Best Practices - Brett Primary Fermentation

Brettanomyces Primary Fermentation Advice

We can supply pro-sized pitches of Brett for primary fermentation. For homebrewers looking to do Brett primary, we suggest making a starter (1-2L) from our homebrew pouches. 

Brett for primary fermentation must be used fresh, as the culture shows a long lag time if it is stored for too long. 

It is encouraged for brewers to "feed" a Brett primary culture with fresh wort 48-72 hours prior to pitching, and to pitch when it is actively fermenting. This can help circumvent the Custers effect (Brett has trouble switching from aerobic to anaerobic fermentation). 

Brett, in general, shows a much longer lag time and fermentation time than Sacc. A "normal" Brett primary lags for 48-72 hours and typically drops 1-1.5 ºP per day during fermentation. 

Not all strains can be used for primary fermentation, as some are extremely slow fermentors. The most successful for us have been Brett D and Brett Q. 

Making it easy

We designed Optimus Primary to make it easier to get Brett flavour in quicker turnaround beers. Optimus Primary is a blend of Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces designed to retain Brett primary fermentation flavours while accelerating fermentation.