Brettanomyces is a yeast used in certain styles of beer that develops wonderful earthy/ripe fruit flavors and aromas. If you have tried an Orval, Allagash Confluence, or Boulevard's Saison-Brett (among others) you will know what I mean. Interestingly, this yeast can ferment lactose, develops a low pH during fermentation (~3.5) due to the production of acetic acid, is salt tolerant, and is happy at lower temps.
Questions:
1) Has anyone heard of or have experience in using this yeast as a ripening culture?
2) I have a simple Tomme-style cheese made this past Sunday and would like to try inoculating 1/2 of the wheel. How would I go about marking the cheese for future reference?
3) Does this sound completely absurd?
BTW, the cheese in ageing in my fermentation chamber alongside a beer aging with Brettanomyces so it may get contaminated anyway.
Are you talking about substituting the yeast for a lactic starter bacteria? If so, keep in mind that yeast produces alcohol as a bi-product of fermentation. Lactic bacteria produce lactic acid, lactate, and other bi-products. Any incidental alcohol production is minimal. The low pH (3.5) would also be extremely problematic.
Thanks Sailor Con Queso! No, I figured that using it as a starter culture would present problems. I should have been more clear. I'm considering using it as a wash or spray to inoculate a 6 day old cheese (simple tomme-style).
Are you looking to wash the tomme with the beers made with bret, or use isolated bret on the cheese surface? I would try washing twice a week with the beer and see if you get a nice smear.
For marking the cheese, one option (not particularly elegant, but effective) is to use food-coloring "pens" -- just what they sound like, food coloring in a pen format. I don't know how well this will hold up to a wash, though.