Brett funk, but no fermentation

[MothersOfFermention]

Decided to use some leftover ingredients for an experimental 1 gallon batch. Used some extra light DME and a bit of wheat DME with Sorachi Ace and fermented with S-05. After about a week when the sacch was done I began adding bottle dregs (Orval, etc). Gravity reading at the time of adding the dregs was 1.010.

I moved the fermentor to ontop of my oil burner where it has stayed for about a month. In that time, the scent of the wonderful sorachi ace hops has become overwhelmed by lovelt brett funk, which I welcome.

However, a sample I pulled tonight read 1.008. Is it normal for Brett to ferment this slow while producing a bunch of funk?

I need the fermentor for a 1 gallon all brett C starter, so next week I might dose it with champagne yeast and a bit of sugar, bottle it in 750ml bottles with a cap and cork. Not too worried about bottle bombs because I will only be letting them condition for 2 weeks tops before drinking them (only going to be 4 750ml bottles).

:fro:

 

[DudleyDoLeft]

i have only started getting into Brett myself.
Yes its normal to work this slowly. Brett will work somewhat faster at higher temps but Hops Alpha IBU will degrade as well as flavor (uncertain how much depends by hop type) with higher temps.
Having lingering bottles with active Brett would be a plus brett working under Carbonation is said to really express the flavors. From what I understand the added Wheat can help it to continue on.

but overall it is uncertain how low the gravity will go. A Brett beer I just made was actually lower carbonation than I planned for and I doubt yours will go much further down than perhaps 1.006 all depending.

At this point you may want to think of how you want it balanced between any Sacch flavors and Brett adding the yeast could be good to have the bottles ready and keep the young tropical fruit notes
- if you wanted to more fully go towards brett You could even try with a number of the bottles slowly carbing them add the sugar or dme without adding more yeast and let some of the bottles get quite high and further into the future try the more aged bottles of higher carbonation. letting the funk develop.

 

[MothersOfFermention]

Well, I certainly consider this to be a success. I was after all FUNK in this one. At first I wasn't sure if I was smelling the Sorachi Ace or the Brett, but now I'm positive its the Brett. Since its only a 1 gallon extract batch, I'm not looking ot age it long term, I need this fermenter to step up my Brett C starter!

I think I might cold crash the beer how it is now for about a week, siphon it into a bottling bucket and add some champagne yeast and a small amount of priming sugar, allow it to sit at room temp for 2 weeks (too little time for the brett to do much, enough time for the champagne yeast to carbonate) then throw them back in the fridge. It's only going to be 4 750ml bottles.

I did have a taste last night when I tested the FG, and it was better than expected. I do love the way sorachi ace and brett b seem to compliment each other.

 

[MothersOfFermention]

Just another update. I had reyeasted this with Danstar CBC-1 cask and bottle conditioning yeast about 19 days ago now. Since it was only a 1 gallon batch, I rehydrated about 1/4 packet, added priming sugar, and filled, corked, and caged 4 750ml bottles.

I had one at the 2 week mark. It was a great color and carbonation was just slightly lower than I liked. Great hop aroma and flavor, and a very nice mild funk to it. You could certainly tell the brett funk from the sorachi ace aroma, and could not mistake the taste. About to have another one tonight!

Since the brett is probably still eating stuff inside the bottles, I will not be storing these long term. They will likely be gone in about another week. Really looknig forward to doing this again on a larger scale!