• Please visit and share your knowledge at our sister communities:
  • If you have not, please join our official Homebrewing Facebook Group!

    Homebrewing Facebook Group

Brett Under Pressure In a Keg

Homebrew Talk

Help Support Homebrew Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

TAK

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
1,094
Reaction score
213
Location
Lincoln
Any thoughts on what's a good target for the head pressure to put on a keg to encourage Brett to do what it does best under pressure?

Edit: when leaving it at room/cellar temps.
 
Any thoughts on what's a good target for the head pressure to put on a keg to encourage Brett to do what it does best under pressure?

Edit: when leaving it at room/cellar temps.

I would pick whatever pressure is needed to keep the (corny) keg lid from unseating, and not worry much more than that :D

I have a beer that was recently kegged which utilized twice-pitched Orval Brett ?Brux? and spent it's lifetime (6 months) in a carboy with simple airlock (very little head pressure). The classically described brett characteristics from this strain developed over the course of aging in the carboy. I then transferred to keg and partially carbonated (~40-50%) and left it there for another couple months (2 months), after which I put in the kegerator and have been drinking since. I would not say there is much, if any, difference between what came out of the carboy and what is coming out of the keg. The entire aging/storage period, prior to kegerator, was room temperature (62-65F). There also has not been a gravity change since it was sampled back at the beginning of february. Brett activity did not pick up or did any character change take place, and there are still a few points left that are potential (1.004).

That's my experience with this one strain in this one beer - anecdotal for sure :D
 
Sweetcell, I do recall hearing Chad talk about that on the sour hour, but also that he stated, which I saw you mentioned in your other post, that head pressure can re-trigger fermentation activity.

Currently, I have a kettle soured ale that was subsequently fermented 100% with Brett. It's stable now, and I'm not looking for much change as far as Brett flavors go. It is stable in the carboy, but I wonder if it could knock a few points off. I wanted to put some pressure on it and let it age for a bit anyway. So, I'm wondering what the best pressure would be. Is 30 psi enough, should I push it higher?

Chad also uses Brett as the primary fermentor, I wonder if the pressure thing, flavor wise, is more dependent on a Sacc Primary followed by Brett.
 
Back
Top