I'll start off by saying that I am, in no way, an accomplished cider maker. If anything, I'm still a bit of a noob. However, I've been brewing beer for a while (8 years?) and over the last year or so have fallen in love with Brett yeast. It's got just enough funk, can provide some tartness, as well as some fruitiness, all while still being a "clean" bug that I can reliably sanitize. Anyways, on to the cider:
So far all of my experiments have been with Bootleg Biology's Funk Weapon #2, which is reportedly a Bruxellensis strain from West Flanders, Belgium.
100% Brett Cider V.1:
2 gallons of Martinellis 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, but filtered.
I made a 1.5L starter w/150g DME, split off half to save, the other half got pitched.
Tasting Notes: First tastes were bland, flabby, and just "meh". Very similar to other ciders I've made from store bought juice. I kegged it anyways to see what would happen. Over time (2 months) it really came into its own. It picked up some funk as the Brett continued to work in the keg. Finally, it fell off. I must have oxidated it a bit at some point, as the Brett turned on me and started to produce some acetic acid (yay vinegar!).
100% Brett Cider V.2:
1 gallon of store bought 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, unfiltered.
Pitched on yeast cake from V.1
Tasting Notes: TBD. I just kegged this last weekend, and has been conditioning a bit before I try it. It spent less time in primary than V.1, so hopefully less oxygen this time around.
100% Brett Cider V.3:
2 gallons Field Day Organic 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, unfiltered
2 gallons of Martinellis 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, but filtered
Pitched on the yeast cake from V.2
After my little acetic incident, the folks at Milk the Funk pointed out the oxidation problem. This one is currently fermenting in a keg with a spunding valve set to 5psi. I'm hoping fermenting under pressure and limiting oxygen will bring out more fruity and funky flavor from the Brett faster than before.
Anyone else play around with Brett in their Ciders? Let's discuss as a group!
So far all of my experiments have been with Bootleg Biology's Funk Weapon #2, which is reportedly a Bruxellensis strain from West Flanders, Belgium.
100% Brett Cider V.1:
2 gallons of Martinellis 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, but filtered.
I made a 1.5L starter w/150g DME, split off half to save, the other half got pitched.
Tasting Notes: First tastes were bland, flabby, and just "meh". Very similar to other ciders I've made from store bought juice. I kegged it anyways to see what would happen. Over time (2 months) it really came into its own. It picked up some funk as the Brett continued to work in the keg. Finally, it fell off. I must have oxidated it a bit at some point, as the Brett turned on me and started to produce some acetic acid (yay vinegar!).
100% Brett Cider V.2:
1 gallon of store bought 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, unfiltered.
Pitched on yeast cake from V.1
Tasting Notes: TBD. I just kegged this last weekend, and has been conditioning a bit before I try it. It spent less time in primary than V.1, so hopefully less oxygen this time around.
100% Brett Cider V.3:
2 gallons Field Day Organic 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, unfiltered
2 gallons of Martinellis 100% apple juice, 0 preservatives, but filtered
Pitched on the yeast cake from V.2
After my little acetic incident, the folks at Milk the Funk pointed out the oxidation problem. This one is currently fermenting in a keg with a spunding valve set to 5psi. I'm hoping fermenting under pressure and limiting oxygen will bring out more fruity and funky flavor from the Brett faster than before.
Anyone else play around with Brett in their Ciders? Let's discuss as a group!