Brett Newbie Questions

[TastyAdventure]

2 1/2 months ago I brewed an amber ale, and took 1 gallon of it and threw in plenty of Belgian 1762 yeast and plenty of slurry containing Brett C, ECY03-B, and Brett Trios (from a friend's yeast cake).
How much longer should I wait before bottling this? What differences in taste would I see in different bottling schedules?

Also, I just brewed an IPA and took 1 gallon from it and pitched 100% Brett Trios. How long should I let that sit before bottling?

 

[TastyAdventure]

Anyone?

 

[BGBC]

Same rules apply as with sacch. Let it hit final gravity, take hydro measurements and if they're stable over a period of time (3 days to a week), you're good to bottle.

 

[TastyAdventure]

Ok but what about taste timelines?

 

[TAK]

I'm not sure about the above advice. I haven't done much Brett myself, but I've done a lot of research. Brett eats slowly, and it will eat many of the sugars that the Sacc left behind. I'd give it more that a week of stable gravity before bottling. Depending on the gravity when you added the Brett, there could be a real chance of bottle bombs.

As for flavor over time? I only have my first Brett aging under pressure in a keg. I can tell you that 60 days after pitching, it certainly has a fabulous nose. The ester profile is changing, but I hope and expect it will evolve more over several months.

The flavors will continue to change after you bottle, and in fact the pressure from bottling can be a factor in what the Brett will give you.

 

[BGBC]

Good point, I misread the first post and thought this was for a 100% Brett beer. Brett in secondary will take longer to stabilize, sorry for the bad advice.

Agreed with the points on flavor timelines too

 

[yeahfairly]

Posts that I have been reading on HBT have really got me wanting to jump off into the Sour Beer Arena.... My palate is geared towards Biting beers with lots of hops and very little sweetness..... on the other hand.... I am a huge vinegar fan. I really like the tart acidic flavors of vinegar and malt vinegar is one of my Favorites.... I guess I need to pick up a couple of commercial Sour's and see if they are something I would enjoy.... The thought of brewing them is very enticing but I wouldn't want to waste the time if it's not something I would enjoy drinking!

BGBC.... Do your sours lean towards the sweet side or the sour side? Do you have control, as far as consistency in the flavor profile? From what I gather the process is more of an experiment where the Brett, Pedio and Lacto are in control of the outcome. The brewer is just along for the ride (lol)!

 

[BGBC]

I only have a few sour brews under my belt and most are still aging, so I'm still learning.

The yeast/bugs do drive most of flavor though, you're right. You can control the food you give them though and what bugs you bring to the party. Mine so far have been sour, not sweet. I've been using dregs, Lacto from grains, etc and haven't purchased any commercial sour cultures yet, for cost savings and experimentation reasons.

If you're interested in trying it out, I'd recommend starting with something quick, maybe a sour-worted Berliner or Gose. Or sour the wort, then pitch brett.

 

[TastyAdventure]

One beer had Brett and sach pitched at the same time, the other is 100% Brett Trios.

The Brett + Sach is coming up on 3 months, I am going to taste it tonight. Maybe bottle soon.

 

[BGBC]

Was it Brett/Sacch and the same time, or Sacch primary followed by Brett? and if so, how long since the Brett was pitched?

 

[TastyAdventure]

Same time