Help with using Brett for the first time...

[Beercules1]

1) Brewed a 10g .049 Saison with WLP565
2) Pitched 3711 on day 4 with 2# of honey
3) Let it sit for 21 days
4) FG at .008
5) Split into two batches
6) Pitched Brett B and 1/4# sugar into one of the carboys

a)This is where I am in the process. I plan to give it at LEAST 6 months
What can I expect, what's a good breakdown?

b)Is it true once Brett touches any plastic material, that material can only be used for sours since it's permanently contaminated.

c) are there any other special steps I need to take other than wait, wait , wait, wait.... i.e. is the coldcrash/racking/kegging the same?

d) Can brett be harvested inline with the 565/3711 that will be in there?


Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
18 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 71.3 %
3 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 2 11.9 %
8.0 oz Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.0 %
2.00 oz Santiam [6.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 26.3 IBUs
0.50 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 1.8 IBUs
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.0 %
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 10.0 Hop 6 2.0 IBUs
2 lbs 12.0 oz Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 10 10.9 %
1.0 pkg French Saison (Wyeast Labs #3711) [50.28 Yeast 9 -
2.0 pkg Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565 Yeast 8 -

 

[DPBISME]

b)Is it true once Brett touches any plastic material, that material can only be used for sours since it's permanently contaminated.

I wonder???

I know the reason it was had to get rid of in Oak barrels was because it borrowed down deep of the wood pores and steaming would not even get it out. It would live of the carbohidrates in the wood.

BUT

I would think a scoop of oxyclean for for a few days in a filled bucket, followed by Hot StarSan would kill it.

Then a again I "MARK" my one fermentor that I use "Bugs" in and put nothing in it that I don't want to pickup a little "TASTE"

Brewing only "quick-beers" in them where the Brett will never get a chance to have much infulance..

 

[NcBrewer35]

b)Is it true once Brett touches any plastic material, that material can only be used for sours since it's permanently contaminated.

I wonder???

I know the reason it was had to get rid of in Oak barrels was because it borrowed down deep of the wood pores and steaming would not even get it out. It would live of the carbohidrates in the wood.

BUT

I would think a scoop of oxyclean for for a few days in a filled bucket, followed by Hot StarSan would kill it.

Then a again I "MARK" my one fermentor that I use "Bugs" in and put nothing in it that I don't want to pickup a little "TASTE"

Brewing only "quick-beers" in them where the Brett will never get a chance to have much infulance..

According to Chad Yacobson over at Crooked Stave who did his Masters dissertation on Brettanomyces if you are only using Brett (not Pedicocus or Lactobacillus in addition) that you can treat your sanitization as you would normally. Brett is not actually a bacteria its a form of yeast and as such reacts to Star-San much the way that Sacchromyces does.

I do plenty of 100% Brett beers and or Saisons with Brett in Better bottles and have never had any infection issues. Now when I do sours that have Pedio and Lacto in them I use them only for sours I wont put any other beers in them.

Basically if your only using Brett and you sanitize properly you should not have any issues.

 

[dcp27]

a) you can give it 6+ months if you want, but it should be stable by 3 months or so. check on it every month or so, once its stable and tastes how you want, feel free to move on

b) absolute myth. with proper cleaning/sanitizing you can go back to clean beers even after sour beers. brett is just yeast, star-san will kill it. I re-use all the same equipment whether clean or brett/sour

c) all the same, just a lil longer wait

d) yes

 

[Brewbien]

1) Brewed a 10g .049 Saison with WLP565
2) Pitched 3711 on day 4 with 2# of honey
3) Let it sit for 21 days
4) FG at .008
5) Split into two batches
6) Pitched Brett B and 1/4# sugar into one of the carboys

a)This is where I am in the process. I plan to give it at LEAST 6 months
What can I expect, what's a good breakdown?

Agree with dcp27. Make sure the gravity is stable AND the taste is where you want it before bottling if that is your plan. Should be stable in about 3 month but as with all things, no guarantees.

b)Is it true once Brett touches any plastic material, that material can only be used for sours since it's permanently contaminated.

Not true. With proper cleaning and sanitizing you would be fine. It help to alternate sanitizers. (iodophor/starsan/heat) However, just to be safe, the only plastic I use for clean and wild fermentations are my better bottles. I just dont want to risk it.

c) are there any other special steps I need to take other than wait, wait , wait, wait.... i.e. is the coldcrash/racking/kegging the same?

Wait some more.

d) Can brett be harvested inline with the 565/3711 that will be in there?

Yessir.

 

[Beercules1]

Should I move the brett into a ferm chamber with my other beers around 65? or leave it out to ferment at the same temp I've kept it at 72-76?

 

[dcp27]

leave it at those temps

 

[Beercules1]

i saw a thin white film on the surface after the first 12 hours, but now it was gone the next day. Are there any sort of visible signs I should be getting from the brett?

 

[dcp27]

not necessarily. typically you'll see a pellicle, but that's only really a sign that you have oxygen exposure, its not guaranteed.