Rack on Brett Yeast Cake?

[davidg410]

I've never brewed with Brett, but I'd like to try 2 different beers with it:
- 100% Brett IPA
- Brett & Sac Blood Orange Wheat

I want to the Brett IPA to be quick, while I want the wheat to age and hopefully sour up a bit for summer.

How does this process sound?

Primary Brett IPA ferm.
Transfer Brett IPA to secondary.
Primary BOW ferm with sac.
Transfer Brett IPA to keg.
Transfer BOW to Brett IPA secondary yeast cake and age for 6 months.

There is also the option of not transferring the Brett IPA to secondary and racking the BOW to the IPA primary, but I'm not sure I like that idea.

Thoughts?

 

[trentm]

I have heard, "all's fair with love and brett". Well really I just adapted it, but I think it applies. However it has became common to pitch small amounts of Brett for secondary fermentation. I think that advice comes from the American Sour Beers book. I've been using ~2 million cells per ml or ~50 billion cells for a five gallon batch with good luck. I think (but can't remember for sure) Tonsmeire recommends even less. I have found that Brett reproduces to huge numbers in starters so my guess is (if you're talking about 5 gallons) you may have 2 trillion cells or more in your yeast cake.

If you decide to pitch on the cake, let us know how it turns out.

 

[davidg410]

I have heard, "all's fair with love and brett". Well really I just adapted it, but I think it applies. However it has became common to pitch small amounts of Brett for secondary fermentation. I think that advice comes from the American Sour Beers book. I've been using ~2 million cells per ml or ~50 billion cells for a five gallon batch with good luck. I think (but can't remember for sure) Tonsmeire recommends even less. I have found that Brett reproduces to huge numbers in starters so my guess is (if you're talking about 5 gallons) you may have 2 trillion cells or more in your yeast cake.

If you decide to pitch on the cake, let us know how it turns out.

Yea. I'm thinking I'd pitch on the yeast cake from the secondary, not primary. 2 trillion cells is not going to get me the results i'm looking for.

Anxious to see if anyone chimes in here with experience doing something similar.

 

[DurtyChemist]

I don't believe brettanomyces works quick even if it is a sacchromyces. Buy two packs of Brett and use one for each. When Gravity is the same for a month bottle and make a second batch using your yeast cake.

 

[davidg410]

Just following up here...

I ended up brewing a Brett Pale Ale and then racking a Hoppy Wheat on the primary yeast cake. Both beers turned out great. Brett Trois makes some interesting flavors.

 

[Brauer]

Was it sour? From what I have read Brett won't give you much sourness. I thought you need lacto or pedio for sourness. I'm intrested in doing something similar

 

[davidg410]

Was it sour? From what I have read Brett won't give you much sourness. I thought you need lacto or pedio for sourness. I'm intrested in doing something similar

Almost no sour, but the flavors were all over the place. Some tropical fruit and some white grape flavors somewhat similar to white wine.

You will need to do a multi-stage starter with Brett Trois because you only get about 3 billion yeast cells form White Labs. I believe I did a 3 stage starter over the course of 2 weeks to get enough yeast to pitch in 5 gallons.