Brett Beer Wild Fellers - 100% Brett IPA

[fourfarthing]

Looks like normal yeasties to me. Just farting off CO2

 

[Beeru]

Looks like normal yeasties to me. Just farting off CO2

I know it looks like that on the top, and the photo doesn't show it well, but there is a white mould kinda thing in there, which you can see better along the rim. It also had quite a funky smell, but I think maybe in a good way.

 

[RPh_Guy]

View attachment 631135 I’m brewing a saison in the same closet at this brett ipa and another brett apricot sour, and I think it got infected with the Brett. What do you think - is this white mould stuff a brett infection or something else?

There's a film? It's called a pellicle (not to be confused with mold).
Pellicle is not dangerous, but mold is dangerous, so it's important to distinguish between them. Mold is hairy or fuzzy. A pellicle is a thin film, slimy or powdery, often with bubbles trapped under it.

A pellicle indicates contamination (and not necessarily Brett -- that could be coincidence).

There's WAY too much headspace for an opened bucket ... Can you purge it with CO2? Or maybe transfer it to a smaller vessel and add some sugar? Or think about packaging it (there risk of over-carbonation if you bottle too soon, but you could refrigerate and/or drink it quickly to avoid that).
If it is Brett and you leave it in there, it'll be very vinegary in a short while.

 

[Beeru]

There's a film? It's called a pellicle (not to be confused with mold).
Pellicle is not dangerous, but mold is dangerous, so it's important to distinguish between them. Mold is hairy or fuzzy. A pellicle is a thin film, slimy or powdery, often with bubbles trapped under it.

A pellicle indicates contamination (and not necessarily Brett -- that could be coincidence).

There's WAY too much headspace for an opened bucket ... Can you purge it with CO2? Or maybe transfer it to a smaller vessel and add some sugar? Or think about packaging it (there risk of over-carbonation if you bottle too soon, but you could refrigerate and/or drink it quickly to avoid that).
If it is Brett and you leave it in there, it'll be very vinegary in a short while.

I am aware of pellicles - what I meant was that I couldn't quite tell if it was a pellicle or a mould. I've since cleaned it after racking to a carboy, so I can't check now. There was a slimy film, but it also looked slightly hairy.

As for headspace, that was the primary, as I was racking it to a carboy when the photo was taken. It was also purged with C02, so no issue there. And no risk of over carbonating, it's going into a keg.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I couldn't quite tell if it was a pellicle or a mould. I've since cleaned it after racking to a carboy, so I can't check now. There was a slimy film, but it also looked slightly hairy.

Nothing in the photo looks like mold to me.

However, if you saw some "hairy" patches, then it's definitely mold and not safe to drink.
Mold growth can range from a little fuzzy like a peach, to long filaments that look like cotton candy. On the other hand a pellicle is never hairy or fuzzy.
You have to be the judge because the photo isn't definitive.

FYI the fact that there's a pellicle means there's too much oxygen exposure to your beer and you might want to think about revising your process to reduce oxygen exposure (and obviously reduce contamination risk). Consider better-sealing fermentation vessels, skipping secondary, faster packaging, etc.

 

[fourfarthing]

Pitch some Brett. Give it 12 months and see what happens

 

[Beeru]

Pitch some Brett. Give it 12 months and see what happens

I just gave it a taste and it’s actually very nice. Just going to go ahead and keg it.

I also want to just say that I racked the Brett IPA into a carboy to age while I wait for space to open up in the kegerator, and it smells amazing. The beer itself has a great tropical fruit aroma but the trub actually smells incredible. It’s normally pretty skunky stuff but it was like a tropical fruit salad, with a surprising Mango smell, backed up my pineapple and other generally tropical things.

(This is for the version I brewed with different hops available to me: Mandarina Bavaria, Zythos, Galaxy, Idaho 7, and Citra)

 

[fourfarthing]

I just gave it a taste and it’s actually very nice. Just going to go ahead and keg it.

I also want to just say that I racked the Brett IPA into a carboy to age while I wait for space to open up in the kegerator, and it smells amazing. The beer itself has a great tropical fruit aroma but the trub actually smells incredible. It’s normally pretty skunky stuff but it was like a tropical fruit salad, with a surprising Mango smell, backed up my pineapple and other generally tropical things.

(This is for the version I brewed with different hops available to me: Mandarina Bavaria, Zythos, Galaxy, Idaho 7, and Citra)

How did it come out?

 

[Beeru]

How did it come out?

It’s quite nice! The brett is the overwhelming flavour. And lately it’s the overwhelming flavour of all my beers as my two buckets are infected with it.

But yes, it has a nice pineapple / mango + funk flavour going on.

 

[fourfarthing]

It’s quite nice! The brett is the overwhelming flavour. And lately it’s the overwhelming flavour of all my beers as my two buckets are infected with it.

But yes, it has a nice pineapple / mango + funk flavour going on.

Now you have dedicated Brett vessels you need not pitch too. Win?!

 

[Beeru]

Basically, yes. I have two brett vessels and no non-brett. lol. I guess i’ll go buy a new bucket this weekend. Or just ferment strait in a glass carboy for the primary fermentation. I had always heard that Brett can be hard to remove, especially from plastic primary buckets, but i’m surprised at how prominent it is.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

I know this is an old thread, but it seems worthy of awakening from the grave! I want to brew this but as @Beeru discovered it will contaminate plastic. I only have a spiedle and 2x 5gal carboys. If I were to do, say 4.75gal in a carboy could I get away without using a blowoff tube since its 100% Brett? Cheers!

 

[fourfarthing]

I know this is an old thread, but it seems worthy of awakening from the grave! I want to brew this but as @Beeru discovered it will contaminate plastic. I only have a spiedle and 2x 5gal carboys. If I were to do, say 4.75gal in a carboy could I get away without using a blowoff tube since its 100% Brett? Cheers!

I would probably put a blowoff on it to be safe if you are going that high on volume, but you may not need it. Definitely use glass or dedicated plastic.

 

[Beeru]

I would probably put a blowoff on it to be safe if you are going that high on volume, but you may not need it. Definitely use glass or dedicated plastic.

Not only dedicated plastic, but a dedicated space for them as well, at least a few feet away from your other brews. I don’t know if it can spread through the air, but it can definitely infect adjacent buckets if they’re right beside each other.

 

[fourfarthing]

Not only dedicated plastic, but a dedicated space for them as well, at least a few feet away from your other brews. I don’t know if it can spread through the air, but it can definitely infect adjacent buckets if they’re right beside each other.

Brett actually can spread airborne if you are not careful, so I second this.

 

[NorthMoonBrewing]

What did the fermentation schedule look like for this beer?

 

[fourfarthing]

I have done 70 with a gradual raise to 74 and a crash and 68 ramping to 84 and a crash. Both worked out really well though I think I would try and do 2 weeks at 68 and then a two week ramp to 84 if I had my choice. Definitely give it a month or so to fully ferment.

 

[dawn_kiebawls]

I'm hoping for this brew to be next in line. Currently I only have the ability to control temps to be warmer (damn ferm chamber went out...) so I will likely start this one around 70 for a week or so, ramp it towards 80 for another week or so then kinda let it do what it wants at room temp (which, will be in an unregulated bedroom so the temps can get pretty high). As soon as I can source the yeast I'll be in business. Thanks for the temp advice. Cheers!