mmonacel
Well-Known Member
I have a split batch Berliner weisse that just isn't there yet. One carboy simply tastes like nothing / slightly wheaty and the other just tastes soapy. I believe these flaws are due to missing my mash pH way on the high end which gives a flabby flavor to both and for the second carboy I never racked it off the yeast / trub which is about 3 inches now and has been sitting for 7 months so autolysis has fully set in. Neither really soured to the level I was looking for - again likely due to the high starting pH.
I've got a berliner registered for the NHC though so I'm hoping to let some Brett munch away on one to lower the pH and provide some depth of flavor. I may also supplement with some lactic acid to help lower the pH and add some sharpness to the flavor. I have a 2L starter of East Coast Yeast Brett Blend #1 (ECY 04) - description below that I'm ready to add to one of these carboys in another day or so. My questions are:
- Which carboy would you add this to?
- Would you chill and decant or add the whole starter?
What says you?
My gut tells me to go with the bland one as opposed to the soapy one since it's just a "better" beer to begin with and likely to do better in the short term. Long term though, I'm thinking the Brett would chow down on the yeast autolysis bits to provide more overall flavor.
ECY04 BRETT Blend #1
Three individual Brettanomyces isolates from lambic producers combined to give an aggressive brett presence in any beer. Vigorous, funky and acid-tolerant, the blend can be added at any stage of fermentation and is excellent for priming or re-yeasting.
I should finish by saying I don't have real hopes for a solid NHC performance from these, but I do believe they have potential with Brett given the style and the fact that I've got plenty of patience to wait on these for the long term.
I've got a berliner registered for the NHC though so I'm hoping to let some Brett munch away on one to lower the pH and provide some depth of flavor. I may also supplement with some lactic acid to help lower the pH and add some sharpness to the flavor. I have a 2L starter of East Coast Yeast Brett Blend #1 (ECY 04) - description below that I'm ready to add to one of these carboys in another day or so. My questions are:
- Which carboy would you add this to?
- Would you chill and decant or add the whole starter?
What says you?
My gut tells me to go with the bland one as opposed to the soapy one since it's just a "better" beer to begin with and likely to do better in the short term. Long term though, I'm thinking the Brett would chow down on the yeast autolysis bits to provide more overall flavor.
ECY04 BRETT Blend #1
Three individual Brettanomyces isolates from lambic producers combined to give an aggressive brett presence in any beer. Vigorous, funky and acid-tolerant, the blend can be added at any stage of fermentation and is excellent for priming or re-yeasting.
I should finish by saying I don't have real hopes for a solid NHC performance from these, but I do believe they have potential with Brett given the style and the fact that I've got plenty of patience to wait on these for the long term.