Bootleg Biology Funk Weapon #2

[plazola86]

Brewed a NE style IPA with this yeast and I turned out better than expected. I got inspiration from HBT member @mintyice who has a bloq up reviewing the yeast. I couldn't find a lot of enough on it but it sounded interesting so I decided to use it and like I mentioned earlier, it was fantastic! I want to start a thread of others who have used the yeast and their experience with it to share more info on it. Fermentation temps, flavor production, aroma production, what style of beer it was used in etc.

 

[plazola86]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1492611422.707136.jpg

First time using the yeast. I tried it in an NE Style IPA using equal parts of Mosiac, Citra, Azzaca. I fermented at 68 for the first 5 days then let it free rise to 73 where it sat for 3 more weeks. 4 weeks total in the fermenter O.G - 1.055 / F.G - 1.010. It didn't take off till day 3 but I wasn't too worried since I read this was usually the case for it. The final beer is a fruit bomb!

 

[mintyice]

Looks great!

Here's a link to my post if anyone is interested

https://latchkeybrewing.com/2017/02/20/sippin-on-funk-juice/

 

[505-Brewer]

I have 1600 mL starter going from a package dated 11/16. Day 2 on stir plate starter reached high Krausen at which point I removed the foil cap and put on an airlock. Going to let it grow up longer (its brett after all). Planning on NEIPA with Oats. Not going for a murky beer but not going to fine it either. Still deciding on hops.

Glad you started the thread. I searched here while back and didn't find anything. Shouldn't it be in the wild section though.

 

[505-Brewer]

Looks great!

Here's a link to my post if anyone is interested

https://latchkeybrewing.com/2017/02/20/sippin-on-funk-juice/

What was your FG mashing that high?
Beer sounds delicious.

 

[505-Brewer]

View attachment 397161

First time using the yeast. I tried it in an NE Style IPA using equal parts of Mosiac, Citra, Azzaca. I fermented at 68 for the first 5 days then let it free rise to 73 where it sat for 3 more weeks. 4 weeks total in the fermenter O.G - 1.055 / F.G - 1.010. It didn't take off till day 3 but I wasn't too worried since I read this was usually the case for it. The final beer is a fruit bomb!

Mash temp?

 

[plazola86]

Mash temp?

Mashed temp was 156 for this one. Higher temp than normal for an IPA for me since Brett will eat anything if you give it enough time. My thought process was to give it some complex sugars to munch on for a while so it wouldn't reach a super low F.G after 4 weeks in the fermenter. I checked gravity after 2 weeks which was at 1.020 after another 2 weeks it was at 1.010.

 

[mintyice]

What was your FG mashing that high?
Beer sounds delicious.

I think it was 1.013 according to my notes. It was quite delicious! I only have one bottle left that I've been holding on to

 

[cegan09]

Have some of this that I want to use for the same thing. I'd like to make a big starter and save some for future use. Any recommendations for what size I should aim for so that i can save a couple small jars and still have enough to pitch?

Never used brett before.

 

[plazola86]

Have some of this that I want to use for the same thing. I'd like to make a big starter and save some for future use. Any recommendations for what size I should aim for so that i can save a couple small jars and still have enough to pitch?

Never used brett before.

I would say at least 2 L to pitch 1 and save 1. Just make sure to give the starter enough time for it to actually build up, this yeast lagged for 3 days before fermentation actually started. I would give the starter at least a week before pitching.

 

[cegan09]

Thanks. Looks like I should invest in some larger flasks. Largest I have is 2L, which i use for 1L-1.5L starters.

Probably not a bad idea to have glaswear that is dedicated to brett only.

 

[redllama]

Thanks. Looks like I should invest in some larger flasks. Largest I have is 2L, which i use for 1L-1.5L starters.

Probably not a bad idea to have glaswear that is dedicated to brett only.

You shouldn't need glassware dedicated to brett as glass is impervious. What I would recommend is having airlocks/stoppers dedicated to brett as the plastic could potentially harbor some of the brett.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

I brewed a pretty killer NEIPA using Funk Weapon #2 at the end of last year. Have it on my list to brew again soon.

Grain bill was 80% Golden Promise & 20% Flaked Oats.

Used Columbus as my First Wort Hop, then 50g of Galaxy @ 5 minutes, 60g of Galaxy 30 min whirlpool @185F, and 180g of Galaxy for a 2-day dry hop (6 gallon batch size).

For my starter I did 3L, and let it go on a stir plate at it's lowest setting for 7 days (Brett starters for primary fermentation should be done differently than you do Sach starters). I harvested 2 - 500ml jars for future use and 2L to ferment the beer.

Fermentation started in about 48 hours and was pretty vigorous. It went from 1.052 > 1.006 in 12 days.

I started at 68F and then ramped to 75F after 5 days.

 

[505-Brewer]

Would you guys/gals/people say this yeast produces the drying mouthfeel/flavor of brett or could you totally pass this off as a fruity sacc beer? Curious.

My starter is now on its second krausen phase. Going to compare this vs dirty dozen soon.

 

[radwizard]

In regards to drgonzo2k2, I just want to point out, this looks like a delicious recipe..

 

[505-Brewer]

In regards to drgonzo2k2, I just want to point out, this looks like a delicious recipe..

It sure does.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Thanks guys! Give it a shot. I assure you that it's delicious. Regarding the drying mouthfeel, no I did not get that at all. From the single beer I brewed, I don't think anyone would think it was Brett fermented unless I told them.

 

[Braufessor]

I just bottled mine last weekend. Had a weird experience with it. At about 3 weeks in primary I tasted it and took gravity and dry hopped it. Really good. I wanted to let it go a bit longer just to make sure gravity was stable.... since I was bottling.

tasted it a week or so later..... It was undrinkable - hot, fusel, acetone flavors. Honestly, almost dumped it on the spot. But, I left it for another 3 weeks or so. Tasted it again - fully planning on dumping it - and low and behold, it was really good again. Never had a beer throw those kinds of horrible flavors and then turn out.

Bottom line though, it is now bottled and carbing up. Tasted great - fruity, juicy, etc. Definitely a brett character to it - but really rather subtle considering it was fully fermented with it. Not as dry as other beers I have utilized brett in . Looking forward to it being ready - should be a great summer beer.

Already planning to make another one.

 

[cegan09]

How long are people going with primary on average? I'm seeing up to 8 weeks, does this sound like the right ballpark?

Going to make an IPA in the next week and just need to plan since my fermentation chamber can only handle one vessel at a time.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

8 weeks seems absolutely insane to me. When I use Brett as the sole primary fermenter I treat it just like Sach, and it works out great. 5 days at the lower end of fermentation temps (68F) and then ramp it to 75F until it's finished up. 2 day dry hop, 2 day cold crash, then package.

Total time in the fermenter on this one for me was 16 days (12 fermenting + 2 dry hop + 2 cold crash).

I've done this method with ECY04 multiple times and total time was 11 days.

 

[plazola86]

How long are people going with primary on average? I'm seeing up to 8 weeks, does this sound like the right ballpark?

Going to make an IPA in the next week and just need to plan since my fermentation chamber can only handle one vessel at a time.

I let mine go for 4 weeks just because I wanted a lower gravity. I checked gravity on mine after two weeks and it was at 1.020. After two more weeks it was at 1.10 and tasted delicious. This is Brett so the longer you let it sit the more the flavor will change.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

My guess there would be that you didn't have a healthy enough pitch there to do a Brett primary if it took that long to get that low. You need a lot more Brett cells than Sacch cells if you're using it 100% as your primary fermenter. I understand that it reproduces slower than Sacch as well. Both combined are why you want your Brett starters to grow longer and be larger than your traditional Sacch starter.

You'll also notice that at the end of a 100% Brett primary that you're left with a lot more yeast trub due to the increased cell count. I usually do my batches about 1/2 gallon larger for Brett IPAs to account for that.

Also, I think it's the younger fruitier flavors that you're going for here versus those more traditional Brett characteristics you get from long ferments, so I think that quicker is better here.

Just my thoughts on the subject! I encourage folks to experiment and see what works for them.

 

[plazola86]

My guess there would be that you didn't have a healthy enough pitch there to do a Brett primary if it took that long to get that low. You need a lot more Brett cells than Sacch cells if you're using it 100% as your primary fermenter. I understand that it reproduces slower than Sacch as well. Both combined are why you want your Brett starters to grow longer and be larger than your traditional Sacch starter.

You'll also notice that at the end of a 100% Brett primary that you're left with a lot more yeast trub due to the increased cell count. I usually do my batches about 1/2 gallon larger for Brett IPAs to account for that.

Also, I think it's the younger fruitier flavors that you're going for here versus those more traditional Brett characteristics you get from long ferments, so I think that quicker is better here.

Just my thoughts on the subject! I encourage folks to experiment and see what works for them.

You are spot on with everything. This was my first time using Brett and I treated it like a regular start ( 1L for two days). Next time I'll start it a week ahead and probably up it to 1.5 - 2 L. The younger fruity character is also what I was after. I'm curious to what flavors would develop with age though, especially after braufessors experience. This yeast is a lot of fun though, next on the list is a kettle sour fermented with this!

 

[drgonzo2k2]

I would recommend reading through the Milk the Funk wiki page on Brett, specifically their findings on making starters. Take a look here.

I use what they refer to as the alternative to the second approach, and that has given me very good results.

 

[cegan09]

I would recommend reading through the Milk the Funk wiki page on Brett, specifically their findings on making starters. Take a look here.

I use what they refer to as the alternative to the second approach, and that has given me very good results.

Thanks for the read. I do actually have a lab grade orbital shaker, but it needs a new power supply. Guess I should get on repairing that.

 

[505-Brewer]

8 weeks seems absolutely insane to me. When I use Brett as the sole primary fermenter I treat it just like Sach, and it works out great. 5 days at the lower end of fermentation temps (68F) and then ramp it to 75F until it's finished up. 2 day dry hop, 2 day cold crash, then package.

Total time in the fermenter on this one for me was 16 days (12 fermenting + 2 dry hop + 2 cold crash).

I've done this method with ECY04 multiple times and total time was 11 days.

Id agree with this. No need for it to take so long. Im thinking the longer it sits in primary the more brett like it might become. Glad to hear its a fruit throwing sacc-like brett. Going to do some bottling conditioning w it too to see how it plays there as well.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Glad to be of some help! Brew on!

 

[505-Brewer]

1/2 FW#2 vs 1/2 LA-3 in progress pitched at 66F. Will let it rise to 68 for 3 days then warm to low 70s to finish.

 

[plazola86]

Just brewed a kettle sour that I soured with sour weapon (pedio strain) also Boot Leg Biology, PH was at 3.3 when I started the boil. I had some yeast slurry saved from my previous batch and I started the starter 5 days ahead of time. There was no lag time on this one! I pitched at about 6 P.M last night, it had a nice thick white krausen and bubbling away 6 A.M this morning. So this one had a way higher cell count to begin with, but PH didn't seem to bother it at least not yet. Another thing I changed was I set my fermenter to 72 (68 last time). We'll see how the bigger pitch and higher temp effect the yeast. Not really a side by side comparison since this is a sour and the one before was an NE IPA but still interesting that it took off so fast.

 

[cegan09]

Curious, what does peek krausen look like with this? I've had it on the stir plate since Friday night, and this is the highest it's gotten. Been like this for 2 days. Just curious if this is normal.

View attachment 1493731976385.jpg

 

[plazola86]

My starters never have a thick white head while the stir bar is spinning, I think the constant spinning just keeps things moving and never lets the krausen form like it does in the fermenter. I could tell the yeast is working with all the little CO2 bubbles moving while on the stir plate though.

 

[cegan09]

For me it's always been yeast dependent. I've had large krausens form on the stir plate. Some larger than others but usually it's something that completely covers the top. I'm just trying to lean what this brett strain usually does. It's very clearly alive, just didn't know if it tended to build less krausen than i'm used to with some sacc strains.

I have the stir plate on it's lowest setting per the article linked on the first page. so it's not pulling anything more than a dimple on the surface.

 

[plazola86]

Sour fermentation update:

4/30 - Pitched Yeast fermenter set to 72.
5/1 A.M- Nice white krausen bubbling away
5/1 P.M - Krausen dropped but still very active. Bubbling fast and I could actually see the movement in the wort.
5/2 - No krausen, no bubbling, no visual activity.

I haven't taken a gravity reading but damn that was fast!

 

[505-Brewer]

Sour fermentation update:

4/30 - Pitched Yeast fermenter set to 72.
5/1 A.M- Nice white krausen bubbling away
5/1 P.M - Krausen dropped but still very active. Bubbling fast and I could actually see the movement in the wort.
5/2 - No krausen, no bubbling, no visual activity.

I haven't taken a gravity reading but damn that was fast!

Low pH makes it hard to support a krausen (and a head on the beer) is the airlock still cruising along? I would think its still going.
What was the OG? Kettle sour w/ pedio not lacto - living large!

 

[plazola86]

Low pH makes it hard to support a krausen (and a head on the beer) is the airlock still cruising along? I would think its still going.
What was the OG? Kettle sour w/ pedio not lacto - living large!

O.G was 1.052. No activity in the airlock either. I saved a lot slurry from my last batch AND made a starter for this one. Made sure I pitched a good amount this time around! I also set my fermentation temp to 72 this time. I'll take a gravity reading today to see where its at. Had to go with the sour weapon pedio when I ordered funk weapon!

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Off topic, but I've used the Sour Weapon before as well. It's pretty good, definitely sours quickly, but for what it's worth I didn't notice anything different than just using Lacto Plantarum. Not worth the extra cost and hassle of making a starter for me for these types of beers, so I'll just be sticking with the Swanson's pro-biotic pills.

 

[plazola86]

Off topic, but I've used the Sour Weapon before as well. It's pretty good, definitely sours quickly, but for what it's worth I didn't notice anything different than just using Lacto Plantarum. Not worth the extra cost and hassle of making a starter for me for these types of beers, so I'll just be sticking with the Swanson's pro-biotic pills.

I've been reading on kettle sours with pro-biotics. That's probably my next sour method. Do the pills take a little longer to sour? I liked the pedio because it got it down in 24 hours. I don't know if the wife would be to happy with my set up being in the kitchen for a couple days!

 

[drgonzo2k2]

So the single time I used the Sour Weapon it went from a pH of 5.5 > 3.45 in 36 hours.

Using L. Plantarum (I use the Swanson's Inner Bowel Support capsule) I get about the same results.

Quickly scanning through things it looks like the quickest I've ever been done with L. Plantarum was 24 hours and the longest was 48.

That was after doing a 2L starter of the Pedio vs. just chucking 6 of the pills straight in every time.

I'd rather save the hassle of dealing with a starter days before brew day, plus save all the money on the cost of the pills (seriously, it's $10 for 60 pills, and using 1 per gallon is actually over kill) than worry about something maybe taking 12 hours longer.

By the way, why are you kettle souring? Just do a fermenter sour, skip the boil, and save even more effort and time!!!

 

[redllama]

I've always used OYL 605 for my kettle sours and I can get down to the mid 3.6's in 18-20 hours. I've never done a starter with it, even using just one packet on 10 gallon batches. Works great and leaves a little lemon/citrus flavor in my opinion

 

[plazola86]

Sour update - gravity is at 1.017. On track for a two week turn over