The Great Brett Experiment II, part 2: Tasting Starters

A new year means it is time for the second round of GBE II starters. Like last time, I mixed 375 g. of DME in 1.2 gallons of water, boiled it, and split it into 4 half gallon growlers, with the aim of creating a 1.030 OG; I also added a White Labs Servomyces capsule. I will most likely bump these up again before pitching, as they’ve been sitting around longer than the previous four. And again, I procured a small sample before swirling the yeast into suspension and adding it to the growler. For those keeping track at home, previous The Great Brett Experiment II posts include:
The Great Brett Yeast Experiment II
The Great Brett Experiment II, part 1: Tasting Starters
The Great Brett Experiment II, part 1 Brewday 

EBY010: The nose is surprisingly neutral; there is light wood pulp and glue with hints of metallic sharpness behind it. Flavors are only slightly more interesting, with lemon and citrus followed by cracker and dirt. There are some hints of acidity in the finish, and maybe a touch of solvent. He mouthfeel is also less watery than the last round, which is a nice touch.

EBY019: In the nose is mainly band-aid and adhesive along with some musty old barn. It verges on goat-y straw, but falls short. Flavors start with candy and over-ripe citrus fruit—like in clausenii—followed by band-aid and earthiness. There is some refreshing acidity and tartness in the finish, leaving the mouth clean with just a touch of paint thinner bite.

EBY035: The nose is mouse-y with hints of dirty barnyard. Put in more graphic terms, it smells like old used straw mixed with dirty socks. The body is stale cracker with some cardboard and candy mixed in. There might be some sourness/acidity developing in the finish, but overall less exciting. Oh, and this one does taste watery.

EBY038: Slight band-aid and lacquer in the nose, along with some grape and general fruitiness, while flavors are mainly candy and citrus. There are also biscuit and cracker hints in the middle, and some citric acidity in the finish. And maybe some more grape.

As a whole, these four were far more interesting than the last four. I like 010 and 038 the best—010 for the acidity in the finish and 038 for the fruit flavors and brightness–but if the flavor cleans up on 019, it will be in the mix as well. As it is, 035 is a bit weak compared to the other three, but it does have potential.

(1/1/2014)