After brewing with and really enjoying GY054-Vermont IPA and White Labs Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois individually, I was naturally tempted to blend the two fruity strains, but it turns I don’t have to because The Yeast Bay has already done this for us with their Funktown Pale blend! They describe the yeast as a “blend of our Vermont Ale strain and a unique strain of Brettanomyces that is well suited for primary fermentation.” A quick look at Milk the Funk’s wiki shows that this line about using a unique strain of Brettanomyces is crossed out stemming from Omega Yeast Labs and White Labs analysis that found the strain was actually saccharomyces.

I was able to pick up some malted spelt for this beer, which I’ve been excited to try in a beer for a while after using and enjoying flaked spelt in a number of hoppy beers, which seemed to increase mouthfeel. Spelt is an ancient form of wheat cultivated since 5000 BCE (I’ve heard it hasn’t been “modified” like our current wheat for manufacturing purposes, but I don’t have a link to a source on that). Spelt does have gluten, but to a lesser extent than wheat, which some people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have said they can digest easier than wheat, perhaps because the gluten in spelt is more soluble than wheat gluten. When used in baking spelt is said to have a sweet and nutty flavor, which could be a good way to add a little complexity to a grain build. The high protein content also should help with head retention (spelt can have up to 14% protein compared to most wheat malts at 12%).

BESTMALZ description of spelt malt: BEST Spelt Malt is used for producing full-bodied, top-fermented beers. Spelt is an ancient grain and is known to possess a number of health benefits. For this reason, spelt was the favorite grain of the medieval pioneers of today’s health movement. German nun, Hildegard von Bingen, born in the year 1098 is famous for using spelt in her recipes. Likewise, spelt beer, is considered highly digestible and conducive to good health. This malt improves foam stability. It can also have other positive effects in the brewing process.