How long can i keep dregs?

I have a few sour beers in my kegerator that im dieing to get into, but it may be up to a month before i attempt to brew my first one.

If i open some and pour the last 1-2 inches into a sanitized growler, will the dregs keep ok for ~1 month like that (kept air tight and at 40 degrees F)

I'd use them to make a big sour starter

Yes, pour them into some starter wort and put an airlock on ot. The CO2 and alcohol will protect them and allow them to reproduce.

how long do you think they will keep in a growler?

i have a odell saboteur, Boulevard saison-brett, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and another flanders red who's name escapes me.

cobolstinks said:

how long do you think they will keep in a growler?

i have a odell saboteur, Boulevard saison-brett, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and another flanders red who's name escapes me.

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I've kept wild/sour/funky dregs in gallon jugs and large flasks for many months at room temp ~ low 60s. I usually add a tiny bit of maltodextrin and yeast nutrient to my starter wort and re-feed it some additional wort every couple months if additional dregs are added; that has worked for me.

And just FYI, Rodenbach is pasteurized (as are many commercial Flanders) and the Saboteur & Boulevard Saison-Brett (which is fantastic) are both Brett only, no souring microbes in what you've listed.

cobolstinks said:

how long do you think they will keep in a growler?

i have a odell saboteur, Boulevard saison-brett, Rodenbach Grand Cru, and another flanders red who's name escapes me.

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If you mean drink them tonight and make a starter in a few days, then go ahead. Long-term storage is different.

dcHokie said:

I've kept wild/sour/funky dregs in gallon jugs and large flasks for many months at room temp ~ low 60s. I usually add a tiny bit of maltodextrin and yeast nutrient to my starter wort and re-feed it some additional wort every couple months if additional dregs are added; that has worked for me.

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Do you keep them in starter wort? Sounds like you do.

ok thanks for the input. I planned on brewing a cream ale this weekend so ill take 1-2 quarts off that wort and use it as a starter wort for my sour beers. When i do get around to brewing the sour ill probably pitch the dregs with a pack of Wyeast 3763 Roeselare to make sure i have enough yeast and bugs to get the job done.

Calder said:

Do you keep them in starter wort? Sounds like you do.

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Yeah, sorry if that was unclear. I periodically can a bunch of starter wort and use that wort, adding a little malto & well-boiled oak cubes to it for sour dregs.

To the OP, your plan sounds solid, good luck with your brewday today.

cobolstinks said:

ok thanks for the input. I planned on brewing a cream ale this weekend so ill take 1-2 quarts off that wort and use it as a starter wort for my sour beers. When i do get around to brewing the sour ill probably pitch the dregs with a pack of Wyeast 3763 Roeselare to make sure i have enough yeast and bugs to get the job done.

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I don't know about Brett or other bugs, but if you use hopped wort as starter wort for yeast, it will inhibit growth. Since Brett and other bugs do better in low hopped beers, I'm guessing the same applies.

If you took some wort from your cream ale prior to hopping, that will be just fine. I used starter wort with an OG of 1.030 and saw a lot of growth. I've read that 1.020 is better for dregs, so do as you will.

+1 for adding to a starter. I do this with my Cantillon/JP dregs and it works well.

barrooze said:

I don't know about Brett or other bugs, but if you use hopped wort as starter wort for yeast, it will inhibit growth. Since Brett and other bugs do better in low hopped beers, I'm guessing the same applies

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brett is not inhibited by IBUs and if the cream ale is done to style the IBUs will be low enough for the bugs