Helps! I gots the bretts!!!

Miraculix · Nov 13, 2017

Hi!

I came just back from a long weekend in Germany, wanted to bottle my indian red, opened the bucket to pull the hopsack with the dry hops out and what do I find in there?

A thick and beautiful layer of wild brett.

It only took the yeastie boys 8 days to develop this layer, as there was not a single sign of it when I threw in the dry hops. Incredible. Well, I did not have the intention to bring brett into play with this indian red, but.... Let's keep it going!

I had some minor infection problems with this bucket before, thought about buying a new one anyway, well, now I have to.

My plan is to put this bucket with the brett beer into one of the kitchen cupboards and just let it sit there for some months. Maybe half a year with a gravity reading every few months to see if there is still something going on.

Does this sound reasonable or do I have to do something else?

Never did a beer like this before....
Thanks!

Miraculix

dyqik · Nov 13, 2017

A plastic bucket will let too much oxygen in over time, and may give you vinegar at the end. If you can, put it in a glass carboy (or a stainless keg), add some oak cubes. Leave for a year.

Then pretend* that you are charging five times the price you would have for the base beer.

*because you aren't selling it.

Miraculix · Nov 13, 2017

dyqik said:
A plastic bucket will let too much oxygen in over time, and may give you vinegar at the end. If you can, put it in a glass carboy (or a stainless keg), add some oak cubes. Leave for a year.

Then pretend* that you are charging five times the price you would have for the base beer.

*because you aren't selling it.

Ok, I saw that actually comming. I do not own a glass carboy that big.... maybe I will just buy one. Let's have a look on craigs list. Is there any "cheap" possibility to get the same results?

505-Brewer · Nov 13, 2017

Rack to a keg and put 5-10 psi head pressure on it. Check it on 3 months and every month afterwards till you are satisfied. Do you brew brett beers or did this just show up? .

jodell · Nov 13, 2017

Having a pellicle doesn't necessarily mean this is a brettanomyces infection (although it could) I would recommend keeping it for awhile and seeing how it does if nothing else just to learn what type of infection you have. If it turns horsey, hay like, barn yard, or just plain funky (but not sour) it's more than likely brett. If it sours. Pellicle can mean a lot of things

Miraculix · Nov 14, 2017

Cannot rack, do not have kegs. I never brewed with brett. The beer still smells fantastic. Let's see how it develops. I will transfer to a big mouth bubbler I just bought on sale (the Glas version) and top up the missing three liters with pale ale wort.

Let's see what happens! Hopefully it will be good!

Will take some readings before transferring to the glas vessel and then, as suggested every month. Will start after two months with that.

Edit: just checked, it smells a bit funky. In a good way.