Brettanomyces Porter Experiment Tasting

It was six months ago that I brewed this high gravity porter. The beer drank nice but at that gravity for the start of summer, it was a bit too sweet. I saved some of that beer and pitched Brettanomyces C. into it. Here we are, 6 months later, giving it a taste. Check out this Brettanomyces Porter Experiment Tasting video!

At first pass, this beer had an aggressively off putting aroma. It took some time and a few sips before that aroma became a bit more balanced and not so….off. It is interesting to note because, when I put the flat beer in the bottle for carbonating, there were some subtle fruit aromas that one would expect from Brettanomyces Claussenii.

The first sip was fairly aggressive too. Not sour but truly a strange meld of Bretty funk and hidden porter. The roast character has faded away to nothing but there was an odd leathery and mildly fruity flavor profile that I sort of warmed up to as the beer warmed in the glass. I think we bother agreed that this experiment still needs something else to make it really palatable.

Not sure what to really make of this experiment. At John’s urging I guess I’ll keep it around a bit more and see where it goes in another 6 months… I am tempted to maybe split what little of it I have into two smaller growlers and doctor one with fruit or fresh wort or something. I might also see if I can just get the Brett C. up and going in a totally fresh wort just for kicks too.

So many choices but most of them just for fun. I don’t see a real path to something successful here. But that’s the joy of home brewing for you. Stay tuned maybe you’ll see some of these ideas pan out in reality in another 6 months!!!

BREW ON!