Did I mess up by bottle dregs?

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Pugalicious

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Pretty sure I messed this up but figured I'd check with you guys. I drank four sours within a few nights. I remembered people talking about saving their dregs so I thought it would be a good idea to to just sanitize some foil, leave some beer left in the bottles to keep the yeast/bugs covered, cover them with said foil, and put them in the fridge for use at a later time. Now they've been sitting there for a few weeks and I'm wondering if I can still pitch them in something.

Questions:
1: Is there a chance they're "contaminated" now with bugs I don't want since I didn't have an airtight seal?
2: Is the oxygen exposure they're getting going to cause issues?
3: Is this one of the times I should just go for it (RDWHAHB :mug:) or are my odds too love to just go for it?

After doing some research, I now know how to properly save them but I'm wondering if I can still use these.

Thanks guys!

-Jason
 
1) yes there is some chance. The main opportunity for contamination would have been when you opened and poured the beer. Think about all the hands which could have been on the bottles to start with. When you poured the beer out, unless you sanitized the bottle neck and opener, then flamed the neck before and after pouring, the chances are against you as far i see.
But, you could just add the dregs to a small portion in a one gallon jug and see where that takes you.
If its crap, you lost a gallon and learned something.
If its good, why then lucky sir, you have yourself a big old cake of souring opportunity to add to a full batch at a later date.
 
You should be good, I'd relax. I have never flame sanitized the lip before pouring out the dregs and never had an issue. As long as you didn't drink from the bottle with your mouth, chances are you're ok. The portion of the bottle that comes in contact with the beer was capped in the first place so it should be fine. Flaming it is good practice, but again, never been a problem for me and I've done it a dozen times.
 
You are probably OK. Just add them to some low hopped beer (<10 IBUs) and see what happens. Alternatively add them to some starter wort; if there is no sacc left, there should still be some Brett to work on the sugars.
 
Thanks guys. I think I'll take the suggestions and throw it in some starter wort and see what I get. I'll report my findings later on.
 
Acetobacter contamination might be an issue due to oxygen exposure. I've had this issue before - I drank a bottle Drie Fonteinen Schaerbeekse, closed the bottle with a rubber wine stopper, and put in back in the fridge. I pitched it into a 1/2 gal starter a week and a half later and wound up with vinegar instead of the fantastic culture that i could have (doh!). Everything was sanitized in the process (bottle lip, stopper, etc). I pitch all my dregs IMMEDIATELY after drinking as a result of this. YMMV though...
 
I don't think that's contamination persay, I think it's probably the existing O2 loving cultures running away with things. I guess for practical purposes it's contaminated though.
 
I don't think that's contamination persay, I think it's probably the existing O2 loving cultures running away with things. I guess for practical purposes it's contaminated though.

True, there could have been acetobacter in the culture from 3F. In either case, excessive O2 ruined what could have been a great culture
 

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