Brettanomyces: Putting Some Wild Funk In Your Beer
By jason on Nov 23, 2007 in Cellaring Science, Featured
If you like this article, please check out the second part - Brett Flavor Components in Beer
Barnyard. Band-aids. Bacon. Horse Stable. Not the typical flavors you would think of when pondering how your favorite beer tastes. You may be surprised to learn however, that some of the world’s best brewers actually cultivate these flavors in their beer, all courtesy of a crazy little yeast called Brettanomyces.
Brettanomyces yeast, or just “Brett” as it’s most often referred to, is most often thought as a contaminant in both wine and beer. In it’s wild form, it’s snuck in and ruined many a batch of wine and beer. The wine industry in particular is known for going to great lengths to protect its products from Brett infection.
Enter now the Belgian brewers. Never known to leave well enough alone, centuries ago they began to experiment with adding Brett characteristics in their beer. This eventually led to whole styles of beer being formed around Brett flavors, such as lambics, gueuze, and other “sour” ales. More recently, American craft brewers have begun using Brett yeast in their beer, with some even going as far as to use it exclusively to brew some of their beers.
Although usually just referred to as a “wild” yeast, several different strains have now been cultivated and made available to both professional and home brewers. These strains can range in taste from relatively mild (pineapple and floral tones) to full out funky (horse blanket and barnyard, among other strong tastes). One of the main providers of these strains is a company called White Labs. Check out the White Labs Brett page for a description of commercially available strains, as well as a great article on Brett by Tomme Arthur of the Lost Abbey brewery.
Be sure to tune in to the Brew Basement for more upcoming posts on this amazing little yeast. My next post will go a little more in-depth into Brett flavors, how Brett is used in brewing, and some of the science behind it. Part 3 will discuss how and why Brett flavors develop in beer as it ages.
You might be interested in this paper presented to the Institute of Brewing in 1904 by Niels Hjelte Claussen (the discoverer of brettanomyces) explaining the role of Brettanomyces in the production of Stock Beers
http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/bret1904.pdf
Ron Pattinson | Nov 30, 2007 | Reply