WLP4613 Brussels Brettanomyces

[Doive]

Anyone else used this strain? I love a good sour beer, and have used a number of the other White Labs strains over the years to make some really good sour beers, fruity, tart, zesty, dry. However, this one smells and tastes exactly like soured milk, to the point that it's undrinkable.

I used my usual sour beer recipe - 2.5kg wheat, 2.5kg pale, and mash out for 60 minutes before souring at 21C. I don't think it's a secondary infection as I followed my usual sterilising regime, and never had one yet.

Anyone else used WLP4613 and had the same results? Soured milk wasn't quite the 'barnyard funk' I was going for.

 

[Sadfield]

Is this a primary or secondary fermentation? How long have you had this fermenting? Lambic takes years to fully develop.

http://www.vanosta.be/pcrbier1.htm
This blend sounds like it's solely the brett from lambic without the saccharomyces and Pediococcus bacteria. Ideally it needs to be used as a secondary fermentation for at least 3 months. Even then it won't so much sour, as give a slight tartness.

 

[Doive]

It's been going for a week or so, very active and the SG has dropped from 1.052 down to 1.020 or thereabouts. It's the primary fermentation.

Appreciate a 'proper' Lambic will take many months or indeed years to properly mature.

Maybe I've used it completely wrong...! The instructions stated it was to be added to unhopped wort at 21C, which I have done.

I'm more alarmed by the very distinct soured milk smell and taste. I'm not sure any amount of maturation would improve that.

 

[Northern_Brewer]

I'm more alarmed by the very distinct soured milk smell and taste. I'm not sure any amount of maturation would improve that.

Nothing wrong with using Brett as a primary fermentation, although I'd note that WLP4613 is a Yeast Bay two-strain where they use White Labs for commercial propagation/distribution and it just makes life easier if it appears to have a WLP codename.

Although I've not used it, my understanding is that 4613 is a classic "barnyard" Brett. "Sour milk" sounds like a lactobacillus infection and as you say is probably terminal. They note that it can be a bit slow to start, which combined with no hops has probably given the bad bugs time to proliferate.

 

[Sadfield]

Using brettanomyces as a primary strain won't achieve the goal of brewing a sour beer. Good for hoppy ones, though.

I think I disagree with the terminality of this. If you've got the patience, the brett will still metabolise the remaining maltotiose and dextrins and also the lactic acid into ethyl lactate, which has a fruity pineapple flavour. Get some oak in there and it'll have a go at the cellulose in it.

Treat yourself to a nice Gueuze, throw the dregs in, for the Pediococcus, then stow it away in something glass or stainless with an airlock on.