Brettanomyces and Orval

[dcHokie]

What was your mash temp? I have done a couple higher gravity brett beers and they went from like 1.025 after primary sacch strain down to 1.018 with brett L. I have a RIS going now that started at like 1.117. Last I checked it was at 1.038 and its still slowly going. It's only been 5 or 6 months though.

Mashed this one at 154. OG was 1.065, then 1.012 after two weeks. After 7 months on Wyeast Brett C and oak it was down to 1.002 Figured it would stop there, but 5 months after that I got a reading of 0.094 (and I double-checked with other hydrometers to verify).

 

[smokinghole]

That's impressive. Did you save the culture? Imagine the dryness you could get with a saison using that!

 

[dcHokie]

That's impressive. Did you save the culture? Imagine the dryness you could get with a saison using that!

Sort of, I harvested that culture and combined it with a gallon jug of washed Brett brux and lambicus. (sorry for the thread-jack folks)

 

[brumer0]

I ended up not using any kind of Brett in the beer I was going to try it in. I was way to concerned with it contaminating my other brew equipment. It sounds like some of you use Brett several different ways. How do you insure that you dont contaminate your equipment, or do you just TOTALLY separate your stuff? Are you even able to reuse the bottles or does sanitizing them kill all the spores.

...now that I think about it, I did use old Orval bottles in this last batch.

 

[dcp27]

i wouldnt worry about contamination. if you're equipment is super scratched up then there could be an issue, but even then i doubt pbw then star-san couldnt clear that up. i re-use all the same stuff and haven't had a contamination issue

 

[brumer0]

i wouldnt worry about contamination. if you're equipment is super scratched up then there could be an issue, but even then i doubt pbw then star-san couldnt clear that up. i re-use all the same stuff and haven't had a contamination issue

Thanks

 

[corkybstewart]

I ended up not using any kind of Brett in the beer I was going to try it in. I was way to concerned with it contaminating my other brew equipment. It sounds like some of you use Brett several different ways. How do you insure that you dont contaminate your equipment, or do you just TOTALLY separate your stuff? Are you even able to reuse the bottles or does sanitizing them kill all the spores.

...now that I think about it, I did use old Orval bottles in this last batch.

Brett is just another variety of yeast so your normal sanitation is all that's required. I've never done anything remotely special to clean fermenters or even kegs that have had brett beersin them.

 

[spearko520]

i think it's more the bacteria that can cross contaminate. i do have separate stuff for plastic and anything that has rubber or vinyl in it- hoses etc. I don't think i would worry about glass- like corkybstewart said- brett is just a yeast. i use my older scratched up buckets for anything bacterial or brett, since they are scratched up, but i pretty much hope critters are living in the cracks, as i want to get as many as i can into the beer. i do know guys though, who seem to have an infected brewery, as all their beers have a little house funk- as long as it works for you though...

 

[Biobrewer]

i think it's more the bacteria that can cross contaminate. i do have separate stuff for plastic and anything that has rubber or vinyl in it- hoses etc. I don't think i would worry about glass- like corkybstewart said- brett is just a yeast. i use my older scratched up buckets for anything bacterial or brett, since they are scratched up, but i pretty much hope critters are living in the cracks, as i want to get as many as i can into the beer. i do know guys though, who seem to have an infected brewery, as all their beers have a little house funk- as long as it works for you though...

It's actually the yeast you need to worry about. They're much hardier that Lacto and Pedio. The Brett is what sticks around and can be difficult to eradicate.

 

[brumer0]

So much good knowledge from experience on this post. I hope that others can benefit from you experts as much as I have.

 

[Qhrumphf]

From what I understand, Brett is a slime-forming yeast, and that slime is what's difficult to completely eradicate, and as long as there's enough cells in ANY leftover slime residue (inside cracks or inside hard to clean hosing), they can reform a colony. I have a completely different set of everything plastic for Brett (and will eventually use for other sours but Brett's the only one I've used thus far).

I did a tripel mashed at 147, went from 1.085 to 1.013 with WLP500 in during a month in primary, and aged in secondary for about 5 months with Brett B which dropped it to 1.008. No sourness at all, but some leathery/horsey funk in the background.

 

[adc123]

Brett will not put out much sourness, but with a secondary pitch of brett, you will get the funk dependent on what food they have left to eat.