About This Course

This course includes 68+ minutes of video

In this detailed video course, Yakobson shares his deep expertise on brewing with his friend Brett, keeping a particular focus on farmhouse-inspired, mixed-culture ales such as their Surette Provision Saison and Vieille Artisanal Saison. Along the way, he covers: 

  • the basics of brewing with various strains of Brettanomyces
  • getting creative with Brett while finding inspiration in traditional beers
  • building a multigrain grist that plays well with Brett or mixed cultures
  • keeping mouthfeel in mind for high attenuation
  • ensuring healthy fermentations with Brett and mixed cultures
  • considerations for hops, herbs, and spices 
  • deciding when to add Brett and mixed cultures
  • the impact of fermentation temperatures and times
  • avoiding cross-contamination in the brewery

And more.

Instructor

Even before he was founder and brewmaster at Crooked Stave, Chad Yakobson was earning respect in the brewing world for his expertise in Brettanomyces. His research and open-source Brettanomyces Project essentially evolved into the beers that he and his team have been brewing, aging, and blending in Denver since 2010.

Chad Yakobson

Founder, Crooked Stave

Course Curriculum

  • 01

    Welcome

    Show Content

    • Welcome

    • What Is Brettanomyces?

  • 02

    Brett + Process

    Show Content

    • Discovering the World of Brettanomyces

    • Some Basics: The Many Faces of Brett

    • Getting Creative with Farmhouse-Inspired Brewing

    • Getting Inspiration from the Traditions

    • Saison: A Story in Motion

    • More Perspectives: Yvan De Baets on Why Saison’s Greatest Myth is the Yeast
  • 03

    Recipe & Brew Day

    Show Content

    • The Crooked Stave Approach to Grains in Saison

    • Mash, pH, and Mouthfeel in Brett Beers

    • More on Adjunct Grains, Yeast, and Mouthfeel

    • Oxygenation for Fermentations with Brett

    • Hop Considerations

    • Spices and Other Adjuncts
  • 04

    Fermentation, Aging, And Process

    Show Content

    • Fermentation Overview

    • Hops, Brett, and Fermentation Character

    • Planning Backwards from Your Desired Beer

    • Deciding When to Add Brett

    • Developing Your Mixed-Culture Fermentation

    • Fermentation Temperatures for Divergent Products

    • When Is the Beer Ready?

    • Bottle Conditioning with Brett

    • Sanitation and Testing with Brett and Mixed-Culture Beers

    • Sanitation: Managing Mixed Culture Fermentations

    • How Will Your Brett Beer Evolve?
  • 05

    Conclusion, Recipes & Further Reading/Listening

    Show Content

    • Conclusion, and Thank You!

    • Podcast Episode 55: Crooked Stave’s Chad Yakobson Geeks Out On Sour (and “Clean”) Beer

    • More Perspectives: Randy Mosher on Decoding Saison

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