Does brett blow off?

[Rob_Hansult]

I think we’re pretty much agreed this is obviously not Brett, but something organic to give an aroma like this.

Whatever this organic fecal aroma was/is I’m not sure (only seen something like this in barrel samples, & not my own, TYVM), but there is one more thing that could be happening that I’ve seen many times, especially in some of the more funky (i.e. dirty) wines of the world: Bordeaux & Burgundy.

I have found some wines that exhibit low levels of off odors (Brett, VA, TCA, Oxidation) just a bit & not much more over perceptible levels can seem to lose these after a bit of aeration. What is happening in these cases (although this may not be the case with the original wine in question) is that the wines fruit is opening & becoming bigger on the nose & “covering” the low level of whichever flaw was there (& still is).
I love Bordeaux & have (unfortunately) seen this numerous times, mainly with Brett since it is so prevalent in the cellars & bottled wines there.

Previously discussed here >>>

Oxidation/TCA/Brett does not "blow off" - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here’s hoping the next nice bottle you open isn’t the start of a discussion like this!

Prost!

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

@Loren Sonkin

I have had bottles that had brett (it was tested) and the sh*t smell, only to have the smell blow off. Perhaps the smell was from something else, but I certainly don’t think we understand yeast and all its compounds fully.

Interesting take Loren. I experienced the same thing with a 95 Beringer PR Cab that had feces aromas beyond belief. 3 hours of decanting and the stink blew off revealing a gorgeous wine.

RT

[larry_schaffer]

@Loren Sonkin

So if Brett is a yeast, and it blooms in the bottle, it may still be alive, no? But what if it has died? Is the stink trapped in the bottle? When it gets air, why wouldn’t the smell blow off if the yeast is now dead and longer producing? If the yeast is still alive, does that change the story?

I have had bottles that had brett (it was tested) and the sh*t smell, only to have the smell blow off. Perhaps the smell was from something else, but I certainly don’t think we understand yeast and all its compounds fully.

No, once that stank is in there, produced by the Brett yeast, it will remain in there, even if you filter the wine . . .

What may blow off are other compounds, as others have said, but the remnants of brett are not the living organisms, but the byproducts of what’s already converted . . .

Cheers!

[L_e_o_F_r_o_k_i_c]

@Richard T r i m p i

@Loren Sonkin

I have had bottles that had brett (it was tested) and the sh*t smell, only to have the smell blow off. Perhaps the smell was from something else, but I certainly don’t think we understand yeast and all its compounds fully.

Interesting take Loren. I experienced the same thing with a 95 Beringer PR Cab that had feces aromas beyond belief. 3 hours of decanting and the stink blew off revealing a gorgeous wine.

RT

It’s not that it blows off but rather that with air other aromas in wine open up and overpower brett.

[Rob_Hansult]

@L e o F r o k i c

@Richard T r i m p i

@Loren Sonkin

I have had bottles that had brett (it was tested) and the sh*t smell, only to have the smell blow off. Perhaps the smell was from something else, but I certainly don’t think we understand yeast and all its compounds fully.

Interesting take Loren. I experienced the same thing with a 95 Beringer PR Cab that had feces aromas beyond belief. 3 hours of decanting and the stink blew off revealing a gorgeous wine.

RT

It’s not that it blows off but rather that with air other aromas in wine open up and overpower brett.

Leo, I agree as I said above & in the other thread previously, but this can only happen when the level of Brett is perceptible, but relatively low.

Cheers!

[john_holdredge]

You guys are slacking off- I cannot believe that nobody has stated the obvious:

“You said blows…heh, heh, heh…”

[Paul_Romero]

@larry schaffer

No, once that stank is in there, produced by the Brett yeast, it will remain in there, even if you filter the wine . . .

What may blow off are other compounds, as others have said, but the remnants of brett are not the living organisms, but the byproducts of what’s already converted . . .

Cheers!

We’ve kind of skirted around this with out explaining it fully to those who may be reading but not familiar with the chemistry.

Brett in and of itself does not smell. The little yeast beast does not smell like poop, barn, or anything else we use to describe the results. I don’t know for sure, but I imagine in it’s raw and active form, it probably just smells like yeast.

What Brett does though is produce a series of compounds as a by product of its conversion of nutrients that stink. Linda mentioned two of those compounds, the stinky ones. Once those compounds have formed, there they are. They don’t combine with other compounds, like sulfur and oxygen do, to ever leave a wine or ‘blow off’.

For us ITB’ers it’s pretty straight forward, if what you smelled was what we call brett, that being the by products of brett activity not the yeast itself, it can not blow off. If what you smelled, did blow off it was either not brett, or the brett was minor enough to be masked by other volatile components in the wine that you detected as they became more active, but the brett was still there, it was just now below your level of perception.

This is why at group tastings some people will say “it blew off”, while other will insists that they can still smell the aromas.

[G_Greenbaum]

@Paul Romero

@larry schaffer

No, once that stank is in there, produced by the Brett yeast, it will remain in there, even if you filter the wine . . .

What may blow off are other compounds, as others have said, but the remnants of brett are not the living organisms, but the byproducts of what’s already converted . . .

Cheers!

We’ve kind of skirted around this with out explaining it fully to those who may be reading but not familiar with the chemistry.

Brett in and of itself does not smell. The little yeast beast does not smell like poop, barn, or anything else we use to describe the results. I don’t know for sure, but I imagine in it’s raw and active form, it probably just smells like yeast.

What Brett does though is produce a series of compounds as a by product of its conversion of nutrients that stink. Linda mentioned two of those compounds, the stinky ones. Once those compounds have formed, there they are. They don’t combine with other compounds, like sulfur and oxygen do, to ever leave a wine or ‘blow off’.

For us ITB’ers it’s pretty straight forward, if what you smelled was what we call brett, that being the by products of brett activity not the yeast itself, it can not blow off. If what you smelled, did blow off it was either not brett, or the brett was minor enough to be masked by other volatile components in the wine that you detected as they became more active, but the brett was still there, it was just now below your level of perception.

This is why at group tastings some people will say “it blew off”, while other will insists that they can still smell the aromas.

Exactly! Now if we’re talking about beer, Brett + beer = yum!!!

[Nate_Simon]

@john holdredge

You guys are slacking off- I cannot believe that nobody has stated the obvious:

“You said blows…heh, heh, heh…”

You missed my post!