"Brettanomyces, a Funky Yeast, Makes Flavorful Beers"

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Todd, Dec 28, 2012.

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  1. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,518) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    STAFF Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    Checkout this piece by the New York Times on Brett beers with comments from brewers at Crooked Stave, The Lost Abbey, Green Flash, Jolly Pumpkin, Russian River and others.
    More:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/dining/brettanomyces-a-funky-yeast-makes-flavorful-beers.html

    Slideshow:
    http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2013/01/02/dining/20130102-WILD.html

    Thoughts?
     
    2beerdogs and winbassett like this.
  2. tendermorsel

    tendermorsel Initiate (0) Oct 22, 2006 Massachusetts

    I love Brett!!!
     
    BdubleEdubleRUN likes this.
  3. BeerNDoggerel

    BeerNDoggerel Initiate (0) Mar 13, 2011 Illinois

    Nice article about one corner of what's going on in craft brewing.

    TheTimes owes us many more such articles about the many such niches. Every Wednesday, the Times has a dining section devoted to food and drink. There's usually a page devoted to wine. Is there anywhere near as much innovation and evolution--i.e., news--going on in the wine world as there is in the American craft beer industry right now? Every week, there ought to be at least one, if not multiple, articles on beer.

    This is, after all, the golden age of American brewing. The paper of record shouldn't miss it.

    If the Times wonders even for a moment why it is not bringing in new readers, why it is not reaching a new generation, it need look no farther than the beverage coverage in its Dining section. If there's not an article there every week, then we're not there every week looking for it.
     
    SatlyMalty, mverity, luwak and 2 others like this.
  4. Cerebus

    Cerebus Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2007 North Carolina

    Well-done piece, but did Fromson feel obligated to use every single piece of reporting he did? The Green Flash chief executive quote didn't seem necessary at all.

    Good read, though, and the ending with the Grossmans really emphasizes the innovation. I'd recommend this to those just getting interested.
     
  5. SeaAle

    SeaAle Maven (1,381) Jun 24, 2012 Oregon

    Not a big fan of brett beers. I prefer the lacto sour beers more. Cascade Brewing in Portland, OR make excellent lacto sours.
     
    Rocket80 and Czar_chasm like this.
  6. BeerSocrates12

    BeerSocrates12 Aspirant (291) Dec 6, 2012 Texas

    Interesting article.....I still don't understand sours. People get me to try them all the time and I still think they're just horrible....
     
    Buttermilk likes this.
  7. Thevanpelt

    Thevanpelt Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2012 Sweden

    I love brett beers, Anchorage is one of my favorite brewery's!
    Btw if you're in to brett beers you should check out the iipa with brett that To Øl and Mikkeller did.
     
    BrewBoone likes this.
  8. mactrail

    mactrail Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,999) Mar 24, 2009 Washington
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    White Labs has an informative list of brett strains, but scroll down for an interesting article by Tomme Arthur on the early days of brett experimentation by California craft brewers: http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/bacteria.html
     
  9. Etan

    Etan Initiate (0) Jul 11, 2011 Wisconsin

    Good article, aside from the mistake of linking vinegar-like acidity to lacto bugs instead of acetobacter.
     
    luwak and Gonzoillini like this.
  10. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    I'm kind of surprised at the west-coast love in that article.

    Now that I think of it, if I were from certain areas of Europe and reading that article, I might be a little miffed.
     
  11. TwelveOunces

    TwelveOunces Initiate (0) Nov 7, 2011 Kentucky

    I like sours but im not quite sold on Brett. To me, brett kind of tastes like burnt plastic.
     
    BeerSocrates12 likes this.
  12. BdubleEdubleRUN

    BdubleEdubleRUN Initiate (0) Jul 28, 2009 California

    Love you too man. Strictly platonic/10
     
  13. Ri0

    Ri0 Initiate (0) Jul 1, 2012 Wisconsin

    Decent read, gave me some insight on Brett.
     
  14. marquis

    marquis Pooh-Bah (2,313) Nov 20, 2005 England
    Pooh-Bah

    Brettonomyces means "British Fungus" and was a characteristic of much British beer which was routinely aged in wood for long periods ; it would have been in IPA and old ales, Porter and even ordinary ales and beers (even Bass was found to contain it in the 1930s) yet this factor has been completely ignored in the article.
     
  15. BeerNDoggerel

    BeerNDoggerel Initiate (0) Mar 13, 2011 Illinois

    Actually, in just its second paragraph the article cites Chad Yacobson of Crooked Stave as recognizing that Brett "was common in beer before the advent of modern sanitation in the late 19th century," referring to Brett as "an old friend."

    Later, the article speaks of "brewers' enthusiasm for reviving tastes of the past."
     
    ChadCSU likes this.
  16. BeerNDoggerel

    BeerNDoggerel Initiate (0) Mar 13, 2011 Illinois

    The article looks great in today's Dining section. The Times certainly spoke to the right people and created a nice introduction to a particular style of beverage.

    Lift a glass to the possibility of many more such articles from the Times!

    (Noting that the cover story of today's Dining section is essentially about coffee, my fear is the section's editors see today's edition as a one-off or at best occasional alternative beverage edition--back to nearly exclusive wine coverage next week.)
     
    ChadCSU likes this.
  17. 2beerdogs

    2beerdogs Grand Pooh-Bah (5,682) Jan 31, 2005 California
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm not usually a fan of Brett, however the 100% Brett Autumn Maple from the Bruery was VERY good.
     
  18. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Anyone know how much alcohol will be added to an ave. strength stout (say 5.6%) if it sits on Brett for a year?
     
  19. Ricelikesbeer

    Ricelikesbeer Maven (1,433) Nov 29, 2006 Colorado
    Trader

    I'm a big fan of brett when it is complimentary. It can add subtle nuances that can be blissful. (Sofie, Bruery Easter Saison, Fantome Saisons) but not a big fan when the Brett smacks you in the face, and tastes and smells like a horse pissed in your beer and filtered it through a diaper. (Avery 15th anniversery, almost every brett-homebrew I've had)
     
    Curt1 likes this.
  20. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    I was wondering what happen to the thread i started this morning! lol
     
    brianthelion23 likes this.
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