27 Old Ale

3 yeasts

3 wild strains

3 fermentations = 27 Old Ale

Reading through Zymurgy I came across the recipe for a Yorkshire Stingo and knew immediately I wanted to brew this beer for my first Dark “Sour.”  Having just come off a couple successful Brown and ESB brews, holding a few fun buggy mixes and being a month or so overdue for my next sour/funk beer, it was a perfect fit.  So let's see where this beer takes us.

Historically this is "most like" an Old Ale per the BJCP style guide.  Highly drinkable, low roastiness, smooth Caramel character, stone fruit (on this one), some variable funk (or sour) and your traditional English Earthy hop notes.  Im imagining a tasty, funky ESB and I love that this puppy has C120 and Special B...my two favorite specialty malts. Now this particular recipe gives you a little leeway as to whether you want to go more funky or less, below I outline several approaches to fermenting this wort, and I am happy with the result of this mini-brainstorm.

Final Batch - 6G

Stats

OG - 1063

FG - 1015

ABV - 7% (ish)

IBUs - 37

BUGU - .44ish

12 lbs - Maris Otter

1.5 lbs - dark invert candi sugar (make ahead of time!!!)

6 oz - C120

6 oz - Special B
6 oz - Wheat malt (long term bug food and attempt at head retention)

Mash - 154 for 60 minutes - I think with the low specialty malts and all that candi sugar we should get solid attenuation from the main ferment.  High end of 007 gets us to 1012 with 80% attenuation and the funk portion will go lower, so we should be close to or beat our 1010 target for bottling.

Boil - 60 min

Hops - Targeted just under balanced (.5 BUGU). I want it to be malt forward and am assuming at least 3 months of aging which will reduce hop character and bring the beer to my malt forward target when it is ready, and still allow some room to run.

For the funky batch, I must account for the fact that Lacto is restrained above 8 IBU so I will pull from the tail end of first runnings (pre-hopping) and boil on the side for 10 minutes before transferring to fermenter to cool. Pitch bugs directly on top with only a low amount of aeration and nutrient.

1oz - 60 min - English Hop (I used Fuggles)

1oz - 30 min - same

Yeast (Most English, least funk - Zymurgy recipe)

Primary - 2L starter - Yorkshire Square Ale (WLP 037) - Utilized for its lower attenuation and more pronounced English character.  Pitch at 70 then chill to 64 at first sign of activity.

Secondary - pitch bugs and age 4 months to a year.

*I'd use a high mash temp here (158 - 60 min).  The recipe says 149, but in this case (bug in secondary) I’d want to leave the added unfermentables to allow for additional bug food.

Yeast (a more funky alternative)

Primary - Pitch lacto-only. @ 36 hours pitch mixed culture 2L Yorkshire starter and bugs (brett and pedio) in secondary. This will result in the most funky version of the beer the soonest, but will have less English character.

• Use low mash temp here (148 - 90 min) - There will be plenty of food for the lacto by pitching the bugs during primary so there is no need for the additional dextrins/carbs associated with a high mash.

Yeast (more English, moderately funky, less control)

Primary - 1L pitch Yorkshire to drive esters and reduce its attenuative ability.  At first sign of activity pitch the bugs and let the good times roll. Straight-forward, but you have no control over the souring process.

Yeast (Proper fermentation, max control)

Primary 5G - 2L West Yorkshire per recipe.  Pitch at 70 and chill to 64 when activity begins

Blend in...

Primary 1G - 200ml slurry BW bugs (East coast Ale, Brett, Lacto)

or

Primary 1G - 200ml slurry Belgian Sour 1 (Belgian Ale, Lacto, Brett, Pedio)

or

Primary 1G - smack pack Pedio and a pitch of Brett

Yeast (My Plan) - I have a Rosaleare slurry which started as a simple pitch of a WLP vial.  That beer was racked off and an identical wort went on top and has been fermenting for 3 months.  That slurry is relatively buggy compared to my other wild slurries so Im going to use that here in order to reduce the belgian yeast character of this blending beer.

Therefore:

1. 48 hours prior to brew day start a 2L of 007 (500ml). Chill and decant before pitching. This will get pitched once the main batch has started.
2. Mash 154 for 60 minutes and boil 60 minutes.  I believe the sugar and 007 will get me close to if not beyond 1010. By blending later I can focus the main brew on finishing low for wild bottling which requires the beer to be below 1010... or I kill the bugs, which would be like killing a friend.  I want this beer to evolve.
3. Primary 5G - London Ale single vial, warmed up with 250ml of wort day of.  This will stress the strain and get a big English character at the onset.  Pitch at 70. Anticipating a long lag of around 24 hours for such a big under pitch keep an eye for that activity. Immediately pitch the 007 pitch.  Secondary in Barrel once gravity is terminal.  If FG is above 1010 then Tertiary in wild fermenter and add some slurry from the blending portion, aging until FG is below 1010.  If FG does get below 1010 then Tertiary in a non-wild fermentor and wait for blending portion to properly sour.
4. Concurrently with the above, pitch 250ml of super buggy Lambic slurry to 1G of unfermented wort.
5. Once buggy wort is properly soured and the main wort is below 1010 blend back in wild bottling bucket to main batch to taste.  Carbing will have to be a game time decision but, adding priming sugar to lightly carb to say 1.5L may be the way to go.  This way you dont rely on the bugs to carbonate the beer fully.  Then as it ages, and inevitably taste, if  you start to get into an overcarbed situation then just boil the remaining bottles in water for 10 minutes killing your bug buddies and stopping refermentation.

I like this approach best because I will get my English character from the Primary, the attenuation from the staggered pitch, the oak from the barrel without getting it buggy, then the ability to pitch a huge amount of buggy slurry to a relatively small amount of wort with max bug food/funkability for later blending.  In fact, if it gets sour enough I could do 2 blends!  Glorious.  This bottling process will keep my new Blichman beer gun away from the bugs and give me some flexibility in not having to rely on the bugs to do all the work, just in case.  It would be tragic to pop a bottle after 3 months and to have nothing to show for it.  So lets not let that happen!

Starter 

3/9/15 - 1 vial of 007 which had originally been built up in a starter then swirled and poured back into vial and chilled. Less slurry than in original vial. Started 250ml at 1040 to stir plate.
3/10/15 - Solid activity. Stepped up to 2L. 
Brew Day: 3/11/15 - Starter is at high krausen.

Brew Day
Water adjustment to London profile on brewersfriend.com
Baking Soda - 2.75, Gypsum - 2, CaCl - 1.25 to 9.5G water

Strike - 5G to 169, Mashed 154. Sparged 4.5G at 200 to mash out.

Collect 250ml second runnings, boiled 5 min, cooled and pitched 1 vial London Ale.

Collected 7.5G, just under 1G of stirred wort to side boil. Preboil - 1048
60 minute add Fuggles.

Boiled .75G wort and chilled. Pulled 250 ml from bottom of lambic. Very yeasty. Added that and 2g Warrior.

Boil 60 to 5.5G. 1oz Fuggles in at 60 and 30.

Chill to 68, aerated and added Belgian candi D90. Hit OG on the money. 1063

Pitched warmed up 013.

Next: Upon airlock activity pitch 2L 007.

D1 - krausen first thing in the AM. Decanted and warmed up, aerated 007. Pitched at 66

D2/D3 - bubbling 5/5 at 64 ambient. No activity on side ferment yet.

3/20/15 - moved side Stingo from 80 degree bath to room temp. Main ferment still moving (1/5). Will rack to barrel next week.

3/26/15 - 8.4 brix - 1015 - to the barrel - tossed yeast. Keeping side ferment at room temp - 67.  Nice cake at bottom, swirled.
4/8/15 - barrel tasting.  Very liitle oak.  Once again, as was the case with the quad, I'm getting the booze first, and this tells me that is barrel character as this beer is not big and was pitched cool.  Leave another 2 weeks.
4/23/15 - barrel tasting - its ready!  Also tasted the funky batch.  There I am getting some medium-plus on the sweaty socks character (isovoleric acid, if im not mistaken), but the funky brett character is highly apparent.  I did a mini blend and I like it!  Blending this weekend with MoBigs.

4/30/15 - blending day - barrel is terminal at 1015.  40:1 blend of the bugs gives a mellow funk aroma but doesnt detract from the barrel too much.  Im going with this.   Doing some small bottles and some bombers, no sugar add as fg is above 1010, so we will have to watch these bottles over time and heat them to kill bugs if they start to over carb.  Added half an eye dropper of buggy side pot to bombers and a quarter an eye dropper to 12oz bottles.  Check this link on Bottle Conditioning w/Brett.

7/12/15 - the side pot has lost the butyric acid note (vomit), which is nice.  Very classic lambic characteristics of balanced funk and a very slight tang (not tart). So we blended too early.  Would have been nice to get this full gallon back to the main batch. 

8/18/15 - added 2lbs cherries to side pot

11/7/15 - bottled with sugar tabs.

Falmouth Flanders

Eric Mo'Bigs and I Have set out to make a Flanders Red based off of Jamil's straightforward recipe on BN, only difference is we are going to create multiple worts for blending and just plain old fashion homebrewing fun.  As we know, bugs multiple faster than Sach does, so our plan is to brew with the Rosaleare blend from Wyeast and and let her sit for 2 months (which we have now done).  The next step is to rack the beer and pitch a fresh, identical wort onto the remaining cake in its enirety.  Who knows where this rabbit hole will lead, but it'll be fun running it down!

Grist
39% - Vienna - 5.25 lbs.
39% - Pilsner - 5.25 lbs.
11%- Munich - 1.5 lbs
4% - Aromatic - .5 lbs.
4% - Special B - .5 lbs.
4% - Wheat Malt - .5 lbs.

Hops - .8oz - EKG

Yeast: Roselare - and complete repitch to cake.




Stats
OG - 1056
FG - low low low
ABV - TBD
SRM - 12


We both worked the same process and plan to take a look back in the Spring.

Brew Day

Falmouth Flanders One (FF1)
8/27/14 - Eric brews.  All is as stated above.  Into bucket fermenter.
11/21/14 - TTransferred FF1 to glass.  Initial tasting - Souring and dry. Goood mouthfeel but body low.  Not tart yet but on the away.  Stone fruit accents.  Medicinal taste on the sideline.  On track.

Plan is to oak around January with Medium - M+ oak cubes.

11/21/14 - FF2 Brewed, all is as above.  Harvested cake from FF1 and discarded most the mold that had accrued atop the pellicle.  We should have top cropped the whole pellicle before the transfer.

Next step - top up carboy into neck to reduce  exposure to air.  Need to keep that acetic acid character to a minimum. Was listening to The Sour Hour on BN and they say to not let sours in primary "too long."  I will make it a practice t rack off the primary cake at 3 months and do my initial tasting at that time.  I have been fearful of transferring the beer, but three things need to be considered:

1.  The beer should not age on the primary cake.

2.  3 months is a good time for an initial tasting.

3.  Utilizing good process of CO2 for purging new vessels, purging when doing a tasting and/or transferring and standard sanitation will allow for minimal O2 uptake.

4. I haven't been topping up my carboys after initial fermentation.

1/9/14 - FF1 - on a good trajectory - light funk, low acid.  Did not purge with CO2. Added Hungarian oak cubes

FF2 - same path as FF1 with slightly more funk to date. Purged with CO2.

3/11/15 - FF3 - added 6g baking soda, 5 CaCl and gypsum. - Mash 156.  Same grist as previous. Only adding 2g Warrior at FWH for 5ibu's to let the lacto run a little more.

Racked FF2 to new fermentor.

Better efficiencies these days and I realize I didnt adjust.  Looking for a 1048 preboil gravity to target a 1056 OG. 

 Hit the pre-boil gravity at 6.5G.  2g of Warrior in FWH targeting 5ibu.

Racked wort into FF1/FF2 slurry.  Slurry took up half gallon...also left a pint and change of the beer to grab some active bugs.  Purged both FF2 and FF3.

Tasting FF2 - slight acetic charcter starting to show through.  Malt is forward.  Body is medium-low and finish is bone dry.  Brett funk is lingering as is a tannic charcter. I think FF 2 should get the cherries.

FF1 - has oak

FF2 - cherries

FF3 -

4/1/15 - tasting
FF1 - thin body, acetic apparent, especially on nose, but not overbearing, slight funk, overripe fruit aroma, and in the flavor.  Smooth draw and big vanilla at the end.
FF2 - more ripe fruit than FF1, higher relative funk and a bread aroma, malt, taste is very malty, malty finish, medium-plus body, lingering funk and there is a residual sweetness.  Also smooth.  Funk is a littele more forward on then nose.  There is a medium-low perception of hot alcohol, but only the aroma...not necessarily fussel, but its there.
FF3 - appearance cloudy, but similar color will come with clarity.  aroma is sweet funk, sweet fruit, slight maltiness, no acetic. Not as malty as FF2, perceived bitterness coming from funk, medium body, veryb little sour, but you can tell it starting at a very young age, no lingering funk and perhaps a little percived lingering sourness, almost tannic.  The best start of the three.

7/1/15 - 10lbs thawed black cherries to FF2.

9/1/15 - blending session - 1:1:2, Oak:Yeast:Cherry

Next:
1. blend 3G Cherry versio,/n to 1.5G Yeast, and 1.5G oak in a wild bucket.
2. Take remaining cherry, add to bottling/blending bucket and do the same blend.  Probably 1G cherry, .5G oak, .5G yeast.  Bottle with sugar tabs.  Clean cherry fermenter.
3. Add big batch blend blend from wild bucket to cleaned cherry fermenter.
4. There will be equal amounts of yeast/oak at about 3G each.  Add all yeast version to oak fermenter.  Plan to add fruit and additional lacto to this version later.
5. Harvest yeast.

Meet the Bretts: Brett Un - 100% Brett

And away we go!  So one thing i like to do when getting into a new yeast is starting off simple and working to complex.  This way I can get to know my yeasties and better apply them to projects down the road.  That said, let's get to know The Bretts.  According to White Labs the Brett is headed in the following direction:

"This Belgian strain, used traditionally for 100% Brettanomyces fermentations, produces a slightly tart beer with delicate characteristics of mango and pineapple. Can also be used to produce effervescence when bottle-conditioning."

So on beer one let's allow that yeast to shine shall we!  I have mined my notes on Brett, most of which comes from Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave, and I came up with this concept for what I am lovingly referring to as the Meet the Bretts series: Brett Un

Now, will it turn out like this, most likely not.  We are dealing with some finicky funk here, but hey, can't fault a guy for trying.  Sidenote: I'm adding my own little caveat to the standard format by adding the "E" which will stand for experiment, in the event I'm going to split batch, etc.

A - Extra Pale, white head which will have little head retention (of which will decrease as the beer ages in the bottle.)

S  - again, tropical with a slight to moderate fruity hop character.

T - super dry, effervescent, tropical fruits especially mango and pineapple.

M - light to medium decreasing with aging.

O - very pleasant and approachable brew, sessionable, slightly tart.

E.1. - 1 Gallon - add sterile, half medium toast oak spiral long soaked in chardonnay (Russian River, Temptation inspired)

E.2. - 1 Gallon - add sterile, half medium toast oak spiral long soaked in Pinot 

Let's begin with the simplest grist I can imagine.

2-row: 10lb - 85%

Munich (light): 1lb - 9%

Wheat Malt: 8oz - 4%

Flaked Oats (in boil, muselin bag), 10 minute add): 4oz - 2%

ABV: 5.7%

BUGU: .34

Color: 4 SRM

The two row is pretty standard, in future iterations I'll work in Belgian Pils, but for now I am just going to keep it simple.  Chad states that Munich imparts precursors to an enjoyable Brett beer, also Vienna is a good choice here, but I have Munich on hand so Munich it is.  And now the Wheat and Flaked Oats.

Building in body to a Brett is a big deal because the Brett will eat everything, but the trick is understanding in which order it eats.  In a 100% Brett fermentation they will take down the "fermentable" sugars first and move on from there to things like proteins (and dextrins and hop acids and dead yeast and on and on and on until lastly, yes, even alcohol get chomped).  Coming back to "building body into the beer," we refer to proteins.  By adding proteins to the wort we are adding in, as Chad likes to say, "perceived body," which will last longer in the finished beer.  Without it, the perception will be far more thin at the onset and will only get thinner with time: Enter Flaked Oats, and Wheat Malt.

Drilling down a little further I came across an interesting article by The Mad Fermentationist on putting the oats directly into the boil instead of in the mash.  Hmmmmmm, I say: The point of this step is adding body via proteins and I figure what more effective way to do that than to get those proteins directly in the wort. The BN had on Dave Marliave of of Flat Tail Brewing and he mentions how he'd love to toss the Oats into his boil, except for the fact that it would be hundreds of pounds in a muslin bag that I assume would turn out to be the size of a Mini-Cooper....Not practical, but I am not them, so I am going to toss my Flaked Oats in directly and get those proteins.  (I would have added 8oz, but this all I have left right now...brew shop road trip!)

Lastly, Chad rips his beers out around 6.5% (not all, just some), very Colorado of him to go that high, I like it!  And he mentions 18 IBU's "ish."  I say "ish" because he doesn't like IBU's, he is a perception man, and who am I to argue with the Brett-Master Yakobson himself!  

Considering the above, I applied a little forethought and then a little math. This beer should be ready in late summer and I want it more sessionable than 6.5% (forethought).  So assuming 6.5% attenuates like so, 1.054 to 1.004, and applying his 18 IBU's to the assumed OG of 1054, gives us 18/54 = .33 (math) ...  Hey, it may be a geeky move, but the devil is in the details.

Apply that BUGU to my smaller beer and I get my hop adds.

Columbus, 1.5oz at 1 minute.  And they are old, so I am not worried about going over.  I used 1 minute for two reasons.  First, Chad likes all hops in at flameout to reduce aggressive bittering which will shine through in a more aggressive way due to the high attenuation.  Second, because if I run them through my beer program at flameout I get no IBU calc and I need some baseline in the first beer.  Not too crazy.

Additional Notes:

Starter - 1040, 1000 ml, stir plate, 1 vial, 8 days, ambient 75 degrees (80 is optimum)

Mash: 152

Boil - 60

Aeration - no

Nutrients - no 

Fermentation Profile: Pitch at 68 and free rise to 74 over 2 weeks.

Process

7/1/2014 - brett starter on stir plate - 75 degrees - 1 vial - 1040 wort from dme

7/9/2014 - brew day with Danny H - "one brew at a time there dave"

Everything went well here on temps, and volumes.

Pitched at 68 degrees

7/10/14 - krausen already formed and airlock is active

7/11/14 - high krausen - 72 degrees - she is pumping!  Strong esters of mango coming off the blow off tube.  Using just an airlock, krausen not in any danger of clogging airlock at this time.

9/17/14 - Gravity has reached 1008.  Let's get crazy.

1.25G - infused with 2lbs of frozen and masserated Cranberries.

1.25G - infused with 24oz, frozen and masserated Black Cherries.

1G - infused with 7oz shredded Coconut, 1lb frozen and masserated Mango, 3 zested and squeezed Limes.

1.5G - soaked half a medium toast oak spiral in 2 month old beer aging with Belgian Sour Mix I.  Dropped spiral to bottom of feremente for 1 hour, and tossed it into Brett Un remaining beer and yeast cake.

9/18/2014 - Fermentation has restarted in all infused vessels.

Next: 

Re-Innocluated batch - let sit on oak two weeks.Check FG, decide on priming, bottle and age.

10/16/14

Bottled - tastes funky but not sour.  Slight oak, but not oaky.  Tropical fruit apparent.  Bottled with sugar tabs.

Fruit Infused: 

Taste once per week.  Once deired character develops rack off fruit.  Take FG and decide on need for priming sugar.  Bottle in 12oz bottles and wait 3 weeks until popping first sample.

Cranberry Beer for the October Brew Farm Contest: Consider killing Brett with potassium metabisulfite (research details of this), or bring to a boil - keg and slow carb - bottle.

Bottling

Keep in mind:  Bottle remaining 3G (at or below 1010).  2pts = 2.5L which is the goal.  The brett will not stop eating so, worst case scenario is we over carb the beer.  Bottom line, I plan to bottle with no priming sugar on this go around and taste every three months, recording the carb progression here, monthly.  Subsequent batches we can play with priming sugar, but for the first batch I'd rather be patient than sorry.  

10/17/14

Kegged cran-cherry and bottled directly from keg.  

Bottled Brett/pedio/Lacto with sugar tabs and corked and caged.

Chad Yakobson of Crooked Stave notes having over carbed beers in initial rounds of bottle fermentations, I think due to the age of them ad the fact they weren't drank in time by the consumer...Or simple the bottles he kept over carbed in time.  More to come on bottle conditioning funky beer in subsequent posts.

Notes from BN Network Podcast - Chad Yakobson

----------------------- BN Crooked Stave Chad Yakobson Interview Notes ----------

thebrettanomycesproject.com

"Everything in beer is about perception, it's about building perception."

Why Brett?  Primary is normally with Sac - aroma is Brett and acidity is Brett

Wild Wild Brett Yellow: honey, turmeric, brett and spices

- 100% brett beer

- Aroma and funk in short term - time proportional to acidity (sour)

- had cold side fruits which added the lacto

--- Brett brux is a general species, but there are many strains....think Sac has many strains, Brett Brux is the same as Sac but with twice the variations.

- Treat it just like Sac regarding repitching, just do it, of course, keeping in mind the increased pitching rate based on cells/ml required and cells/ml in slurry

- He believes the malt used effects the Brett's flavor contribution(dark vs light)

- Building Body:  

• brett beers will be inherently thin as they eat through the dextrins during aging.  
• If you want body you have to add the body (the "perception of body") with proteins, aka grist (8% grist), not through dextrins = mash temp = residual sugar, b/c brett will eat through dextrins first and the perceived mouthfeel of the beer will last longer in the aging process...?will the brett eat the proteins eventually..therefore with age perceived body will decrease...i thnk so...this adjustment "improves stability of mouthfeel through time, not solidifies it..only time would tell...hahaha?
• Ingredients to build body: rye, flaked oats, golden naked oats, spelt etc...NOT the mash temp..
• (Sidenote: Sac adds "glycerol which is a compound produced in fermentation which adds the mouthfeel...Brett does not produce this compound)

-Brett and floc and process:

• (Background) the floccing aspect of sac is based on:

1. based on sugar outside vs inside Sac cells (osmotic pressure) the cell will produce mano-proteins

2. The manoproteins lock together like large puzzle pieces forming clumps of sac resulting in flocculation.  

• Brett does not seem to have this enzyme therefore simply by a decreased sugar supply outside vs inside the cell, this process does not occur...result we must create/force flocculation.

-How to clarify Brett Beer

1. Longer cold crash time (35-40 for 1-2 weeks)

2. Pressure: after bottling give them a week (there seems to be another minor fermentation in the bottle

- Pitching

• Temps: 68-69 and rise to 72-74, if cooler needs more time.  Not below 68 and not free rising above 74.

- Yeast Nutrients - not required in a brett beer or starter.  The wort has the required nutrients.

- Starter wort gravity - 1048

- Brett Propagation (ref: thebrettanomycesproject.com)

• 7 - 8 days in perfect conditions
• temp - 80
• Diauxic growth curve: describes phases of growth as it moves through different sugars

1. Growth phase 1: 24- 48ish then

2. Lag phase for around 12-24h

3. Another growth phase and another lag phase

4. A third growth phase

Result: at 7 - 8 days your at solid growth numbers, it may keep increasing, but at lower rates...At this point it is ready to be pitched.

- What brett eats: Sugars, unmeasurable carbohydrates, proteins, previously produced esters, compounds creating hop aroma AND at the end, alcohol.

- Brett Slurry

• DO NOT store on plates/slants or in fridge
• Store in liquid culture at room temperature
• Interpolation: Take slurry and pitch appropriate cell count to achieve pitch rate with 3x growth accounting for that growth over the 7 - 8 day starter cycle listed above.  This way you are taking active slurry and building it up as opposed to just pitching a proper count of "unstarted brett"

- Cleaning/Sanitizing - it is a yeast and dies like a yeast, it can be cleaned and killed.  He says using fermenters of wild and non-wild brews is ok.

- 100% Brett fermentation process/profile (there)

• 2 - 3 weeks to come down to 2 - 4 plato (.08-.16)
• residual fermentation: from 3 - 4 plato to 1 plato in following 2 - 4 weeks.

- Priming bottles with brett for bottle conditioning - treat it like sac - look at residual sugar and be sure its not higher than 2 plato and the beer comes down to .5 to 1 (1.05 to 1 ...  co2:alcohol)

Crooked Stave Golden Sour Process: result is a fruity upfront with the sour background

1. 100% brett fermentation

2. Intro Lacto/pedio as "secondary fermentation" into barrels

Inoculating - using prior beers (keep a beer and toss into new batch)

When to bottle: 100% brett s about 6 weeks ... considering gravity and of course flavor ... if flavor is off it may need additional aging in barrels, with fruit, etc or perhaps it needs to g into a different project.

Hops:

• Sour - used in very very small amounts, 5 IBUs....used to stop unwanted bacteria
• 100% brett - 18ish IBUs...now he uses all his hops at knockout and therefore your getting 0 IBUs but you are getting perceived hop flavor and aroma....this is his approach to hops in brett beers...not bitter, just flavor and aroma - perception.
• In highly hopped beers you may not get brett character for at least 2 month

General Sour and Funk Notes

Below you will find notes compiled from several sources on what we see as being great highlights of applicable material.  The primary sources have been listed below, and are credited within the notes for their particular contributions.

Sources include, but are not limited to:

(WB) Wild Brews

(CB) Chad Yakobson: BN Session Podcast

(MF) theMadfermentationist

Acids

Lactic Acid

• (WB) found in sour milk - characteristics of "tangy" and "sweet"

Acetic Acid

• (WB) primary acid in vinegar
• (WB) produced during rapid growth of "lactic acid producing bacteria"

Bugs

General Bug info

• (CY) Prime temp range is 50-75.  Above 75 and rapid growth will create acetic, below 50 and the bugs go dormant, but will come back with a temp rise back into prime range.

Brettanomyces - "British brewing industry fungus"

General Factoids

• (CY) Brett is super-attentuative - they consume dextrin, unmeasurable carbohydrates, proteins, previously produced esters, compounds creating hop aroma AND at the end, alcohol.
• (CY) They require some concentration of sugar to survive so they will never ferment out ALL sugars
• (WB) Traditional Fermentation (optimal growth) time/temp: 3-8 months@ 40-95F
• (CY) Alcohol Tolerance - 18%
• (CY) reproduction ends below 3.4ph
• (CY) acetic acid producers under highly aerobatic conditions only
• Pellicle - thick, lumpy white coating.  Utilizing oxygen, chains of brett form and float to protect the beer from oxygen and acetobacter. Leave intact

Brett Bruxellensis

• The species of primary importance to the wild brewer is B. bruxellensis.
• (CY) Brett brux is a general species, but there are many strains....think Sac has many strains, Brett Brux is the same as Sac but with twice the variations.  There is no hard data on how many strains there are but there could be hundreds.
• “Wild” character, including the classic “horsy” and “cherry pie” character. B. bruxellensis often refers to a strain obtained within Brussels,

Brett Lambicus

• (WB) B.lambicus to strains cultured in the Payottenland. Individual strains all exhibit different characteristics. Lambic brewers consider strains of Brettanomyces to be unique to each brewery, just as the different Saccharomyces available today were once isolated from their brewery of origin.

Brett Anomalus

• (WB) B. anomalus have been isolated from several different types of beer.
• (WB) B. anomalus have found favor with brewers in the United States for rapid fermentation and ester production

Brett Claussenui

• (WB) B. claussenii have been attributed to the “winelike” character often found in British old ales.

Pediococcus

General Factoids

• ferments glucose to lactic but does NOT produce CO2
• good for beers requiring large amounts of lactic - produces slowly but effectively
• alcohol tolerance at 8% Traditional fermentation (optimal growth) - 100 days@ 45-140F
• does little to no work in presence of oxygen
• grows very slowly in all conditions
• Ropy, slime like, oily layer on top of beer is made up of carbohydrates, acids and proteins.  They are harmless and will be digested with time by the byproducts of growing brettanomyces - just give the beer more time. Never use without Brett

Lactobacillus

• produces lactic acid and CO2
• found on skins of raw fruit
• alcohol tolerance at 8%
• (WB) Traditional fermentation time (optimal growth) : 4 days@ 60-140F
• (MF) Will be restrained above 8 IBUs
• will produce without oxygen but prefers reduced levels
• Acid production is proportional to temperature with max occurring at 98 ("the human intestine temp")
• Acid production is greatest during primary fermentation and subdued during refermentation.
• Hop acids (>8) and alcohol (>8) reduce acid production (these beers should be less than 5ibu disregarding Chad's "perception" idea...its the hop acids not actual IBU number that effects acid production.)
• ceases production below 3.8ph

Recipe Central

General Factoids

• Hops acids will inhibit bacterial growth, in sours less then 8 - 10IBU optimal, but above is ok, yet growth will just be less extensive.
• (WB) In a turbid mash, tannins extracted during the boiling of the mash will be worked out during fermentation of wild brews.
• (CY) Aroma and funk in short term - time proportional to acidity (sour)
• (CY) the malt used likely effects the Brett's flavor contribution (dark vs light)
• (CY) In a highly phenolic wort {i think they meant fermented beer here}, Brett will reduce the (banana) phenolics and cause medicinal characteristics.

Base Malts

• (WB) Lambic brewers use Pilsener malt for its availability, price, neutral flavor, and low resulting color.
• (WB) Pale two-row malted barley may compose 60 to 70% of the grist for modern lambic beers

Six-row malted barley:

• (WB) Six-row contains a greater amount of diastatic power and thicker husk than two-row. Some brewers consider this advantageous, as unmalted wheat comprises the remainder of the lambic grist, which is both more difficult to lauter and contains no enzymes of its own.
• (WB) A higher protein content and the potential for a phenolic taste due to polyphenols in the husk make six-row malted barley problematic in high concentrations.”

Specialty Malt

• (CY) Vienna and Munich work well in Brett beers because their flavor contributions will balance Brett's less complex flavor characteristics.
• (CY) Brett will add bready aroma and/or flavor, so might need to decrease biscuity and bready malts in Brett beers.

Dark Malts

• (CY) Avoid roasted malts, the astringency does not go well with brett character.  More specifically you get an unpleasant perception of acridness.  So this acrid roasty character is taken by the Brettanomyces and basically doubles it.
• (CY) Flavor perception - Use de-bittered malt like Carafa II
• (CY) Color perception - Small amounts chocolate
• (CY) % Grist - Chad used less than 6% dark malts in BBWA Blue
• (CY) Carafa II -The brett is really nice at bringing out some of the chocolate notes in that malt, so you get this creamy/chocolate characteristic in addition to getting a really subtle fruity, dry, dark cherry character.  Like what youd get in special B thats aged, but the brett pulls this character out of the Carafa II right away.

Unmalted wheat (and to some lesser extent malted wheat):

• (CY) Create stability during the aging process. Why? The wheat adds proteins which are consumed later in the aging process preserving perceived mouthfeel
• (CY) The beer haze created by the wheat are starches/proteins which are consumed by bacteria later in fermentation, essentially nurturing the yeast/bacteria through longer fermentations. (this haze can clear in 8-12 months depending on the bugs/conditions)

Maize

• (WB) 10-20% grist ok (high on this range may cause lautering issues).
• (WB) Starches formed aid in lactic production

Aged Hops

• (WB) as hops age in ambient temps and exposed to oxygen they oxidize and the result is a reduction in bittering AND an increased level of protection from lactic acid producing bacteria
• (WB) The oxidation process may also be accelerated, by baking the hops at a low heat—no greater than 200° F (93° C)—until they begin to turn brown.

Hops

• (CY) A few typical examples: Colombus, Amarillo, or Columbus and Simcoe. I think Brett can work with a lot of hops. The important thing is not having a lot of astringency. When I’m thinking about what I might use for bittering…it’s low cohumulone hops that have a softer more delicate bitterness and are more just for flavor.
• (CY) Brett puts of fruity notes and the fruity character hops tend to play well here.
• (CY) Do late hop additions only to avoid astringency found in "bittering additions" - remember, its about perception.
• (CY) 100% brett - 18ish IBUs...now he uses all his hops at knockout resulting in 0 IBUs but you are getting perceived hop flavor and aroma....this is his approach to hops in brett beers...not bitter, just flavor and aroma - perception.
• Sour beers - used in very very small amounts, 5 - 10 (max) IBUs....used to stop unwanted bacteria
• (CY) In highly hopped beers you may not get brett character for at least 2 months

Hops recap by Chad Yakobson on "100% Brett, dark and hoppy beer"

• I’d say not to go over the top and shoot for a 6-7 % beer. Realize that in shooting for that it’s going to attenuate 90% over time. You should get the fermentation in 2 weeks. So I would wait 2 weeks until dry hopping. I like to dry hop, let that sit for a week, then dry hop again letting that sit for a week. After those 4 weeks the beer should be ready to keg and bottle. You are waiting longer to dry hop and getting quite a dry beer.
• In your mashing profile make sure you are mashing for a good beer. Nothing low and nothing high: 150-152F, mashing out at 170F, not sparging too hot and you’ll have a clean beer through fermentation.
• A lot of late hops. The late hops really accentuate the beer…and again more dry hopping. Don’t be afraid to use a decent amount of hops. We are using anywhere from 2 to 4 pounds per barrel. In the black IPA I went a little lighter using 2 pounds per barrel so for homebrewers we are looking at half a pound to 1 pound per carboy. A 1/3rd of that for late hopping and 2/3rd for dry hopping, it’s something you can play around with even doing half in late and half in dry hopping. Both those should work pretty well.

Fruit

• (WB) Four characteristics to consider: sugar content, acidity, type of acidy, tannins

A. Sugar: all sugar will be consumed given enough time

B. Acidity: you want at least some acidity or your just getting more sugar and no fruit  
character assuming the sugars will all be eaten

C. Acid Type: If malic acid present a secondary fermentation called malolartic fermentation 
will occur.  Other types of acid: Citric

D. Tannins: tannins express as "dryness" in finished brew

• (WB) Skins must be broken (or frozen) for sacch to be able to work on the fruit
• (WB) Bacteria/Wild Yeasts will eat the fruit in its entirety in a natural state (no need to break skins) leaving the fruit unrecognizable post fermentation.
• Stones (Pits) - if included should be included in fermentation.  Flavors exhibited are vanilla and almond
• (CY) How much?  Start from 2lbs/G is standard for commercial brewers.
• cold side raw fruit additions will add lactobacillius
• (MF) The acid of the beer really helps to make the fruitiness pop in a way that most "clean" fruit beers do not. The actual amount of fruit you need will depend on the variety of fruit, quality/freshness, base beer, and amount of fruit flavor you are aiming for. In general .5 lbs per gallon is the low end (good for assertive fruits like raspberry), and 2.5 lbs/gal is the high end for more subtle fruits, or if you have a bigger/darker base beer.
• (WB) Fruit meant to be fermented by wild yeasts have "minimally a moderate level of acidity with a balance of sweetness," - this is why there are so few fruits that are common to mass beer production in wild brews
• (WB) common examples/characteristics: Cherries, Raspberries, Grape, Black Currant, Peach,  Apricots, Strawberries (subtle character and no color)

Building Body

• (CY) brett beers will be inherently thin as they eat through the dextrins during aging.
• (CY) If you want body you have to add the body (the "perception of body") with proteins, aka grist (8% grist), not through dextrins = mash temp = residual sugar, b/c brett will eat through dextrins first.  Adding proteins will make the perceived mouthfeel of the beer last longer in the aging process.  The brett will eat the proteins eventually, therefore with age perceived body will decrease. In conclusion, adding body through proteins will improve stability of mouthfeel through time, but does not solidify it.
• (CY) Ingredients to build body: rye, flaked oats, golden naked oats, spelt, wheat,  etc...NOT the mash temp.(Interpolating flaked rye and flaked oats work within this theory)
• (CY) Sidenote: Sac adds "glycerol which is a compound produced in fermentation which adds the mouthfeel...Brett does not produce this compound)

Mash Profiles

• (VC) Russian River (barrel aging) - use highest mash temps possible without cooking husks - 160-168 - Consider using no higher than 165 to account for inaccuracy of homebrew thermometer.
• (CY) Crooked Stave (short fermentations) - mash 150 - 152
• (CY) A sour wort gives Brettanomyces better attenuation and a more complex, horsey, flavor (with less Brett pineapple and fruit contributions) in a Brett-only fermentation. Do not oxygenate. Don't allow mash to drop below 120 F until pH is below 4.5 to decrease risk of spoilage.

Fermentation

General Factoids

• Types: Inoculated, spontaneous, mixed
• Inoculation process idea  - use prior funcky beers (keep a beer and toss into new barrel, wort or secondary)
• If you want to get all your wild yeast from fruit you want the freshest uncleaned fruit
• You can always consider adding dregs to obtain new strains of brett
• (CY) Yeast Nutrients - not required in a brett beer or starter.  The wort has the required nutrients.

Pre-Starter Info: Brett Slurry

• (CY) DO NOT store on plates/slants or in fridge.  Store in liquid culture at room temperature
• (MF) Feed the slurry with boiled last runnings from subsequent mashed every few months - decanting old "starter wort" and adding new.  Nutrients as well.

Starter

• (CY) ALWAYS make a starter for 100% wild brett fermentation.
• Even if you have the cell count in slurry, pitch cell count of slurry into a starter to grow it up 3x to hit required pitch rate over the standard 7 - 8 day dioxic cycle.  
• Use if stir plate is fine.
• DO NOT just pitch unstarted slurry, even if you have the proper count.
• (CY) Starter wort gravity - 1048
• (CY) 7 - 8 days in perfect conditions
• (CY) Temp - 80
• Oxygen - not needed
• (CY) Dioxic growth curve: describes phases of growth as it moves through different sugars

1. Growth phase 1: 24- 48ish then

2. Lag phase for around 12-24h

3. Another growth phase and another lag phase

4. A third growth phase

Result: at 7 - 8 days your at solid growth numbers, it may keep increasing, but at lower rates...At this point it is ready to be pitched.

Aeration

• (CY) Not required
• (CY) Acetic acid production is proportional to oxygen present, but you wont get enough to "sour" the beer, only increase the perception of "tartness"

Pitching Temp

• (CY) Temps: 68-69 and rise to 72-74, if cooler needs more time.  Not below 68 and not free rising above 74.

General Process

• (CY) Full Brett fermentation/profile:  2 - 3 weeks to come down to 2 - 4 plato (.08 - .16).  Then residual fermentation occurs to 1 plato in following 2 - 4 weeks.  Total: 4-6 weeks.

1.Pitch/Starter - 2-3x sac (but he also mentions stressing the brett with normal ale pitches, or   pitching between ale and lager, so it seems each will work but of course there will be differences, nothing concrete here without experience.)

2. works wort down to a "typical" gravity after 1-2 weeks.

3. follow temp recommendations from WLP - higher temps in the range promote

faster fermentations, lower promote greater character development.

4. Brett works only fermented sugars, like sach, when they are a solo act, but he does  
mention that there is little info on the long term effects of this profile

5. Brett will not have any acidifying characteristics as a primary fermenter.  To add acid you 
can simply add acidulated malt to the grist or take a portion of the first runnings and add lacto and/or pedio, then add that solution back to finished beer

6. When to bottle: 100% brett is about 6 weeks ... considering gravity and of course flavor if flavor is off it may need additional aging in barrels, with fruit, etc or perhaps it needs to go into a different project, be blended, etc.

• Mixed Fermentation Schedules (if not using a turbid mash): Layering in one wild character at a time, not having acid producer next to brett, and simply "acidifying the wort" later

1. Sach only for primary

2. Brett immediately after primary

3. Pedio (and/or Lacto) after 6-8 months  

(Sidenote: do not add bacteria first then sac as bacteria will likely reduce ph to the point the   sac will not work)

• (WB) Do not secondary Brett brews, keep them on the yeast (brett food for later; increases their efficiency)
• (WB) You can take oak chips and soak them in beer then expose them to the air or infected beer then pitch them (or just pitch the infected beer) to increase bug count if aging process is slower than required/anticipated.
• (MF)The biggest impact the primary yeast will have on the finished beer is the attenuation level (low attenuating strains will leave more sugars for the other microbes leading to beers with more sourness and funk).
• (MF) I have not gotten enough sourness by doing a clean fermentation followed by microbes in secondary. This seems to work in barrels where the bugs are receiving some oxygen through the wood, but in a carboy the resulting beer generally lacks the sour assault that I crave. Adding microbes after primary fermentation is a fine idea if you just want some funk because Brett seems to be able to produce esters without a lot of gravity change.

Flocculation

• (CY) (Background) the floccing aspect of sac is based on sugar outside vs inside Sac cells (osmotic pressure).  Based on this osmotic pressure the cell will produce mano-proteins.  The manoproteins lock together like large puzzle pieces forming clumps of sac resulting in flocculation. Brett does not seem to have this enzyme therefore this process does not occur. Result, we must create/force flocculation
• (CY) How to get Brett to floc

1. Longer cold crash time (35-40 degrees for 1-2 weeks)

2. Pressure: after bottling give them a week (there seems to be another minor fermentation in the bottle

Repitching

• (CY) Treat it just like Sac regarding repitching, just do it, of course, keeping in mind the increased pitching rate based on cells/ml required and cells/ml in slurry
• (CY) Repitching of Rosalare - each repitch you get more lacto and less sach resulting in an ever more lactic beer until unpalatable
• (MF) You can and should repitch yeast cakes from sour beers. Each time you repitch you will get more funk and sourness because the bacteria will grow faster than the yeast.

Conditioning/Bottling, etc

Bottle Conditioning with Bugs

• (AB) the process is slower than sac's standard 2 weeks - how long?  Anchorage Brewing says, 3 - 4 weeks. To condition a bottle.  So, in conclusion it seems you get .5 plato and 2.5L in first month.
• (AB) .5P = .002pts = 2.5L
• In general and considering brett/lacto/pedio, the less oxygen the better.
• (VC) General rule, dont cork above 1.010 {even better, 1.008}.  Then look at residual sugar and be sure its not higher than 2 plato and expect the beer to come down to .5 to 1 {which would be 5 - 7.5L C2 !!!  Far too high} ... Other sources say to not cork above 1 plato.  Conclusion here is to know how long you are going to let it in the bottle, shorter time you can bottle higher, longer time you have to let the brett work the gravity down considering, in the "best/worst" case the beer will go to .5 with brett and 0 with pedio.
• For bottle conditioning with sugar expect half the carb off dextrose you'd get with sac.  Ex: standard 3.5 oz/5 gallon to 2.2 L will now be 7oz to get same carb from brett...but be aware that if you did a mixed fermentation and didnt pasteurize the beer your going to get bottle bombs from sac working on the sugar faster.
• Lacto and Brett create CO2, pedio does not.  Therefore you CANNOT condition with pedio only.
• If conditioning with lacto/pedio be aware they will not work above 8% alcohol so you will get no conditioning or souring

Blending

• when blending the lowest common denominator is carbonation.  You can build two great beers, but if aging results in refermentation and over-carbonation you have defeated the purpose.  

Aging

• Fruit beers are not meant to be aged.  The fruit characteristics will fade with time.  
• The acid some fruit add a different character to the sourness since they are either malic or citric, both of which are a bit sharper than the lactic acid produced by the microbes in beer (malolactic bacteria will convert malic to lactic acid, so which acid the fruit contains is something to consider if you do not like the acid character of a fruited sour beer).
• (MF) if you think the bug are not in great enough numbers you can repitch healthy bugs to help it along, although patince is usually the best way to go
• 8% and greater ABV recommended for longer aging of 100% brett, but lacto and pedio will give up that high
• Aging in fermentors, consider that autolyzed yeast give off amino acids brett/lacto will feed on, so keep those brews cool or lactobacillus will start up.  Some is good for extended brett health.
• Fat Tires brewer states you should pull off a brett/lacto/pedio cake for secondary, and in fact, they get the best results from filtering prior to barrel aging. I find this to be a great time to take an initial tasting.
• (MF) Oak cubes/chips – Cubes/beans are your best bet because they take longer to give up their flavor due to their lower surface area. Around an ounce of cubes is a good place to start for a mild oak flavor. I boil them for about 10 minutes to removes some of the harsh fresh oak flavors that are usually stripped out by whatever is in the barrel before the beer. Sour beer can be pretty delicate and thin and it can be easily overwhelmed by harsh tannins or oak flavors. You can always add more after a few months if you want more oak character.
• Personal conclusion - it seems 6 to 8% is wheelhouse for sours as the microbes can work, balanced with ability to build in perceived mouthfeel and high enough alcohol to protect the beer in the aging process.
• (MF) Better Bottle (his number 1 suggestion as glass lets in less O@ you run the risk of breaking it and losing year old sour glory)- What I use because they don't have the risk of breaking that glass carboys do. I also like the wider opening for getting fruit or hops in/out. They may let a negligible amount of oxygen in, but opening the stopper once will let more in than months of aging.

Cellaring

• (WB) stack beers right side up
• (WB) minor consideration is the beers near the floor will be cooler than the beers near the top of any given cellar
• (WB) ideal temperature range:; 50-55 with the least variation possible

Cleaning/Sanitizing

• (CY) It is a yeast and dies like a yeast, it can be cleaned and killed.  He says using stainless or glass (non-porous) of wild and non-wild brews is ok.
• Porous materials (syphons, hoses, plastics) are harder to sanitize thoroughly and are more prone to remaining contaminated.
• (CY) It will die above 100*C
• (MF) There is no reason to segregate your fermenters into different areas during fermentation/aging.

Style Info

Flanders

• (WB) The grist of Flanders red and brown beers are composed of 80 to 100% malted barley. The malt does not contribute to the body of a lambic, while the Flanders beers may exhibit a smooth, malty palate.
• (WB) Flanders brewers may use medium-kilned malts such as Vienna and, to a lesser extent, Munich. For color and fruit, Special “B” is also commonly used in moderate quantities. Aromatic malt will add both color and malt aroma. A specific moderately kilned malt from Weyerman Specialty Malts known as Carahell will contribute to both body and head retention.

Lambic

• (WB) Lambic producers leave the beer on the yeast post primary to allow amino acids of autolyzed yeast to available as food for brett later.

Commercial Examples

• Festina Lente (dogfish) - 7% - pale beer, fermented, then aged three months on bretted oak with unpasteurized stone-in peaches -
• Russian River - Temptation - 8.5% - Belgian Golden ale fermented then put in french oak bretted - chard barrels
• Russian River - Supplication - 6% - amber - pinot barrels with cherries and "several bugs"
• Russian River - Sanctification - 6.5% - stainless steel - Belgian Blond with a full fermentation with 3 brett strains
• Crooked Stave Golden Sour Process: result is a fruity upfront with the sour background

  1. 100% brett fermentation

2. Intro Lacto/pedio as "secondary fermentation" into barrels

• Crooked Stave - Wild wild Brett - 6.5abv, 18ibu,(est: bu/Gu=.33)

• Anchorge Brewing - start with fav Belgian-style recipe. Let it ferment out in the carboy, transfer to another carboy, add a couple smack packs of Brett, and just let it sit for 6-8 months. Don't disturb the pellicle that will grow on the top of the beer, that's what protects the beer from oxidation during the aging process. It looks like mold on the top of the beer if you have never seen one before, it's a good thing, so don't dump it! After the 6-8 months, transfer it off the pellicle and bottle condition with a Belgian or wine yeast culture. Give it 3-4 weeks in the bottle and then enjoy. I would leave some out warm for another 3 months and see how it develops.
• MadFermentationist - Pretty much any well made base beer can serve as the foundation of a sour beer. The only beers to avoid souring are those that are aggressively bitter/roasty/spiced because these flavors will be exaggerated by the low finishing gravity of a sour beer.

----------------------- BN Crooked Stave Chad Yakobson Interview Notes ----------

thebrettanomycesproject.com

"Everything in beer is about perception, it's about building percepton."

Why Brett?  Primary is normally with Sac - aroma is Brett and acidity is Brett

Wild Wild Brett Yellow: honey, tumeric, brett and spices

- 100% brett beer

- Aroma and funk in short term - time proportional to acidity (sour)

- had cold side fruits which added the lacto

--- Brett brux is a general species, but there are many strains....think Sac has many strains, Brett Brux is the same as Sac but with twice the variations.

- Treat it just like Sac regarding repitching, just do it, of course, keeping in mind the increased pitching rate based on cells/ml required and cells/ml in slurry

- He believes the malt used effects the Brett's flavor contribution(dark vs light)

- Building Body:  

• brett beers will be inherently thin as they eat through the dextrins during aging.  
• If you want body you have to add the body (the "perception of body") with proteins, aka grist (8% grist), not through dextrins = mash temp = residual sugar, b/c brett will eat through dextrins first and the perceived mouthfeel of the beer will last longer in the aging process...?will the brett eat the proteins eventually..therefore with age perceved body will decrease...i thnk so...this adjustment "improves stability of mouthfeel through time, not solidifies it..only time would tell...hahaha?
• Ingredients to build body: rye, flaked oats, golden naked oats, spelt etc...NOT the mash temp..
• (Sidenote: Sac adds "glycerol which is a compound produced in fermentation which adds the mouthfeel...Brett does not produce this compound)

-Brett and floc and process:

• (Background) the floccing aspect of sac is based on:

1. based on sugar outside vs inside Sac cells (osmotic pressure) the cell will produce mano-proteins

2. The manoproteins lock together like large puzzle pieces forming clumps of sac resulting in flocculation.  

• Brett does not seem to have this enzyme thereofre simply by a decreased sugar supply outside vs inside the cell, this process does not occur...result we must create/force flocculation....
• How:

1. Longer cold crash time (35-40 for 1-2 weeks)

2. Pressure: after bottling give them a week (there seems to be another minor fermentation in the bottle

- Pitching

• Temps: 68-69 and rise to 72-74, if cooler needs more time.  Not below 68 and not free rising above 74.

- Yeast Nutrients - not required in a brett beer or starter.  The wort has the required nutrients.

- Starter wort gravity - 1048

- Brett Propogation (ref: thebrettanomycesproject.com)

• 7 - 8 days in perfect conditions
• temp - 80
• Dioxic growth curve: describes phases of growth as it moves through different sugars

1. Growth phase 1: 24- 48ish then

2. Lag phase for around 12-24h

3. Another growth phase and another lag phase

4. A third growth phase

Result: at 7 - 8 days your at solid growth numbers, it may keep increaseing, but at lower rates...At this point it is ready to be pitched.

- What brett eats: Sugars, unmeasurable carbohydrates, proteins, previously produced esters, compounds creating hop aroma AND at the end, alcohol.

- Brett Slurry

• DO NOT store on plates/slants or in fridge
• Store in lliquid culture at room temperature
• Interpralation: Take slurry and pitch appropriate cell count to acheive pitch rate with 3x rowth accounting for that growth over the 7 - 8 day stater cyce listed above.  This way you are taking active slurry and building it up as opposed to just pitching a proper count of "unstarted brett"

- Cleaning/Sanitizing - it is a yeast and dies like a yeast, it can be clqeaned and killed.  He says using fermentors of wild and non-wild brews is ok.

- 100% Brett fermentation process/profile (there)

• 2 - 3 weeks to come down to 2 - 4 plato (.08-.16)
• residual fermentation: from 3 - 4 plato to 1 plato in following 2 - 4 weeks.

- Priming bottles wth brett for bottle conditioning - treat it like sac - look at residual sugar and be sure its not higher than 2 plato and the beer comes down to .5 to 1 (1.05 to 1 ...  co2:alcohol)

Crooked Stave Golden Sour Process: result is a fruity upfront with the sour background

1. 100% brett fermentation

2. Intro Lacto/pedio as "secondary fermentation" into barrels

Innoculating - using prior beers (keep a beer and toss into new batch)

When to bottle: 100% brett s about 6 weeks ... considering gravity and of course flavor ... if flavor is off it may need additional aging in barrels, with fruit, etc or perhaps it needs to g into a different project.

Hops:

• Sour - used in very very small amounts, 5 IBUs....used to stopunwanted bacteria
• 100% brett - 18ish IBUs...now he uses all his hops at knockout and thereofre your getting 0 IBUs but you are getting perceived hop flavor and aroma....this is his approah to hops in brett beers...not bitter, just flavor and aroma - perception.
• In highly hopped beers you may not get brett character for at least 2 month
•