100% Brett Beer

I have 4 sour beers going now, but the problem is they require a long time to complete. On the latest episode of basicbrewingradio.com I learned that when you use brett exclusively to ferment your beer it can be done in the same time as beer brew with saccharomyces(reg. yeast) and does not super attenuate/dry the beer. WLP653 Brettanomyces lambicus & WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii have been ordered and when they arrive I will be brewing the following with each seperately:

85% Euro Pils
5% Munich Malt
10% Wheat Malt
Mash at 152*F for 90 minutes
Hops: Tettnanger & Saaz

Basically a saison recipe. What do you think? Anybody brewed an all brett beer?

Made a starter today. I'm going to build it up for 1.5 weeks( brew in a week and a half) and make a small batch - probably two gallons. Then I'll have a good size cake to brew a full batch once its done. 1st up is Brett C, I'll post how it turns out.

Add some acid malt to lower the pH, use it at a percentage of 4-5% in the wort. Brettanomyces require low pH to ferment properly, around 3.5pH. I make an all Brett beer, I like it a lot, but a lot of people are reluctant to try it. Scientists don't know the exact reasons why only when Peddiococus is in the presence of Brettanomyces will the fermentation be super dry (+90% attenuation). My personal favorite for all Brett beer is Brettanomyces Anomalus, it's vigorous yet fruity and balanced. In your case, I would use WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii.

Add some acid malt to lower the pH, use it at a percentage of 4-5% in the wort. Brettanomyces require low pH to ferment properly, around 3.5pH. I make an all Brett beer, I like it a lot, but a lot of people are reluctant to try it. Scientists don't know the exact reasons why only when Peddiococus is in the presence of Brettanomyces will the fermentation be super dry (+90% attenuation). My personal favorite for all Brett beer is Brettanomyces Anomalus, it's vigorous yet fruity and balanced. In your case, I would use WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii.

Iordz said:

Add some acid malt to lower the pH, use it at a percentage of 4-5% in the wort. Brettanomyces require low pH to ferment properly, around 3.5pH. I make an all Brett beer, I like it a lot, but a lot of people are reluctant to try it. Scientists don't know the exact reasons why only when Peddiococus is in the presence of Brettanomyces will the fermentation be super dry (+90% attenuation). My personal favorite for all Brett beer is Brettanomyces Anomalus, it's vigorous yet fruity and balanced. In your case, I would use WLP645 Brettanomyces claussenii.

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Thanks for the tips, this starter is wlp645. What was your recipe/s?

60% Pilsener
20% Vienna
10% Flaked Wheat (malted can be used)
5% Flaked Oats
5% Acidulated Malt (Sauer)
Info:The proteins from the flaked grains are good for the Brett. The sauer malt provides proper pH.
Mash: 90min @ 149F (I like my beer dry, you can mash higher for sweeter beer)Hops: Hallertau, 20-25IBU
Boil: 90min to get rid of DMS from pils malt.
Wyeast 3110 (Brettanomyces Anomalus), ferment at 65F for two weeks, then cold condition around 55F for 4 weeks.
I like to dry hop this with some Hallertau or Tettnang, just a touch to compliment the aroma from the Brett.
I don't think this beer fits into any style category, but I love it. I got the inspiration after reading Wild Brews by Jeff Sparrow (great book). I have also learned a lot from "The Mad Fermentationist", Michael Tonsmeire, check out his blog.
Try to get you hands on Tomme Arthur's "Moe Betta Bretta," brilliant!

Iordz said:

I have also learned a lot from "The Mad Fermentationist", Michael Tonsmeire, check out his blog.

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That's hilarious, I just met him. He really inspired/directed me into trying a lot of what I'm getting into with brett/etc. I got to taste some of his amazing brett beers. Really a nice guy, we're talking about trying to get a brew in together.
P.S. Yes, one of them was the Bourbon Brett Cherry Belgian Dark. Amazing beer.

Wow, you met him, that's awesome! I don't know how I found his blog, but I found it and it's great. Another great brewer is Raj Apte, I learned about him from Wild Brews and check out his site and paper on Flemish "Sour" Ales. I learned the $1 barrel technique from him and use it on my Flanders Ales.

Just a note here to let you know I'm lurking this thread and googling as fast as I can.

olllllo said:

Just a note here to let you know I'm lurking this thread and googling as fast as I can.

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I saved it for when I have some more time. Sometime soon I'd like to brew a beer with Brett yeast and with 65 degrees for primary, 55 for secondary, it will be possible for me this winter at room temps.

Thanks for the recipie Iordz. I have some hallertauer that was harvested in August and this looks like a good way to use some of it.

Perhaps this is not the place, but sour beers really sound interesting to me. The problem is, I've never tasted one and have no idea if I'd like them or what a proper sour should taste like.

Are there any good commercial examples available at high-end liquor stores that you can recommend?

Very interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread as well.

rdwj said:

Are there any good commercial examples available at high-end liquor stores that you can recommend?

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Pretty much all Lambics, Gueze, Flemish Reds, Flanders Red, and Sahti.

Good commercial examples: Duchesse De Bourgogne , Rodenbach Grand Cru, Rodenbach Red,

Lambic brewers to look for: Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon, Timmermans

Glibbidy said:

Pretty much all Lambics, Gueze, Flemish Reds, Flanders Red, and Sahti.

Good commercial examples: Duchesse De Bourgogne , Rodenbach Grand Cru, Rodenbach Red,

Lambic brewers to look for: Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon, Timmermans

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Thnks Glibbidy - will be on the lookout next time I'm there

I've had some medicore lambics, though, that I suspect are not really good examples of the style. DFH has a Berlinerweisse (sp?) out that Hippier brought to Yankee Ingenuity that was good, if a bit "girly-drinky". Russian River's Santification (100% brett), of course, if very hard to get your hands on.

the_bird said:

Russian River's Santification (100% brett), of course, if very hard to get your hands on.

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I had that bottle in my hot little hands, and enjoyed my sample from very much. Thanks for providing that obscure offering bird!:rockin: It reminded me somewhat of Ommegeddon, which is classified as an American Wild Ale

Fortunately, I have a bar really close to me (Landmark Tavern) that has Lindeman's raspberry lambic on tap.

Glibbidy said:

It reminded me somewhat of Ommegeddon, which is classified as an American Wild Ale

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That is the Best. Name. Ever. We're going to go tour the brewery sometime this fall, it doesn't sound like there's much of that stuff left, though.

Cookiebaggs said:

Fortunately, I have a bar really close to me (Landmark Tavern) that has Lindeman's raspberry lambic on tap.

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Thats a little different then what these guys are making. It's a little harder to find a straight lambic. That is a great bar by the way. Every time I have to pick somebody up at the airport I leave about two hourse early and I go there.

Yeah, that place is 3 minutes from work.

Lot's of IPA's on tap.

sause said:

Thats a little different then what these guys are making. It's a little harder to find a straight lambic. That is a great bar by the way. Every time I have to pick somebody up at the airport I leave about two hourse early and I go there.

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And save some time for the skanks at the Airport Lounge.

Lindemann's Pomme = Jolly Rancher Sour apple if you're into that kind of thing. SWMBO really like it and it allowed her to get into the Flanders Reds that Glib pointed to.

olllllo said:

And save some time for the skanks at the Airport Lounge.

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Now I wouldn't know anything about that....

Good luck finding a real, unblended, lambic in a bottle in America!

True unblended is really hard to find but you can get Geuze over here. Which is still only a lambic. Be it a blend of new and old.

sause said:

True unblended is really hard to find but you can get Geuze over here. Which is still only a lambic. Be it a blend of new and old.

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That and the fact that lambic is flat and very dry, while gueuze is a tad sweeter and carbonated very highly. I feel there is quite a difference in taste.

I stepped up the starter today, hello pineapple smell. Slightly funky, but mostly pineapple. Its going very strong. I added a little yeast nutrient to the starter which I don't normally do, but someone on the babblebelt recommended it, so I tried it.

Mmmm, pineapple.... I actually have not experienced a "pineapple" smell. Let us know how it turns out.

For those of you that brew with brett, do you use a separate set of fermenting, racking, or serving equipment for these beers? I'd love to have a wild ale on tap, but I fear the bacteria would get into the keg lines and be hard to get rid of. Same for racking equipment.

Mmmmm, sour beers...

Pabst Blue Robot said:

For those of you that brew with brett, do you use a separate set of fermenting, racking, or serving equipment for these beers? I'd love to have a wild ale on tap, but I fear the bacteria would get into the keg lines and be hard to get rid of. Same for racking equipment.

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The only equipment I keep separated is the racking cane and hose. I ferment in glass and bottle my "sour" beers; however I have kegged once and did not treat it any differently than a regular beer. First step is to get over the fear of wild bacteria, I'm sure you know there’s wild bacteria is in the air, on your hands, in your mouth, etc. Wild bacteria exist everywhere, let's face it we can’t brew in sterile environments, but what you can do is be very clean and sanitary. As soon as the keg is empty clean it out thoroughly, use PBW, then starsan, run it through the tubing, clean all the rubber parts, the list goes on. If it will make you feel safer, clean repeat the whole cleaning, sanitizing steps with wild brews. I think as long as you clean your equipment thoroughly, ASAP, you should have no problems.

I couldn't wait, big suprise, so I brewed this last night. The starter had been stepped up twice and had slowed down so I felt it was ready enough for only about 2-2.5 gallons of wort. The recipe is not my original one from this post, but a clone of Mo' Betta Bretta "Mike T" has on his website mentioned earlier in this post. I got to taste his and enjoyed it very much so I copied the recipe almost exactly. I'm obviously very excited to see how it turns out, and the great thing is I won't have to wait 6months to a year. Also, once this beer is done I'll have a nice healthy cake to pitch something bigger onto.

Man that looks great!

Its 1AM, do you know where your krausen is?

That is the same batch as above, the beer is outside(covered-took cover off for pic) at ~50F and apparently doing quite well. I was going to bring it inside but its too warm. I've had to use a blowoff before, but this is just a hair over 2gallons in a 5gallon carboy! Huge Krausen! And I was worried I didn't pitch enough .

DAMN!!!! Any Idea what the wort temp is? What is a good temp for these beers? I really can not wait to hear how this turns out.

I ferment my 100% Brett beer at 65F, but the yeast have a big range up to 80F. I prefer the cooler fermentation because of the subtle balance of esters, phenols and "funk".

Ryanh1801 said:

DAMN!!!! Any Idea what the wort temp is?

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No, I don't know. I'm not sure what the maximum temperature fermentation can raise the beer temperature from ambient temp? I imagine not more than ten degrees F, it was probably in the high fifties. Also, it did get up into the airlock - I had to clean it out twice.

Of Topic, but...

Several years ago I made a pumpkin beer. One bottle must have had some wild yeast in it because it soured the beer. It was WONDERFUL. Nice and lightly tart. I doubt I would be able to serve it to too many people, but I enjoyed it.

I bottled this Monday maybe Tuesday, can't remember. Brett C has the lowest intensity Brett character of the three( or 4 - anomalous) commercially available strains. So, its not too crazy by any means, but tasted very good from the fermenter. Once it carbs I'll post a pick of the poured pint with tasting notes.

Sweet, glad to hear it turned out. Pretty cool how it finished up so fast. Cant wait to hear how it taste.

Glibbidy said:

Pretty much all Lambics, Gueze, Flemish Reds, Flanders Red, and Sahti.

Good commercial examples: Duchesse De Bourgogne , Rodenbach Grand Cru, Rodenbach Red,

Lambic brewers to look for: Boon, Lindemans, Cantillon, Timmermans

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Orval Trappist has bretts in it as well. I don't notice it so much in the taste as I do in the smell. Kind of elderflowery. Next time I make my Grand Cru, I'm adding bretts from a couple Orval bottles at bottling to try to duplicate that.