first brett beer quesitons

[jack_a_roe]

I'm planning on brewing up a brett IPA within the next few weeks and just wanted to confirm/ask a few things before moving forward.

This brew is not going to be a 100% brett beer, so my question is does it really matter what kind of yeast you pitch in the primary? Was thinking of throwing in some safale us 05 because I have an abundance around. My readings have led me to believe that you more or less want to underpitch initially so the brett has some **** to tear through in the secondary to give you more brett-y like flavors faster.

In brewing such a beer would it be wise to up the gravity more than your conventional IPA because of how low the brett ferments out to? I also don't want to be stressing bottle bombs because i cold crashed to avoid drying things out too much.

Am I somewhat on the right track or completely retarded here? ANY info would be absolutely appreciated.

sidenote-i've been reading and will continue to read what the mad fermentationist has been putting out on his website.

 

[reed1911]

so my question is does it really matter what kind of yeast you pitch in the primary

Yes, because it will add to the flavor profile

afale us 05 because I have an abundance around

No problem with that.

readings have led me to believe that you more or less want to underpitch initially so the brett has some **** to tear through in the secondary to give you more brett-y like flavors faster.

no need to do that, if you want more brett contribution just pitch the brett when you do the initial pitch of the yeast.

wise to up the gravity more than your conventional IPA because of how low the brett ferments out to

no, not really, the brett will pretty much tear through it all and make a higher alcohol beer if you make it higher gravity.

On the bottle bombs, just give it plenty of time to fully ferment before you bottle. Check the gravity after about 3 months on a 3 day schedule (check at day x, then x+3, then x+9, then x+12) only prime with about 1/2 normal priming sugar or DME which ever you prefer.

 

[TNGabe]

So you're planning on brewing what I call 'west coast Orval', a Brett finished ipa? Rayon Vert and Anchorage Galaxy being a couple commercial examples. You certainly can use a clean strain like 05, but in addition to fermenting most of the remaining sugars, Brett will also change many of esters or phenols produced by a more expressive strain. If you want traditional 'Brett funk' ala Orval, you won't get it from pitching both yeasts in primary, but only by bottling with Brett and then aging at least a few months. You won't get the same flavors from Brett secondary in a carboy as you will under pressure in a bottle.

 

[reed1911]

This is a good way for you to try brett. You will be able to get a good handle on the profile that the brett will give you without adding anything much else. BTW what brett are you planning on using? There are several very different strains.

 

[jack_a_roe]

If you want traditional 'Brett funk' ala Orval, you won't get it from pitching both yeasts in primary, but only by bottling with Brett and then aging at least a few months. You won't get the same flavors from Brett secondary in a carboy as you will under pressure in a bottle.

Can't you get the same brett funk from using it in the secondary too? Only it takes longer?

This is a good way for you to try brett. You will be able to get a good handle on the profile that the brett will give you without adding anything much else. BTW what brett are you planning on using? There are several very different strains.

Planning on using Brett B WLP650 in the secondary. How long do I wait until i transfer to secondary and pitch the Brett? I guess i'm just a little confused about how to not get a super dry end product when pitching twice. (more specialty grains than usual?) Because if the first yeast does it's job it should take it down, or close, to your FG. Then where does the Brett go from there?

and of course please excuse my noobness.

 

[reed1911]

You won't get the same funk from using it only in the secondary, with less to consume it will have a different response to the wort and not be as intense.

Very dry is par for the course with brett. It has the ability to consume even the more complex sugars that regular sacc. cannot. Short of killing the brett and back sweetening or using a non-sugar sweetener you will not have a sweet brett based beer. You will get a good amount of 'barnyard' funk from the WLP650. You may want to use WLP645 if you want sweet as it has the fruitier pineapple notes to it. It won't leave it sweeter but it will have a more sweet like taste (if that makes sense).

 

[levifunk]

You won't get the same funk from using it only in the secondary, with less to consume it will have a different response to the wort and not be as intense.

Actually Brett is counter-intuitive in this way. Pitching it in primary will result in a very clean fermentation where using it in secondary will create a more intense brett character.

 

[reed1911]

Not in my experience. I don't make all brett beers I always have some sacc. in them, if I include the brett with the sacc. in the primary I get more flavor from the brett over secondary only addition.

 

[levifunk]

ah, I understand what you are saying now. i thought you were saying 100% brett in primary.

 

[reed1911]

Off topic, but I had planned on doing a C+C on this last Citra based pale but they were out of the Claus. brett at the local. Moved it to next time. Still in love with Citra and it ends up being every 3rd or so beer in the rotation as I always have to have some around. I tell everyone to get a pack of Trident tropical gum in the orange package and the nose is pretty much identical. Odd I know, but hey, it gets them into brewing and opens up the idea that beer is not just BMC.

 

[jack_a_roe]

So should I toss a touch of brett into the primary after a few days of fermenting then throw the rest in when I transfer to a secondary? Looking for some pretty good funk flavored but not crazy intense or anything like that.

 

[reed1911]

No, Just add it in the secondary.