advice for bottling with WLP644 Brett Brux Trois

[demetman]

Hello, just finished brewing a beer that was intended to be a Belgium ale w Brett. My lhbs did not have WLP510 Bastogne Belgium Ale, so I had to sub with WY1388 Belgium Strong Ale. My recipe calls for WLP 650 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis to be added at bottling with the priming sugar. They didn't have that strain so I subbed with WLP644 Brett Brux Trois. Do you guys think this strain was an exceptable substitute to bottle with? Last thing I'm looking to do is set some bombs off in my closet. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks

 

[Fathand]

It was recently discovered that 644 is actually not Brett. So to answer your question I think you shouldn't expect bottle bombs.

http://embracethefunk.com/2014/12/11/brettanomyces/

 

[demetman]

Thanks for sharing that article. Yes, the vile does state WLP644 Saccharomyces brux-like trois. I wasn't sure if this was a mixed yeast strain or what have you. Which lead to my inquiry. I'm certainly looking for a brett flavor profile with this recipe. I've never used any wild yeast strain for bottling or even primary fermentation. I do however, enjoy the flavors it contributes to beer over time(commercial examples). With that being said, I'm assuming I should acquire a brett strain for the purpose of this recipe. What type of beers could I consider brewing for use of the WLP644? Thanks for the reply

 

[Fathand]

I've done an IPA with citra, mosaic, and centennial that I enjoyed. I also split a batch of Hefeweizen where half was pitched with 644.

I plan to eventually combine the two ideas above and do a hoppy wheat. That yeast is real fruity in a tropical sense.

 

[tagz]

People generally go hoppy with trios.

 

[demetman]

I

've done an IPA with citra, mosaic, and centennial that I enjoyed.

Just bottled an IPA w citra, columbus, centennial, chinook and simcoe. This was my first all grain beer. Bottling sample tasted awesome. Pulled the recipe from a great book I'm reading called "Home Brew Beyond The Basics", by Mike Karnowski. Actually, the belgium w brett is also from that book as well.

I have been researching WLP644 and have been finding some interesting feedback. Apparently this strain does not impart significant depth when used in secondary or when used at bottling. Many seem to love this strain for primary and have reported ripe tropical fruity ester flavors. Some have even said it fermented dry with a slightly tart finish.

This yeast seams to be a bit mysterious, not only because it was mis-represented as a strain but the cell count per vial. Nobody seems to know the exact cell count as it is not listed on the label. The cell count is visibly reduced when looking at the vial, in caparison to a standard WL strain. This makes it difficult to determine what size starter needed. Anybody have any suggestions on building this strain up in steps?

I plan to eventually combine the two ideas above and do a hoppy wheat. That yeast is real fruity in a tropical sense.

I'm guessing there's no limits to how this strain can be used. I was thinking some sort of farmhouse or experimenting with a basic blonde ale then adding fresh herbs like thai basil, lemongrass, fresh ginger or lemon verbina(these flavors were also mentioned in the book) or possibly some sort of fruit addition.