Bottling Brett Saison

[goovaerl92]

Hey guys...so I am getting ready to bottle my first batch of brett saison and I was wondering if it would be okay to use regular 22oz bottles? I know that if you are actually bottle conditioning with either a dose of brett or sacch, you need to use 750ml bottles in order to withstand the pressure that will be created form the refermentation occuring in the bottles. However, I just planned to add priming sugar to the bottling bucket and let the beer carbonate as usual. This being a brett beer, I will let it sit for several months before consuming it in order for the flavor profile to mature. My concern is that after regular carbonation is achieved, will the brett continue to slowly chug away and eventually make bottle bombs out of my beer? Obviously the brett will continue to develop as it ages, but will the pressure in the bottles become too much for regular 22oz bottles to handle? Thanks!

 

[sweetcell]

by "750ml bottle", i am going to assume you mean a champagne-style bottle made with thicker glass, AKA a high-pressure bottle... something thicker than the usual 22 oz bomber.

you can bottle a brett beer in regular bombers as long as you're confident your gravity is stable, and it should ideally be very low also. if you've been aging the beer for 6 months or longer, it's pretty safe to assume that the brett has done the majority of its work. don't prime above 2.5.

you worry about the bottles being able to "withstand the pressure that will be created form the refermentation occuring in the bottles." the pressure created in the bottle will be directly proportional to the amount of priming sugar is added (assuming that FG has been reached). i would prime as usual.

"My concern is that after regular carbonation is achieved, will the brett continue to slowly chug away" - if the beer hasn't super-attenuate after 6+ months then it's probably safe to assume that a little priming sugar isn't going to achieve that either.

 

[Paramecium]

You can bottle condition with regular bombers. The thicker Belgian style bottles and then the punted bottles (with the indent in the bottom) are rated for more pressure. If you are carbing high like many saisons are then belgian bottles would be a good idea. Also, has the beer been fermenting with the Brett for a while or are you adding the Brett at bottling? If you are adding it at bottling you can definitely have some more fermentation going on. If the Brett has already been in the beer for a couple months you should be fine to measure your sugar out as you normally would. the Belgian bottles are a good idea though just to give you piece of mind that you won't have bottle bombs if the Brett gets a little carried away.

 

[goovaerl92]

thanks for the response guys. I pretty confident that the gravity is stable because I pitched the saison yeast and the brett at the same time roughly 3 months ago. When I checked the gravity after the initial fermentation was over it was around 1.006. That was two weeks in so I am assuming the gravity dropped only slightly since then.

I guess I have another question....the beer has only been fermenting for 3 months. I had planned on bottling and then letting it condition in the bottles for another 3 or so before consuming. Would you recommend just letting it condition more in the carboy and then bottling?

 

[Paramecium]

Bottle it off. When I brew my Brett saison I give it about 3 weeks in primary with just the saison yeast and then transfer, add the Brett and let it sit for about 3 months. Then it's into the bottles for at least another month at room temp before I crack one.

 

[lousbrews]

I would strongly recommend not adding priming sugar as the Brett will have enough to eat in most cases. In my experience adding priming sugar necessitated a long conditioning time so Brett can clean up most of the byproducts it creates. But like all bretts each is different.

 

[sweetcell]

I guess I have another question....the beer has only been fermenting for 3 months. I had planned on bottling and then letting it condition in the bottles for another 3 or so before consuming. Would you recommend just letting it condition more in the carboy and then bottling?

you're probably ok bottling now, but waiting a while longer certainly wouldn't hurt. if you're going to bottle in regular, non-high-pressure bottles i'd wait if you can. but if you're desperate to get that fermenter back, then bottle. but if you don't need to rush, don't

I would strongly recommend not adding priming sugar as the Brett will have enough to eat in most cases. In my experience adding priming sugar necessitated a long conditioning time so Brett can clean up most of the byproducts it creates. But like all bretts each is different.

i have added priming sugar to all my aged brett beers with no issues and no off-flavors. in the OP's case, the brett has been in there for 3 months. that's usually enough for the brett to chew through what was in the beer (but as mentioned above, waiting a little longer won't hurt).

 

[lousbrews]

you're probably ok bottling now, but waiting a while longer certainly wouldn't hurt. if you're going to bottle in regular, non-high-pressure bottles i'd wait if you can. but if you're desperate to get that fermenter back, then bottle. but if you don't need to rush, don't


i have added priming sugar to all my aged brett beers with no issues and no off-flavors. in the OP's case, the brett has been in there for 3 months. that's usually enough for the brett to chew through what was in the beer (but as mentioned above, waiting a little longer won't hurt).

That's why I said all bretts are different. Only had this when using Brett c and l.