours when there are other bugs involved.
 
I used Brett-B (WPL650), and it seems to be very fruity. I also have a Brett-B strain cultured from Ommegang Biere De Mars, and it has the classic barnyard aroma and flavor.

Supposedly the same strain, but completely different.
 
I just happened on this thread again.

I made a ton of ciders; so many that it is getting in the way of my beer, and taking up storage space. Lots of single gallons, and 3-gallon batches. I've been leaving them at least 4 months before bottling, putting half in my regular drinking line-up and the other half is stored away.

Most of them have been simple ciders, either just straight apple juice, or with some added sugar to bring them up to 1.060. Used ale yeast exclusively, and everyone has ended up somewhere between 0.996 and 1.000, with more apple flavor and sweetness that I had expected from reading threads on here (I do like dry anyway).

I've used Brett-B (2 types), PacMan, WLP550 (Belgian), Essex, and Thames II yeasts; each one multiple times. Of all of them, I prefer the Brett-B (WLP650). It gives a lot more complex/fruit flavors. I liken it to those who use natural yeasts from the apples who say that produces a far superior cider than added yeast.

I recommend anyone to try using Brett-B yeasts. I've not used any other Brett, but I suspect they will have similar results. I know it's a liquid yeast and can be expensive, but you can re-use the yeast; after 3 or 4 weeks of fermentation, rack off the yeast, collect it in sanitized mason jars, and you than have enough for 3 or 4 new batches.
 
Thanks for the update. I'm thinking of trying some Brett claussenii in a cider this fall. Good to know it has a chance of working!
 
Thanks for the update. I'm thinking of trying some Brett claussenii in a cider this fall. Good to know it has a chance of working!

I just used some of harvested yeast from a batch of beer, so I'm sure I had plenty of yeast. I did not use any nutrient, and it worked fine, but I'm sure the slurry probably contained plenty of nutrient in itself. Just make sure you aerate well.
 
Plan on doing this with WLP 650 some time this month, did you make a starter for it and how long did you let it batch age before it was ready?
 
Plan on doing this with WLP 650 some time this month, did you make a starter for it and how long did you let it batch age before it was ready?

I generally use some washed harvested slurry for ciders. I don't think I have ever used a yeast in cider that hadn't come from a batch of beer. That said, I use about the same pitching rate for Brett in cider as I would for sacc. In beers you would pitch a higher rate for Brett, but ciders are simple sugars and it doesn't seem to have a problem.

What temp(s) did you ferment with brett B to get those "fruity" flavours you mentioned?
Regards, GF.

I didn't set any temperature. Brett seems to produce similar results at a wide range of temperatures. Brett, when used as a single yeast has different flavors than when used in beer as a secondary yeast. Make sure you aerate well, you want the Brett to work aerobically, rather than anaerobically.
 
I have four 1 gallon carboys of cider going right now. 1 was using bottle dregs, Cote des Blanc and Gigayeast Brux Blend, 1 is exclusively the Brux Blend, a third with EC-1118 and Brux Blend. Most recent is a frankencider with apple, black cherry and wort, then pitched with remnants of the two wine yeasts, bottle dregs and the Gigayeast Tart Cherry Brett. Planning a fifth one and then will make a blend from them all. I haven't tasted yet or checked gravity, but they all smell fantastic. Also interesting to witness the different fermentations between the yeast combos.
 

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I have four 1 gallon carboys of cider going right now. 1 was using bottle dregs, Cote des Blanc and Gigayeast Brux Blend, 1 is exclusively the Brux Blend, a third with EC-1118 and Brux Blend.

How did they turn out? Thinking of using 1118 and Brett B co pitched.
 
How did they turn out? Thinking of using 1118 and Brett B co pitched.

1118 has very little galactosidic activity, that is it isn't very good at releasing aroma compounds from thiol precursors, so it tends to make a very plain cider. Why not try a more aromatic yeast such as QA23, 58W3, R4600, D47, etc. to maximize the aroma compounds to go with brett profile.
 
1118 has very little galactosidic activity, that is it isn't very good at releasing aroma compounds from thiol precursors, so it tends to make a very plain cider.

Good to know, I'm new to cider, but surrounded by orchards so I couldn't resist getting some juicer apples. I ended up pitching 5112 wyeast Brett Brux, my house Brett isolate, because I have a healthy active pitch ready. Airlock smells amazing which isn't always the case for beer hehe.
 
I loved using Brett in cider. I would just make sure you test it because the flavor profile changes over time. I used Brett B and got these amazing like pineapple barnyard type flavors. Could not recommend enough
 
I love Brett cider

Many of the old world cider styles actually require Brett as part of the flavor profile - I have both a brett cider (fermented with S04 first) and a Brett Cyser in secondary right now.

It takes time - I like to let them sit for about 1 year - but I absolutely love the complex flavors that come out.

The best cider I've had anywhere in the world is in the basque region of spain, and it's call Txotx (pronounced Ch-ah-ch) and it is a cider fermented using unique house blends of bugs and yeast. Very dry and tart with some brett character - absolutely wonderful

Also just a heads up everyone - this thread is 8 years old...
 
I love Brett cider

Many of the old world cider styles actually require Brett as part of the flavor profile - I have both a brett cider (fermented with S04 first) and a Brett Cyser in secondary right now.

It takes time - I like to let them sit for about 1 year - but I absolutely love the complex flavors that come out.

The best cider I've had anywhere in the world is in the basque region of spain, and it's call Txotx (pronounced Ch-ah-ch) and it is a cider fermented using unique house blends of bugs and yeast. Very dry and tart with some brett character - absolutely wonderful

Also just a heads up everyone - this thread is 8 years old...

Just tasted this year's Brett cider and thought I would post the recipe because it's turned out fantastic!

-5 gallons Indian Summer brand apple cider
-1lb table sugar

Ferment to completion with S-04

-Rack to a secondary and add 4 cans of undiluted thawd treetop apple juice concentrate and mix well
-pitch Omega yeast "All the Brett's" blend
-ferment to completion again and allow it to rest as long as you like in order to develop character.

It's currently at 3 months, and I pitched the Brett about 3 weeks in and it's at a very nice level. Tart and fruity, with lots of apple flavor, a little Brett funk, and about 10% abv.. It's definitely dangerous!
 
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