Brett starter question

[eulipion2]

Hello,
I have 2 vials of White Labs Brett C, planning to make a starter, and I've read that the best starter practice for brett is a stepped up starter. So my question is this: Can I start with 2 vials in a 2L starter, then top off with an additional 2L for a total of 4L, or should I decant once the first step finishes and pitch 4L of fresh starter wort? Or would the initial 2L be enough with 2 vials?

Planned batch is 6 gallons at 1.045 OG.

 

[DrKnow]

I know people will say I'm wrong, but I've had great success over the last 15 or so brett beers I've done with this method. 1 vial into a 1 liter starter on a stirplate. After a day or two, step it up with another liter of starter wort. Keep that on the stir plate for another 2 days or so. Total of 4 to 5 days. Mash on the low end of the spectrum (147 to 152). Pitch the entire starter (brett does not flocculate really well, there's no point dumping all those cells you've been trying to grow and I promise you'll never taste that small amount of "oxidized" starter wort in the final product). Ferment high 60's to low 70's. After about a week of fermentation, most beers that don't have an obscene amount of unfermentables will be in the single digits and stable gravity. No off flavors just delicious fruity funky goodness. The longer you age the beer, the more the fruit drops out and the funk becomes more prominent. Good luck.

 

[eulipion2]

Thanks, DrKnow!

 

[sweetcell]

I know people will say I'm wrong, but I've had great success over the last 15 or so brett beers I've done with this method. 1 vial into a 1 liter starter on a stirplate. After a day or two, step it up with another liter of starter wort. Keep that on the stir plate for another 2 days or so. Total of 4 to 5 days.

depending on the brett strain, 4-5 days might not be enough. most of the brett i've grown seems to take a week to finish its growth cycle.