Apfelwein + Brett

Has anyone here done this? I'm looking for ideas on this concept. I think it could turn out really well. What have folks tried that came out good?

I think Mike T aka the mad fermetationist, is trying something similar it might be with a roeselare pack or the like though

I did a pineapple cider with lacto, and it was OK but the unsoured portion was better

It would probably be a good idea to use the brett as the primary strain, you wouldnt get much out of it otherwise seeing how low ciders finish

Here's the Mad Ferm. thread on sour cider: http://madfermentationist.blogspot.com/2009/11/sour-cider.html

You're right, he's using a combo of ale yeast + bugs. I was thinking about trying something similar myself. I've got some Brett C. going in a pale ale right now and I was thinking about doing a few experiments with the left over yeast anyway (when it's finished). I'm not big on straight apfelwines, but I might to a gallon test batch of an apple cyser. It'll be at least a month before I get around to it, but I'll post about it when I do. Let us know if you dig up anything else on the subject.

Despite the righteous bugs after ~3 months it just tastes like a slightly earthy cider. This might be a good way to get around the lack of really flavorful cidermaking cider around, but it doesn't seem like it is every going to be really funky/sour. I think the issue may be that a cider doesn’t have the high level of unfermentables that a sour beer wort often does, so after the Sacch is finished there isn’t much for the Brett/Pedio to work on. I could be wrong, once the weather warms up the bugs may get working.

As has largely been stated, the FG of basically any cider is going to be 0.995-1.001, leaving nothing for the brett to eat. Could an addition (let's say 1 lb in a 5 gal batch) of maltodextrine add sugars that are non-fermentable by saccaromyces, but would allow for a continued brettanomyces fermentation?

Sixbillionethans said:

As has largely been stated, the FG of basically any cider is going to be 0.995-1.001, leaving nothing for the brett to eat. Could an addition (let's say 1 lb in a 5 gal batch) of maltodextrine add sugars that are non-fermentable by saccaromyces, but would allow for a continued brettanomyces fermentation?

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This is something I have been thinking about recently, and doing a brett L + pedio batch, although Im a bit worried that it could become too acidic for howl log the FG would be

Babblebelt thread on sour cider

Mike T and others comment on this one.

But what about 100% Brett Apfelwein?? Terrible Idea?

Probably a better idea than brett as a secondary yeast for cider. There aren't as many complex residual sugars in a cider/wine as there are in beer, so you probably won't get the same funky brett character in a cider.

Lodovico said:

But what about 100% Brett Apfelwein?? Terrible Idea?

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not at all. i say go for it. so you're out 5 gallons of apple juice and a pack of yeast if it is undrinkable, but i bet it will be good.