Evil Twin Femme Fatale Brett

[Algernon]

Just cracked a bottle of this with swmbo.
Funny stuff, and FULL of sloppy yeast lurking at the bottom, so if anyone else gets one, be aware that the yeast doesn't sit well at the bottom of the bottle.

The flavours are all over the place -it's 6% abv btw.
Initially, fruity nose, tropical, mango and pineapple. Then a kind of resinous, pine aroma. Hops are not immediately apparent on the taste, but there is a definite bitterness to it on the after taste.
I'm not great at writing tasting notes, as you may tell, but this is such an interesting beer I had to share my/our thoughts.

I was wondering if I could tip the yeast into a small sample of a beer I am bottling tomorrow. I hear Brettanomyces can add an interesting flavour profile to fully fermented beers, but I would imagine it would be better suited to wheat beers and european style lagers. Mine is a pale/medium hoppy ale, but a small sample experiment wouldn't hurt, if nobody tells me it will kill my beer.

 

[calumscott]

It's only one bottle... Perfect experiment if you ask me. :thumb:

 

[mike77]

I have just done two beers with WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois. Great yeast, was very happy with the results. I put most of it into cornys and bottled the rest. I likewise fond that the yeast didn't pack down to well at the bottom of the bottles and was easily disturbed when pouring. Brett is supposed to eat the unfermentable sugars. So be careful if bottling. If you add sugar and the brett ferments that and then goes on to ferment other unfermentable sugar then you could over carbonate the beer or create bottle bombs. I would perhaps add it to the fermenter and allow a few days for it to do its stuff then bottle with priming sugar. As for killing your beer I think not. The beers I brewed were both hoppy pale ales

 

[Asalpaws]

Yeah give it a go, it can give a slight earthyness which can be interesting. Better to add at bottling IMO. I've done a fully Brett fermented brew that was too funky for my taste! T

 

[Jimmy321]

I have just done two beers with WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois

Did you use this on it's own or in conjunction with another yeast?

 

[Jimmy321]

Better to add at bottling IMO.

That's what I'm planning to do and keep some back for at least 8 months to a year.

 

[Jimmy321]

I hear Brettanomyces can add an interesting flavour profile to fully fermented beers, but I would imagine it would be better suited to wheat beers and european style lagers. Mine is a pale/medium hoppy ale, but a small sample experiment wouldn't hurt, if nobody tells me it will kill my beer.

I've tried Galaxy White IPA from Anchorage Brewing Company which is bottled with Brett and it is excellent.

 

[Algernon]

Thanks folks, informative as ever. I knew someone would have experience with this kind of thing.
So, based on the above, here's the plan:
Decant about 3 or 4 litres of beer into a DJ, add the Brett and airlock it for 3 or 4 days to do its thing, then prime and bottle as usual? I should get around 7 or 8 bottles, more if I use little bud bottles which people keep giving me. Then I can keep them a while and compare them to un-bretted beer and see what it does.
I shall report back upon sampling.

 

[mike77]

Did you use this on it's own or in conjunction with another yeast?

I used it on its own. I used it when it was really hot for some uncontrolled high temp brewing. It's good yeast, no funk just fruity. People looking for funky brett character might want to try something different.