Brett bottle variation question

[larry_schaffer]

@Otto Forsberg

@John Morris

So are some bretty beers made so the brett will develop in bottle?

Orval is definitely a classic example here. The differences between a freshly bottled version, a developed bottle (around 1 year of age) and a mature bottle (4-5 years bottle age) are remarkable.

Many beer enthusiasts say that Orval is a living organism, and quite rightly so.

Would this not depend upon the temperature at which these beers are stored - just like with wines?

Cheers.

[Karl_K]

Yes I was referring to Ducru Beaucaillou.

My thoughts were 3-fold.

1. Like Larry said, maybe I was just perceiving differently (Or to put it in terms of the biodynamicists, maybe one day was a root day and another a flower day, or something - I did not keep track).

2. The point about multiple tanks just post-blending, pre-bottling leading to variations in the end bottled product.

3. Temperature. The cork of the second bottle was more deeply wine saturated than the cork of the first bottle back in November. So I was thinking maybe the second bottle had a little exposure to heat (it was still base neck - and from Geddy Lee’s collection, no less) - and that jumpstarted the brett qualities in the wine. It was still minor but not as minor in bottle one.

Or some combination of all three above.

As for Guigal and bottle variation, I remember a 2005 Guigal red (can’t remember which right now) having different qualities depending on which “lot” it was - they sent one tranche over at one time of the year, a second tranche over later - and it was well-known in the wholesale circles (someone in that circle told me) that the quality of the tranches differed - “same” wine - same producer, same year.

They probably just wished we would all shut up and drink and not worry about teasing out the differences . . .

[Otto_Forsberg]

@larry schaffer

@Otto Forsberg

@John Morris

So are some bretty beers made so the brett will develop in bottle?

Orval is definitely a classic example here. The differences between a freshly bottled version, a developed bottle (around 1 year of age) and a mature bottle (4-5 years bottle age) are remarkable.

Many beer enthusiasts say that Orval is a living organism, and quite rightly so.

Would this not depend upon the temperature at which these beers are stored - just like with wines?

Cheers.

Of course! Cellar temp is generally recommended. There happens pretty little evolution in the fridge temp and in room temperatures the beer oxidizes or just goes flat flavor-wise before the brett has had enough time to do its tricks. In cellar temps the brett development is slow, but not halted, and the beer keeps good for years.