New Belgium & Friends - Fat Funk (Allagash) and Fat Wild (Avery)

[Aristotelian]

Just found these in my local Kroger. Anyone try to culture dregs of these beers? The label states they are bottle conditioned with Brett brux drie (Avery) and Brett Allagagensis (Allagash - I assume this is Allagash's house brett?). Would you guess that the Fat Tire base beer has been filtered, so the only live yeast in the bottle would be the brett strains? I am thinking these would be a cheap way of getting access to some interesting brett strains and I know Avery and Allagash are both known for bottle conditioning with live yeast. I will post any results when I have a chance to try the beers and get some starters going but I am curious to see others' experiences.

 

[filthyastronaut]

These are collaborations, but I do know that while certain New Belgium beers are claimed to bottle conditioned, such as their Trippel, there doesn't seem to be any visible dregs in the bottle. It's possible that they mean it's stored in the bottle to condition before being shipped, but I don't know. If it's actually bottle conditioned I'd really like to know how they remove the evidence.

 

[Aristotelian]

Yes, I was aware of that with NB's mainstream beers. These are collaborations and the label of the Allagash one says specifically that it is bottle conditioned by the partner brewery.

They [Allagash] then bottle-conditioned the beer with Brettanomyces Allagagensis for a spicy finish. Get your funk on.

The Avery one is unclear but Avery is also known to bottle condition with brett.

Avery took a healthy dose of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Drie to create a Fat Tire spin with a sturdy malt backbone, fruity hop aroma and a tropical pineapple layer.

 

[filthyastronaut]

I'd just go by the presence of dregs then. If it's there, it's probably viable to culture.

 

[Aristotelian]

I'd just go by the presence of dregs then. If it's there, it's probably viable to culture.

Good idea. Held them up to the light. The Allagash has stuff on the bottom, Avery does not. I will start with the Allagash and see what happens.

 

[tagz]

They should be viable. I'm definitely interested in the Allagash. I was just reading that when they discovered the Brett in one of their barrels they had it banked and it turned out to be a distinct strain that hadn't been ID'd before.

 

[wmcc75]

I got the same idea about the Allagash beer. When I get the time I plan on trying to harvest the brett as well. Good luck with yours, I'll report back when I can.

 

[andrewmaixner]

Just finished sampling all of the varieties. Not bad at all for the same price as a case of standard Fat Tire. Liked the Allagash (brett conditioned) and Avery (all-brett) best.

Only the Allagash and the Rhinegeist have any sediment.

 

[signpost]

I thought about culturing up the Allagash one as well. But then I popped open my 2nd bottle and didn't have anything ready to get it going and just dumped it. It definitely had plenty of dregs, though.

I'll be curious to see what your results are like.

For what it's worth, I thought the whole concept of collaborations on variants of the same beer was pretty cool. Rather than each collaboration being completely different and unique, it gives an interesting perspective on each collaborator's style.

 

[Aristotelian]

OK, I have started stepping this one up. It definitely contains active yeast. Not a big krausen but it is producing a steading head of bubbles and foam.

Any idea how I might be able tell whether this contains only the Allagash Brett yeast used for bottle conditioning or if it also contains the primary de Dolle yeast?

 

[andrewmaixner]

OK, I have started stepping this one up. It definitely contains active yeast. Not a big krausen but it is producing a steading head of bubbles and foam.

Any idea how I might be able tell whether this contains only the Allagash Brett yeast used for bottle conditioning or if it also contains the primary de Dolle yeast?

You could email the brewery?
But if I don't misunderstand basic yeast biology, they probably would have had to filter out the Sach. before bottle conditioning with live Brett. , else the metabolic interactions would risk an exploding bottle in the future, since these are standard beer bottle, not heavy-duty. Maybe ask this specifically in the sours forum?

 

[TNTgill]

OK, I have started stepping this one up. It definitely contains active yeast. Not a big krausen but it is producing a steading head of bubbles and foam.

Any idea how I might be able tell whether this contains only the Allagash Brett yeast used for bottle conditioning or if it also contains the primary de Dolle yeast?

I've stepped up the dregs 3 times (started with 125ml) and I've noticed a really active fermentation each step. I'm unfortunately thinking it's also de dolle yeast in there. (Although a fly made it into the 1st step so possibly contaminated) The taste of the "beer" from the starter tastes pretty good for what it is. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this yet. I was hoping it was all brett so I could pitch it in a saison.

 

[Aristotelian]

I've stepped up the dregs 3 times (started with 125ml) and I've noticed a really active fermentation each step. I'm unfortunately thinking it's also de dolle yeast in there. (Although a fly made it into the 1st step so possibly contaminated) The taste of the "beer" from the starter tastes pretty good for what it is. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this yet. I was hoping it was all brett so I could pitch it in a saison.

Well, you could still do what they do, and do a quick primary with saison yeast and then pitch the Fat Funk. Even though it has sac yeast in it, the theory is that the primary yeast will have already done most of the fermentation, so only the brett will work on the leftover sugar. That is how folks use Orval dregs.

I just pitched the Fat Funk starter into a test batch that used Chimay yeast for the primary.

I also have an email in to NB to see if they will tell me what is in there.

 

[TNTgill]

I plan on doing that. I'm also growing orval dregs up as well in case this doesn't turn out well. Let us know if NB tells you anything and how that test batch goes.

 

[MaryB]

I wasn't overly impressed with either of these beers... didn't bother saving the yeast...

 

[Aristotelian]

I wasn't overly impressed with either of these beers... didn't bother saving the yeast...

Haha. I actually agree with you. The Fat Funk beer tasted like Fat Tire with a bit of brett. I am not at all interested in cloning this beer, but rather using the brett to its potential. Maybe I am just being arrogant to think I could make something better than NB.

 

[Aristotelian]

I plan on doing that. I'm also growing orval dregs up as well in case this doesn't turn out well. Let us know if NB tells you anything and how that test batch goes.

Still working on my test batch but I did receive a reply from a NB brewer confirming the beer is pasteurized and then bottled with the Allagash brett and that should be the only living yeast in the bottle.

 

[TNTgill]

Still working on my test batch but I did receive a reply from a NB brewer confirming the beer is pasteurized and then bottled with the Allagash brett and that should be the only living yeast in the bottle.

Awesome thanks for the follow up. I've just never seen dregs take off like that so I an surprised it's only the Allagash Brett in it but I'm even more excited now.

 

[signpost]

Awesome to hear that. I ended up picking up another 12-pack and still have my 2 bottles of funk.

 

[jfolks]

Still working on my test batch but I did receive a reply from a NB brewer confirming the beer is pasteurized and then bottled with the Allagash brett and that should be the only living yeast in the bottle.

I'm assuming these beers are brewed at NB? I went to Allagash a month ago - they don't pasteurize. Also, they told me there is still sach present in their brett conditioned beers (those brewed in Portland, ME that is).

 

[Aristotelian]

I'm assuming these beers are brewed at NB? I went to Allagash a month ago - they don't pasteurize. Also, they told me there is still sach present in their brett conditioned beers (those brewed in Portland, ME that is).

I did not ask where it was brewed. It would make sense that it is brewed in Ft. Collins so it's not shipped back and forth, but I think the point of the collaboration is that all of the partners are working with the same Fat Tire wort, which is pasteurized, and then doing different things with it. In this case, it appears they add brett and use Allagash's process for bottle conditioning. Again, per email from NB, there is no sacch in the Fat Funk.