Brettanomyces bruxellensis is a yeast strain that is considered an undesirable microorganism, a spoilage yeast, in wine production because it produces unpleasant aromas such as “horse sweat,” “medicine cabinet,” or “wet dog” through the formation of volatile phenols. These yeasts are particularly problematic because they can survive under difficult conditions, such as low pH, high alcohol content, and low nutrient availability. They only begin to develop massively once alcoholic fermentation has been completed and the wine yeast has died off. Brettanomyces can form biofilm-like structures on surfaces, hide in wooden barrels or poorly cleaned equipment, be introduced via grapes, and therefore remain undetected until favorable conditions arise for rapid, mass proliferation. The contamination can render entire batches undrinkable and is difficult to control.
In addition to winemakers and wine bottlers, for whom this harmful organism poses a major problem, producers of other fermented beverages such as kombucha and beer are also affected by contamination with Brettanomyces bruxellensis under certain conditions.
Brettanomyces bruxellensis is very problematic in wine production for several reasons:
Modern analysis systems such as the CyFlow™ BrettCount Kit use RNA-based gene probes that bind exclusively to the target RNA of Brettanomyces bruxellensis. This allows all living Brettanomyces cells to be specifically detected, enabling early control of the contamination.
Preparing the wine sample and labeling the Brettanomyces cells with the gene probe, including analysis in the flow cytometer, takes less than 3 hours. It provides quantitative and qualitative data on cell count and viability. This is ideal for quality control in all phases of wine production – from fermentation to bottling – and allows a response in the wine cellar to a detected contamination on the same day.
Rapid and reliable detection of Brettanomyces in the critical phases of production and maturation allows early control of the contamination and also prevents the development of 4-ethylphenol and 4-ethylguaiacol concentrations above a critical threshold.
The CyFlow™ BrettCount Kit is the ideal solution for testing wine for Brettanomyces bruxellensis. It delivers results much faster than cultivation and also detects non-culturable cells that are overlooked by classical methods.
The method is highly specific and measurement data are automatically evaluated, making it ideal for routine analyses.
CyFlow™ BrettCount is not affected by inhibitors in the wine or fragments of dead cells. This prevents false-negative and false-positive results and makes CyFlow™ BrettCount much more reliable than other molecular biological methods.
The automated evaluation allows clear, objective decisions free from subjective counting results or data interpretations.
Contamination can lead to health risks or inefficient production facilities – and traditional tests often take days.
Our solutions detect problems early, reduce waiting times, and minimize errors.
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