Calder

Recipes 

Too late to add additional yeast.

I don't know if you are aware, but you can culture the yeast in McChouffe. It's the Ardennes strain (WLP550). It can give some pretty good results fermented warm. I usually ferment it at 75F (about 24 C) and ramp it up to 80 at the end. It is my understanding that above 75F fior initial fermentation temp, and you can start to get noticeable fusel alcohols, but I don't get them at 75. If you have ever heard of Jolly Pumpkin, it's the yeast they use for their base fermentations before introducing any sour bugs. I think you will find it a better yeast than T-58.

Leffe is filtered so you can't culture their yeast.

badlee

Recipes 

Wow,cheers for that,I had no idea that the yeast in Mc Chouffe was viable.
With ingredients at a premium,what would be my best way to culture the yeast?

Calder

Recipes 

Go check some threads on it; there are lots. Basically 1) The more bottle dregs you use the better, but 1 is fine. 2) Let bottle sit to settle yeast/sediment. 3) Carefully pour out the beer leaving the last half inch. 4) Add a few ozs of 1.020 wort to the bottle and cover with some foil, or a loose cap of some sort. 5) Swirl occasionally for several days. 6) After several days, step up to a bigger starter using 1.040 wort. Wort can be made from some extract.

Use good sanitization procedures; you have only a little yeast you are using, so sanitization is more important than with a full size batch due to relative population size of contamination vs. yeast.

Again, check some threads on it. They may have more detailed and better information.

badlee

Recipes 

Cheers very much for that.
I can also get petrus,I see Almighty has used just the dregs pitched and achieved a good fermentation that way. What do you reckon?

Almighty

Recipes 

Badlee-
I'm a little behind at posting my results on homebrewtalk. But one of the best experiments with dregs so far was with Achouffe dregs. I did this several months ago and had great results. It is one of the better Belgian beers I have made. I have instructions on how I culture the dregs, but if you have any questions let me know.
Bikes, Beer, and Adventures: Dreg Series: Achouffe Belgian Pale Ale

I believe the beer dried out into single digits ~1.008, so this would be a good candidate for your beer with Brett. I would probably add dregs from Orval and Achouffe at the same time to ensure you get a nice fermentation.

badlee

Recipes 

If I were to do that(two sets/bottles of dregs) would I still need to pitch dried yeast?

PS Great blog

Almighty

Recipes 

Nope, if you are planning to do a 1 gal batch. I would recommend a small starter (4-6 oz of 1.030-1.040) done in the bottle for a few days before pitching.
If you are doing more than that I would do the small starter as noted above, then the 1 gal batch and then use that yeast for a 5 gal batch.

badlee

Recipes 

If I dont have it on hand,or can't get it,could I use sugar or honey for the starter insteadof malt ?
Or should I just make it with the small proportion of MO I would use?

Almighty

Recipes 

It is recommended to use malt extract, but I don't have any direct experience with using sugar or honey. The argument is that the yeast will adapt to ferment the simple sugars in honey and table sugar and will not be able to ferment maltose. I don't think this adaptation can happen in one generation of a starter, but I don't have experience.

It is worth a try and in the future I would suggest you use my method of saving some 2nd runnings wort with a low gravity in ziploc bags in the freezer to use for starters.

Let me know how it works for you.

badlee

Recipes 

That's a very good idea with the second runnings,I will have to give that a go.
I am pricing up 5ltr demijohns at the second hand shops around here. 80Baht(2 and a bit dollars) is the best price so far,just got to find a bung to fit the ari lock to now.