Brett C starter smell

[Tiroux]

So, I have two starters going out for a Berliner Weisse, Brett C and Lacto D. They are going since 2-3 days now.

Lacto smells... sour and acid, as expected, great.

But Brett C smells like... I dont know. I do have some fruity hints, some tartness/sourness, but in overall, it smells like vomit or dirty socks juice.

Normal or not?

It's a 1.2L starter of 1030 pils DME wort + yeast nutrients, on a stir plate in a 2000ml erlenmeyer flask. It this White Lab Brett C.

 

[cinderbike]

My Brett C cultures usually smell like lemons, or at worst, a little catty. But no vomit.

 

[Tiroux]

Well the smell is not THAT unpleasant, but it doesnt smell at all like the description of the yeast was. I guess I'll just wait and see. It doesn't look infected at alll, and it seems to go well like an usual starter. It's just the smell that odd, but I guess i shouldn't bother with it. I'll make sure to decant before pitching to avoid having this aroma in the beer

 

[TNGabe]

I'm doubtful that wlp645 is just brett. Getting some looked at by a lab hopefully, but when Chad Yakobson plated it out he found brett C, two lacto strains, and pichia.

 

[Tiroux]

I'm doubtful that wlp645 is just brett. Getting some looked at by a lab hopefully, but when Chad Yakobson plated it out he found brett C, two lacto strains, and pichia.

Yhea, I know. There is no pure Brett C cultures available commercially for the simple (and good) reason that Brett C can't ferment more than 30% attenuation on it's own. Lacto and Pichia seems to achieve a complete attenuation while keeping a brett caracter. That's what I've read.

That said, doesn't change much about my question.

 

[TNGabe]

I got more plastic than vomit if that helps.

 

[Tiroux]

I got more plastic than vomit if that helps.

It could be something like that... what about on the finished beer?

 

[TNGabe]

First time I used it it was a slow ferment with a good week of plastic/electrical fire smell. That cleared, fermentation stalled and then it finally finished out in 4-6 weeks. No off flavors in the final beer, apparent lacto character, finished at 1.008.

Second batch is another story. Used rinsed culture from the first beer and mashed higher, pitched more. Fermented out quickly, never had the same smell. Don't have pH meter, but it finished close to 1.012 and I'm fairly certain it's because the beer got so acidic everything gave up. Bottled it this week without any priming, so I can't speak to the final product.

 

[Tiroux]

Ok. My starter is going to ferment 2.5-3.0 gallons of 1035 wort, so my guess is that my 1.2L starter is a pretty good pitching rate. I'll see what it does

 

[Clint04]

When I did my 100% Brett C. beer, I didn't notice any off smells with the starter either time I stepped it up.

However, I made a starter for a 100% Brett L beer, and something was off. It had a sort of pukey, sweaty sock smell (and not in a good "funky" way). Against my better judgment I pitched it anyway, and 6 months later the off character does not seem to be going away.

 

[Tiroux]

Maybe should I decant and repitch fresh wort to see? Still 5 days before Brew Day

 

[Tiroux]

Ok i'm 3 days from brew day, and I still have a little pukey plastic smell. I know starters usually dont smell good and arent a indication if the final product, but i'm wondering if I should go with it anyway or use something else

 

[Clint04]

Based on my experience with the Brett B. starter, I would be hesitant....

But that's just me.

You may have wasted $7 for the vial of Brett C., and a couple bucks on the wort, but better than ruining 5+ gallons of beer.

 

[Tiroux]

Yhea i dont carenthe few bucks, but i can't get another before the brew day, so I would have to use a dry sacch so it change my recipe pretty much

 

[Tiroux]

Ok I did one last thing to try saving it. I put the starter at 40*F and i will let it decant until tonight or tomorrow morning so i can get rid off the liquid and pour some new wort on the yeast and see what happen. It the smell is still there at brew day, i will use sacch

 

[Clint04]

Good call. Keep us updated!

 

[eastoak]

i have a Brett C. starter going constantly and it has a vomit funky smell but the beers i ferment with it taste great, very fruity.

 

[Tiroux]

i have a Brett C. starter going constantly and it has a vomit funky smell but the beers i ferment with it taste great, very fruity.

That is what I wanted to hear!

EDIT: By the way, could you explain how you keep your starter alive over time?

 

[Bsquared]

Brett C smells like a Tijuana bathroom after a good rain when its working. but the final product can be a clean neutral fermentation to lots of tropical fruit. keep calm carry on!

 

[eastoak]

That is what I wanted to hear!

EDIT: By the way, could you explain how you keep your starter alive over time?

i have it in a 5 liter flask that i pour wort into from time to time, that's it. whenever i want to dose a beer i just pour in some of the beer and it does the job.