Beer Forum

I am making a Saison that I will add Brett to after primary ferment. For those of you that have EXPERIENCE using Brett, is this a real slow working yeast? Ive read a bit about it, I know it will continue to work for long periods, which can cause good and bad outcomes etc...Im making a 1.065 Saison that I will allow the primary fermentation for about a month, then Im planning on adding a vial of Brett and giving it another month. This is the first of many planned Brett Saison and wild ale experiments, next time I will give the Brett 2 months and so on... Also, after reading Farmhouse Ales by Markowski, I might allow the Saison yeast to work on its own for 2-3 months... Will I pick up on any Brett after just one month? Thx.

crashlann wrote:I am making a Saison that I will add Brett to after primary ferment. For those of you that have EXPERIENCE using Brett, is this a real slow working yeast? Ive read a bit about it, I know it will continue to work for long periods, which can cause good and bad outcomes etc...Im making a 1.065 Saison that I will allow the primary fermentation for about a month, then Im planning on adding a vial of Brett and giving it another month. This is the first of many planned Brett Saison and wild ale experiments, next time I will give the Brett 2 months and so on... Also, after reading Farmhouse Ales by Markowski, I might allow the Saison yeast to work on its own for 2-3 months... Will I pick up on any Brett after just one month? Thx.

Will definitely take more than a month.....I have an Imp. Stout going now that I racked onto a vial of Brett over 2 months ago, and it's JUST now starting to get funky. The pellicle had been there for awhile. Mine is sitting at 70F.

I don't think you will need to let the saison ferment for a full month in primary because even if the beer does not reach its full terminal gravity due to yeast choice (ie DuPont strain) in a reasonable amount of time, then the Brett will have some residual sugars to start chewing on. I would let the beer ferment between 2-3 wks. Then rack to secondary and add the Brett then. I have had my best results aging the beer with Brett in around 60 deg or so as this seems to slow the Brett a little and minimizes horsey, goaty characteristics which can run away with your beer in a negative way.
The beer will need to sit undisturbed at least 2 mos before you take a sample and really more like 3-4 before noticeable characteristics arise. This of course depends on how much Brett you prefer in the finished product.

I have a friend thats been adding whole organic wheat spaghetti noodles (uncooked) to her beers after primary. Brett works slow due to lack of food. The starches in the wheat noodles feed the brett and dont impart any flavor to the finished beers.
So far everything Ive seen using this method works. Its an easy to measure food source. We all have heard in oak barrels brett can inhabit deep into oak barrels in search of food.

Thanks all.

Petedadink wrote:I have a friend thats been adding whole organic wheat spaghetti noodles (uncooked) to her beers after primary. Brett works slow due to lack of food. The starches in the wheat noodles feed the brett and dont impart any flavor to the finished beers.
So far everything Ive seen using this method works. Its an easy to measure food source. We all have heard in oak barrels brett can inhabit deep into oak barrels in search of food.

Wow! That is crazy! Have you tasted any of the finished product with this method? How many noodles for a 5 gallon batch? Do the noodles actually get slightly dissolved over time in the beer?

Just listened to the Crooked Stave show...a MUST for anyone wanting to learn about brewing Brett beers...

crashlann wrote:Just listened to the Crooked Stave show...a MUST for anyone wanting to learn about brewing Brett beers...

I've re-listened to show 3 times now. Great resource.