How to     Monitor Wine Spoilage Micro-Organisms & Microbial Markers

How to     Microbe QC Plan to Monitor Wine Fill Lines 

How to    Set-up Micro Testing in your Laboratory    

Our Brochure:  Control Microbes in your Wine and Winery  

            An expert’s article: Enrichment Techniques for Rapid Microbial Detection 

            SLIDE into Microbiology the easy way. . . view our

            Powerpoint presentations:  Microbiology Detection

More Brett information for Winemakers

                Brett Economic Impact    

            Growing Problem

            Z-Brett 3-hr Brettanomyces Detection

           Wine Spoilage Detection - a new focus for Unitech          

 ARTICLES:  BRETTANOMYCES WINE SPOILAGE

1.  New, Rapid Test for Brett Shows Promise, Susan Rodriguez -  An early paper featuring Z-Brett technology

2. Brettanomyces/Dekkera during winemaking - Part 1 What the winemaker should know

    Adriaan Oelofse and Maret du Toit

    key words:   History, Prevalent/Ubiquitous, Brett Ecology, chemistry of 4ep/4eg, limitations of plating for Brett detection, Brett Nutrient Requirements, biochemical source of off-flavors, perception thresholds

3.  Brettanomyces/Dekkera during winemaking - Part 2  What the winemaker could do? Adriaan     Adriaan Oelofse and Maret du Toit   http://www.wynboer.co.za/recentarticles/200603bretta2.php3  18 winemaking variables to consider

4.  Brett: When sanitation meets wine style,  Tim Patterson 

     key words:   Prevalent/Ubiquitous, Brett Ecology, Brett Nutrient Requirements, Vineyard source

5.  Brettanomyces, Jamie Goode

    key words:   Prevalent/Ubiquitous, Brett Ecology, Precautions/wine handling, Brett defectsBrett Nutrient Requirements, Vineyard source

6.  Brettanomyces (Dekkera), Vincyclopedia

7.   Early diagnosis of unwanted microorganisms in wine: Brettanomyces bruxellensis, N. Porret

8.   http://direct.bl.uk/bld/PlaceOrder.do?UIN=148563389&ETOC=RN&from=searchengine (German paper)   key words:   4ep/4eg data relative to cfu/mL, 0.45u filtration effect on Brett concentrations

9.   Managing Brett!, Matthew Parish

10. The Role and Use of Non-Saccharomyces Yeasts in Wine Production N.P. Jolly

11. Brettanomyces Character in Wine, Richard Garvel

     key words:   Prevalent/Ubiquitous, Brett Ecology, 4ep & 4eg chemistry

12.  . . . Biosynthesis of Mousy Off-Flavor Compounds by Dekkera anomala (2007)

     Grbin, Paul Ramon, Herderich, M., Markides      "conclusive evidence of an enzyme-mediated synthetic pathway in Dekkera yeast" for  mousy off-flavor

    key words:   mousy off-flavor spoilage   http://en.scientificcommons.org/paul_ramon_grbin  

13.  Physiological and oenological traits - Brett, Ileana Vigentini,

     key words:   Brett strain characterization re: metabolic requirements & off-flavor production, 4ep threshold, aromatic phenols and biogenic amines, Brett defectsBrett, Nutrient Requirements

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119882199/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

    14. Phylogeny of the yeast genera Hanseniaspora (anamorph Kloeckera), Dekkera (anamorph Brettanomyces), and Eeniella...  Boekhout, T., C.P. Kurtzman, K. O’Donnell, and M.T. Smith. 1994.  Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 44:781–786.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

    15.  The Influence of Brettanomyces/Dekkera sp. Yeasts and Lactic Acid Bacteria on the Ethylphenol Content of Red Wines, P. Chatonnet, D. Dubourdieu, and J. N. Boidron [Abstract/Free Full Text]

    16. Influence of polyphenolic components of red wines on the microbial synthesis of volatile phenols.[Abstract/Free Full Text]   Chatonnet, P., C. Viala, and D. Dubourdieu. 1997.  Am. J. Enol. Vitic. 48:443–448.

 17. Characterization of Brettanomyces  Genetic and Physiological Characterization of Brettanomyces bruxellensis Strains Isolated from Wines, Lorenza Conterno 

1. SUMMARY:  Dekkera/Brettanomyces bruxellensis has long been recognized as a common contaminant in wine (Custers 1940, van der Walt and van Kerken 1958). Brettanomyces can produce potent off-flavors (horse sweat, Band Aid, barnyard, and burnt plastic), which devalue the quality of wines. However, not all characteristics produced by Brettanomyces are universally disliked. There are anecdotal reports of Brettanomyces that grow faster or produce less acetic acid and of strains that only produce "good Brettanomyces" characteristics, but there is no rigorous analysis of any of these isolates. Studies have been done on the factors controlling the production of known chemicals that contribute to the characteristic flavors associated with Brettanomyces (Heresztyn 1986a,b, Ciani and Ferraro 1997, Rodrigues et al. 2001). Rodrigues et al. (2001) also investigated the effect of media components on a few strains, to develop a differential medium. Published data on some growth parameters are inconsistent. Rose and Harrison (1971) found that pyridoxine had a positive affect on the growth of Brettanomyces bruxellensis, while Uscanga et al. (2000) more recently found contradictory results. Different strains and different growth conditions were used in each case, which could explain the discrepancy in observations. Brettanomyces bruxellensis can utilize several carbon sources, including ethanol (Dias et al. 2003). The yeast produces a wide range of metabolites, the most significant of which are acetic acid and ethyl phenols, such as 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol (Chatonnet et al. 1995, 1997), and several other known and unknown compounds (Licker 1998). Although as many as 10 compounds are denoted as being related to the "Brett" defect in wines, 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol are two chemicals that have been specifically linked to the presence and activity of this yeast (Heresztyn 1986a,b, Chatonnet 1997). Recently, 4-ethylcatechol has been found as a Brettanomyces-related metabolite and is responsible for some of the aroma character found in Brettanomyces-contaminated wines (Hesford et al. 2004).

  18.  Population Dynamics and Effects of Brettanomyces bruxellensis Strains on Pinot noir (Vitis vinifera L.) Wines,  Kenneth C. Fugelsang and Bruce W. Zoecklein                             

    "Large increases in the concentration of 4-ethylphenol occur after Brett titers reach 2.5 x 105 cfu/mL."

  19.  Wine Business Monthly - Brett Bibliography