Wild Kiwi - 100% brett brewday

[Tom_D]

Hello beery people! I haven't posted here for a long time so I thought I'd report on yesterday's brew.
After hearing about Chad Yakobson's work on 100% brettanomyces fermentations (check out Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project), I thought I'd take the plunge and have a go at one myself.


74% Pale Malt
10% Weyermann Munich Type II
5% Flaked Oats
5% Wheat Malt
3% Cara-Pils
2% Pale Crystal

Wai-iti hops all added in the last 15 mins

18.4 IBU

Yeast - wlp644 Brettanomyces Bruxellensis Trois (apparently from Drie Fonteinen)

O.G. 1.054
F.G. 1.008
ABV 6.1%

Starter was made a week in advance (Brett is apparently slower and goes through multiple growth phases)


The grist


Mashed high


Lost 1 degree over 90 minutes which is not bad considering the towel-around-mashtun insulation method


Wai-iti hops


My hydrometer shows 2 points higher than gravity so 1.055, which is pretty much where I wanted it


Looking promising this morning *edit* (first time fermenting in glass. Weird to see fermentation in action - crazy movement)


This should be done in a week and more or less ready for bottling but I'll probably give it two to be on the safe side. Flavour-wise I'm aiming for a fruit bomb but I have no idea what the brett's going to do, so fingers crossed!

[WishboneBrewery]

keep us up to date with how it goes Funky

[Lugsy]

Interesting stuff there Tom, I'll be following this one closely in preparation for getting my own WLP 644 brew on

[Tom_D]

Cheers chaps. Looking forward to hearing about yours Ian!

[crookedeyeboy]

Im about to pitch my 1lt starter of Brett C into 25 lts of "some Kinda Trappist"

The recipe was slightly different to what I posted but its now in a jerry can conditioning, ill add the Brett and wait for at least a month or two before bottling.

Ive had some very good correspondence with Mike "The Mad Fermentationist" in the US about using Brett. Ive also got the original Courage RIS recipe which needs Brett too, thatll be done very soon hopefully!

[Lugsy]

Now then, a bretted RIS - that sounds like fun! I've been toying with the idea of doing that too for a while

I've got a demijohn of DIPA that had the dregs from a bottle of Mikkeller "Wheat is the new hops" added to it a month ago, it's been fermenting slowly ever since with no sign of stopping yet, I guess it'll be getting bottled in about another month or so.

[Tom_D]

crookedeyeboy - That recipe looks great, did you go with the special B in the end? I love that stuff. Mike Tonsmeire has been a great help to me too. He advised pitching a 1 pint active starter of Brett C into my old ale. Unfortunately I had to ditch that one though due to my better bottle bung leaving a rubbery taste in the beer. Gutted

Lugsy - Can't wait to hear about that DIPA, wheat is the new hops is one of my favourite Mikkeller beers. I really ought to start taking advantage of working where I do and get saving those dregs. You need to try a bottle of Mikkeller Funky E Star... well bretty and fruity but not overly dry... amazing!

[Capn Ahab]

Won't the brett keep on munching up the sugars after 1.008? My worry would be bottle bombs if you package too early. Maybe it's different in a 100% brett ferment, but the brett beers I've had were all aged a long time to develop flavour and make sure the yeast has finished its business. They were all sacc fermented in primary though.

[Tom_D]

Capn Ahab - That's a good point but as far as I know it's different when you use brett as the primary strain, although I'm not entirely sure why. I expect that it will keep dropping, albeit very slowly, so I'm going to package in lambic bottles and hopefully that will prevent any unwanted explosions.

[Capn Ahab]

Furry muff. I am well interested in how this turns out so keep us informed. Brett is like the New World - a massive undiscovered continent of beer

[crookedeyeboy]

@Tom

Didnt go with the Special B in the end, school boy error, I read the TOTAL grain needed and weighed that amount of pale malt out! Instead of adding the other malts, oh well! Added about 250g of biscuit malt to use it up but thats going to have no effect!

Went with perle hops as well instead of Saaz as there werent any Saaz in the box.

@Capn Ahab

Thats what I plan to do with mine, its down to about 1015 with WLP500 and Ive moved it into a jerry can, im going to add the 500ml starter of brett c to it later and leave for a couple of months before botling.

[WishboneBrewery]

Ive moved it into a jerry can, im going to add the 500ml starter of brett c to it later and leave for a couple of months before botling.

I think I might follow your lead with the Jerry Can, and use an Alkleer drum for the Brett stage when i do mine.

[crookedeyeboy]

Yeah they seem like a good idea Ade, although I must admit I really should get round to fitting an airlock, ive got a tap fitted tom mine and boy do those cans know how to balloon!!! :-0

[Tom_D]

I am well interested in how this turns out so keep us informed. Brett is like the New World - a massive undiscovered continent of beer

I totally agree, I can't wait to try this one! Will take a gravity reading tomorrow so I'll let you know.

Didnt go with the Special B in the end, school boy error, I read the TOTAL grain needed and weighed that amount of pale malt out! Instead of adding the other malts, oh well! Added about 250g of biscuit malt to use it up but thats going to have no effect!

It sounds like a winner to me man. Keep us posted!

[crookedeyeboy]

Well Tom I added my Brett on Friday will check the gravity later on this week, my friend Simon has added his 1lt starter to a Saison he's made, he reckongs the gravity has gone from 1006 to 1004 in about a week. He also said it tastes amazing and he wants to bottle it as soon as!!