Orval help please...

[brewinhard]

Brewed up JZ's Belgian Specialty ale and pitched the Brett. into the secondary. Let it sit for 2 months and then took a gravity reading expecting at least a little drop. But there wasn't any. The sample didn't taste funky at all! Does anyone know how long it takes for Brett to impart flavors when it is added to secondary on top of a 6.3 percent beer? Will it do more in once I bottle it? How fresh does the Brett need to be (my packet was 2-3 months old)? Would it help to pitch some dregs of orval as well? Has anyone brewed this recipe and if so, did you notice changes in the beer's aroma/flavor within 2 months? Was there any sign of extra fermentation after pitching the brett into secondary?

[Mylo]

Brewed up JZ's Belgian Specialty ale and pitched the Brett. into the secondary. Let it sit for 2 months and then took a gravity reading expecting at least a little drop. But there wasn't any. The sample didn't taste funky at all! Does anyone know how long it takes for Brett to impart flavors when it is added to secondary on top of a 6.3 percent beer? Will it do more in once I bottle it? How fresh does the Brett need to be (my packet was 2-3 months old)? Would it help to pitch some dregs of orval as well? Has anyone brewed this recipe and if so, did you notice changes in the beer's aroma/flavor within 2 months? Was there any sign of extra fermentation after pitching the brett into secondary?

I just did this, and pitched the dregs from two bottles of Orval. I had a nice horsey funkyness after one month in the secondary. I also mashed a little higher with the Abbey yeast to leave some dextrins in there for the Brett to work on.


Mylo

[Mills]

What temperature is it sitting at?

[brewinhard]

It has been sitting at 59-60 degrees just like the recipe called for. Next time I make this, should I make a small starter for the brett?

[Mylo]

I didn't do a starter. I heard it stresses them more, and then you get more funkiness.


Mylo

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I think at 60 it is going to take a while, but you will get a very nice brett profile when it matures. If you want to warm it up to 68, it will get bretty faster but still shouldn't be too funky or phenolic. I think once you get past 70 degrees though you are risking a beer that's too funky.

I don't think that making a starter for brett is a good idea (assuming that you are adding it to the secondary). Some of those bretty flavors you are looking for are from the way that the brett ferments when it's NOT aerated at pitching time. I made an aerated starter for the last brett ale I made, and even though the brett took off and fermented the beer down to 1.005, there was not a lot of classic brett flavor even after 6 months. It was much cleaner.

Another thing about brett is sometimes it will just sit around for a while getting used to the media you put it in, and then one day you just come in and your secondary is producing bubbles again at a fairly solid rate. Don't be surprised if you see a visible secondary fermentation sometime soon.

[brewinhard]

Thank you all for the helpful advice. I was just following the pope's recipe tips and keeping at around 59-60 degrees. I just dry-hopped it too for the last week in the secondary. I have to get it bottled to enter in a local competition. Will the brett character still develop in the bottle even though there has been no fermentation in secondary? When I came home today, I started to warm up the carboy to the mid- 60's just to see what happens. If I get any fermentation activity, I will just have to let it go (except there are all the dry hops in there!). Brewing can be so much fun and yet soooo frustrating.

Chupa,
Did you make an all brett beer with the aerated starter, or make a starter to pitch your brett into secondary?

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I think your beer will get plenty of brett in the bottle with time. And more importantly, it will get more carbonated.

I have tried doing all brett beers, but the one I was talking about was a brett in the secondary beer. We did 10 gallons so I took 1 pack of brett into a 2 qt. aerated starter, and once that had fermented out I split it between the 2 carboys. I think the aeration actually decreased the brett's brettyness.