Aerating a 100% Brett brew

[m00ps]

I'm planning on doing an all-brett IPA using Omega Yeast Brett Blend #2. I've done a few Brett beers before, but all of them were in a secondary.

From some research, it seems that many people avoid aerating the wort al together because Brett produces acetic acid (sourness) in the prescience of oxygen? All my secondary Brett beers are plenty sour, so I want to try and steer this one away from that.

What do you guys think? Should I not aerate the wort at all once I pitch if I don't want sourness? Anyone have any experiences?

 

[m00ps]

well I brewed it last weekend, no aeration at all and it had a weird massive krausen 24hrs after pitching. Kinda almost looked like a pellicle with krausen on top of it

have it going in the mid 80s now. The lack fo aeration definitely didnt seem to hurt the brett

 

[foltster]

Last I checked the Omega Yeast Brett Blend #2 has 2 sach strains and one brett strain.

 

[m00ps]

yeah, but they aren't they the "brett-like" sacch strains that can even make pellicles and stuff. As long as they display the brett characteristics, that's all I care about

 

[SiriusStarr]

For what it's worth, I aerated (oxygenated, technically) my 100% Brett cyser and it was delicious without any vinegary notes. The caveat obviously being that it was a cyser, so YMMV with a beer.

 

[beerkench]

Never brewed a Brett beer but on the numerous podcasts I've listened to, they talk about 100% Brett fermentations being very clean without much Brett characteristic.
The thought is that Brett added to an oxygen deprived beer that has gone through a primary using Sach gives it the funk.


Sent from hell
using Home Brew

 

[m00ps]

yeah I've done a lot of reading on up how to manipulate brett to get the wide range of flavor compounds its capable of. I've used it in a secondary, with and without other bugs, and co-pitched with sacc for primary fermentation. An all-brett beer was just the last thing to check off my list. Never got too much barnyrad flavors but I think it was mostly due to the strain I was using and forgetting to do a ferulic acid rest during the mash

 

[TAK]

As I understand it, Brett goes (or can go) through two metabolic growth phases. Each requires (I think?) O2. The first turns sugars into ethanol. The second turns sugars and ethanol into acetic acid.

Oxygenation upfront, at the time if the initial pitch, will only feed the first growth phase. All the O2 will be used up, and won't be available for the second growth phase, thus no acetic acid. If oxygen is continuously (like on a stirplate) or subsequently introduced, the second growth phase could occur and produce acetic acid.

I've only done one 100% Brett fermentation, on tap now. I oxygenated with a stone at my normal ale rate, and there's no hint of acetic acid.

 

[beerkench]

How about splitting the batch and aerating one of them? Then you can let us know how they turned out.


Sent from hell
using Home Brew

 

[Coff]

Brett need o2 to grow and for a healthy ferment. Ive played with it quite a bit, sometimes not aerating at all save for splashing into the fermenter and then 30 seconds of pure o2. I have found a quick healthy ferment with no signs of acetic acid production up to 30 seconds of o2 in a 1.050 wort of 5 gallons. The ones I under aerated were always fine, but I had some that exhibited a sluggish ferment and did not finish up as low as I would like.

A split batch of aerate one and not the other should be posted to my blog below in the coming weeks/months.