Brett Trois - Can I 'secondary' in the primary?

[scruff311]

I plan to make my first sour beer (besides a semi-failed sour mash beer a couple years ago) using 100% Brett Trois in the primary. I will then age this beer for a long while with some oak and Lacto.

My question is, do I have to transfer the beer from the primary to a secondary vessel before aging, or can I just leave the beer in the primary vessel for aging? With Sacch beers, I typically transfer to a new vessel to get it off the yeast cake but my feeling is I don't have to do that with Brett. Thoughts?

 

[MileHighBrewer]

Just put the lacto and brett in at the same time, maybe hold off in the oak for a while, treat the oak like dry hopping, to taste right before packaging.

 

[scruff311]

So you're saying throw the Brett Trois and Lacto in right at the start of primary? Remember, I didn't plan to use any Sacch in this batch. So there won't be any issues with prolonged yeast cake contact while aging?

 

[sweetcell]

a concern i would have is the amount of headspace in your primary vessel. brett is good at protecting against some oxidation, but it has its limits.

 

[scruff311]

Does 100% brett create much of a Krausen? If not, I would use a 5 gallon carboy for fermentation so there won't be much headspace as I typically produce close to 5.5 gallons of wort on my system.

 

[TheZymurgist]

Does 100% brett create much of a Krausen? If not, I would use a 5 gallon carboy for fermentation so there won't be much headspace as I typically produce close to 5.5 gallons of wort on my system.

It certainly can. I had two 100% brett fermentations that needed blow-off tubes, 5 gallons in a 6 gallon fermentor.

 

[scruff311]

It certainly can. I had two 100% brett fermentations that needed blow-off tubes, 5 gallons in a 6 gallon fermentor.

Okay good to know. I'll plan accordingly. But I don't have to be concerned about leaving the beer in contact with the Brett yeast cake for aging ~12 months?

 

[TheZymurgist]

Okay good to know. I'll plan accordingly. But I don't have to be concerned about leaving the beer in contact with the Brett yeast cake for aging ~12 months?

I'm not sure about brett only fermentations. I know that in conjunction with sacch, autolysis can actually be a good thing, since brett will consume many of the byproducts of autolysing sacch.

 

[lousbrews]

I'd leave it in there. Minimize oxygen exposure that way to only the surface of the liquid. Although I don't think you'd need 12 months to age out in the a fermentation vessel unless your considering adding pedio.

Are you planning to bottle or keg carb? if you bottle note that you will need it to age out with the brett at least 2 months.

 

[inflictor-of-grimness]

Just put the lacto and brett in at the same time, maybe hold off in the oak for a while, treat the oak like dry hopping, to taste right before packaging.

Well oak makes good food for brett, so I wouldn't necessarily oak it at the end. Personally, I would do a small amount of oak (less than an ounce in a 5 gallon batch. Probably more like a half ounce to 3/4 oz.) and then add more oak at the end if I decided it needed it. Not necessary, but might help the brett flavor come out more.

I agree on adding brett and lacto at the same time.

 

[allouez86]

I've done a couple of beers where the primary strain was all brett and let them sit in primary anywhere from 6-12 months with minimal sampling and they all turned out just fine.

 

[Ted123]

Watch out for the super pineappley nature of 100% Brett Trois . . . Maybe keep the ferment cool, so it doesn't go as fruity as my goddamm-Copacabana-Brett-Trois IPA did!