Brettanomyces bruxellensis
Barnyard, leather and horse blanket, developing over months. Attenuates dextrins that Saccharomyces leaves behind, which is why a Brett beer keeps drying out in the bottle.
Apparent attenuation
80-95%
80% - 95%
Fermentation
18-26 C
18C - 26C
Flocculation
Low
Stays in suspension. Expect haze, and expect it to keep working.
On a 1.050 wort
1.002-1.010
the finishing gravity its range implies, or 5.3-6.2% ABV
The same organism, different labels
Wyeast 5112
White Labs WLP650
Labs do not confirm each other’s provenance and these are not guaranteed identical. They are close enough to plan a batch around, which is what the list is for.
Find this strainWhere it belongs
- Lambic
- Gueuze
- Flanders Red Ale
Pitching it
Slow. Expect months rather than days, expect the gravity to keep falling long after it looks finished, and never package until two readings a fortnight apart agree.
Other wild strains
Brettanomyces claussenii
80-90%The gentle Brett: pineapple and light tropical fruit rather than barnyard. The one to use if you want funk that a first-time drinker will still enjoy.
Brettanomyces lambicus
80-95%The cherry-pie Brett, with a sharper, more medicinal edge than bruxellensis. Traditional in lambic and assertive enough to need blending.
Mixed sour culture
80-95%Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus in one packet, which is what a lambic house has in its barrels. Slow, unpredictable and the only realistic route to a spontaneous character at home.