Temperature for Brett/Lacto Co-Pitch in Primary

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by fistfight, Apr 27, 2016.

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  1. fistfight

    fistfight Initiate (0) Jan 13, 2006 Massachusetts

    Yesterday I bought a pack of GigaYeast Tart Sour Cherry and I'm trying to figure out how to use it. It's described as a blend of 3 brett strains and a lacto strain, producing a "tart beer with cherry esters and complex flavors". I think the brett strains are all Brett Brux (based on some guesses of what single strain Brett cultures they sell).

    I'm planning on making a very fermentable wort with no hops to maximize the lactic acid production. I've read that the GigaYeast lacto strain works best at hot temperatures. The temperature range for the blend, though, is listed as "68 F to 80 F". I've never primaried a beer with Brett hot before. If I were to run this in the 75-80 range, am I going to be creating rocket fuel, bananas, bubblegum, fusels, etc? Has anyone fermented Brett Brux at 80 before? Good idea, bad idea, in between?

    For a bit more background, I'm putting this into a brown/red ale base, 1.045ish gravity. I'd love to put the ph in the area of 3.5 (tart, but not overly puckering) and have the reported cherry flavors play nicely with the crystal/vienna malt. Basically, I'm looking to make a quick sour Flemish red or brown ale.
     
    #1 fistfight, Apr 27, 2016
  2. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    I do my 100% Brett beers starting between 72-75 and after a 4 days jump up the temps to around 80 and hold until done (about 2-3 weeks). No rocket fuel. Increased esters for sure, but that is why you are using Brett.
     
    #2 jbakajust1, Apr 27, 2016
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  3. hoptualBrew

    hoptualBrew Initiate (0) May 29, 2011 Florida

    Couldnt you split the yeast pack you got into two starters? One starter keep at 110F in crock pot with an unhopped wort pH 5.5 to promote lacto propagation and the other starter keep room temp, with hops, at lower pH to encourage Brett growth?

    Then pitch the Lacto starter first into 100 F wort post boil, allow to free fall temp down to room temp or whatever temp you will pitch the brett blend, then pitch the brett blend.

    Also, if you have O2 stone, I would hook that up to your CO2 tank and dip that at the bottom of your carboy and purge all O2, then pitch your big lacto starter, then after you get close to your desired acidity, go ahead and pitch your Brett blend at 70 ish temp. I would build the lacto starter up to 2L and the brett starter up to 1-1.5 L.

    This is what I would do at least...
     
    #3 hoptualBrew, Apr 28, 2016
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  4. 1beerbaron

    1beerbaron Initiate (0) Mar 24, 2009 Ohio

    Not really answering your question, but if they say they include three Brett straings, would Brux only constitute one of the three?
     
    #4 1beerbaron, Apr 28, 2016
  5. fistfight

    fistfight Initiate (0) Jan 13, 2006 Massachusetts

    Honestly, as soon as I bought the mix I started regretting not purchasing the lacto and brett separately. If I had, I would do exactly what you're suggesting. I still can, I suppose, but now I'm curious to see how the blend does on its own. I'll report back my results of a single pitch, fermented at 75 F. If this doesn't work out my next quick sour will be similar to what you and Milk the Funk berliner weisse recipe suggest.

    Similar to how different saccharomyces cerevisiae strains produce much different beers (e.g. belgian vs english yeasts) I assume these three strains are all Brux, but produce different flavors. The three commercial brett cultures from gigayeast I could find all claim to be Brux.
     
    #5 fistfight, Apr 28, 2016
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