I have notice several threads and comments on this forum regarding the proper temperature to ferment an all Brett. beer. Most of the posts I've seen seem to claim that a Brett. needs to be fermented at > 70 F. Where does this number come from? Conventional wisdom? Experience?
It has been my experience, with Brett. Lambicus at least, that an all Brett beer ferments just dandy at lower temperatures. I've made eight all Brett. beers this year and all of them have been fermented at around the 60-65 range and have been ready to drink in a reasonable amount of time (< 1month). It should be noted that these beers do not have a lot 'funk' and the sourness is fairly muted but that was not necessarily what I was after.
I've been toying with the idea of building a temperature control box to try some Brett. fermentations at higher temperatures. I would assume the Brett. character would get stronger at higher temperatures but how will the flavor profile change as we push the temperature higher and higher? Eighty vs. ninety vs. hundred? I'm dieing to find out...
Does anyone have any experience or insight with this?
I should also note that I've been using the Wyeast strain of Brett. Lambicus not the White Labs strain. I am guessing that they are different. It also seems to me that this years version of the wyeast strain behaves differently than last years but there are other variables that could explain the difference.
It has been my experience, with Brett. Lambicus at least, that an all Brett beer ferments just dandy at lower temperatures. I've made eight all Brett. beers this year and all of them have been fermented at around the 60-65 range and have been ready to drink in a reasonable amount of time (< 1month). It should be noted that these beers do not have a lot 'funk' and the sourness is fairly muted but that was not necessarily what I was after.
I've been toying with the idea of building a temperature control box to try some Brett. fermentations at higher temperatures. I would assume the Brett. character would get stronger at higher temperatures but how will the flavor profile change as we push the temperature higher and higher? Eighty vs. ninety vs. hundred? I'm dieing to find out...
Does anyone have any experience or insight with this?
I should also note that I've been using the Wyeast strain of Brett. Lambicus not the White Labs strain. I am guessing that they are different. It also seems to me that this years version of the wyeast strain behaves differently than last years but there are other variables that could explain the difference.