WLP644, Yeast Bay Brussels Brett blend and Mélange

[sven945]

Brewuk.co.uk have got a lucky dip deal on some out of date yeasts (all less than four months past their best) and I got sent the above yeasts. I'm a fairly novice brewer, but with aspirations to do some more interesting things in my small flat. I do BIAB, in batches of around 12 litres.

It seems like the WLP644 could be used with a fairly standard IPA, and it would act like yeasts I'm used to, but with "Brett like" flavours. But using the others would definitely be testing my skills.

I know that I'll be in it for the long haul, and that I'll have to dedicate the plastic equipment that comes into contact with the yeast to making sours, but any other tips? I've spent the afternoon trying to research specifics, and there seem to be lots of advice on how to make a sour beer, but I've not been able to find much about using these ready made blends. I think I've gathered that they are designed to be used for the whole fermentation by themselves, since they contain Sacc. but I'm not even completely sure about that.

Any advice would be gratefully received!

(I realise my problem is rather than researching and finding a method and then finding an ingredient to match, I've got the ingredient and now I have to find a method to go with it).

 

[m00ps]

Youve basically got a (non-typical) sacch strain, an all-brett blend, and a sour blend. You have a bunch of different options depending on what youd like to make

The WLP644 will make a great fruity IPA on its own, and will wont take longer than any other normal sacch fermentation

The brett blend could make a nice brett IPA on its own, which doesnt really take much longer than a normal fermentation. But if you combine it with any sacchromyces yeast, then youll have a mixed fermentation that will produce those funky flavors. This will require a long fermentation

The sour blend will require a long fermentation regardless of what you use it in. I'd try adding it to a finished beer and let it sit for a few months

 

[sven945]

Thanks, that's really helpful. Will the Brett blend infect the equipment like the sour will? I'd like to be able to have two brews on the go at once, since the yeasts are already past their best, but if that would mean both FVs would have to be dedicated to sours/Brett's it might not be worth it because of lack of storage space (and also money!).

 

[m00ps]

from everything I've read, brett doesnt necessarily need a separate set of plastic cold side equipment (fermentors, siphons, bottle buckets, etc) since its still a (wild) yeast. Most people say that the cells are sized similarly enough to regular brewers yeast that your usual sanitation methods will work.

The bacteria blend you definitely want to keep separate once you pitch it into a fermentor. Reusing that equipment will likely cause infections in future clean fermentations. I use my glass carboys interchangeably though, but soak in PBW in between every use to clean them out.

 

[sven945]

Cheers. I'm pretty good with cleaning everything with VWP before use, and my buckets are relatively new (that's partly why I'm reluctant to get all new stuff!).

Once I decide on a recipe for the Mélange I might get myself a glass carboy for the fermentation, then leave it for months/year/whatever while I save up for a new siphon and bottling wand!