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Created new section "Making a Starter or Not"
==General Methods and Uses==
===Making a Starter or Not===
There are several things to take into consideration when deciding to make a starter or not. Since ''Brettanomyces'' [[Brettanomyces#Primary_versus_Secondary_Fermentation|doesn't need many cells]] to have an impact unless it is being used for 100% ''Brettanomyces'' fermentation, a starter is not necessary if the bottle is young and the brewer only wants to use the ''Brettanomyces''. If the bottle is older (6+ months from bottling), it might be a good idea to make a starter just to make sure the ''Brettanomyces'' is still viable.
If the brewer is intending to re-use the ''Lactobacillus'' or other lactic acid bacteria in the bottle, then a starter is a good idea. In general, a [[Lactobacillus#Starters_and_Pitching_Rate|larger population of lactic acid bacteria]] is beneficial if lactic acid production is desired. It is possible that smaller pitch rates of ''[[Pediococcus]]'' and hardier ''Lactobacillus'' strains might still sour the beer over time, but in general making a starter will help ensure that a healthy pitching rate of bacteria is used.
===Creating a Starter===
After prolonged time in a bottle, microorganisms won't be at their peak vitality, and so making a starter for dregs is recommended in general. ''Saccharomyces'' strains may or may not be viable at all after an extended time in a low pH beer, but ''Brettanomyces'' and some lactic acid strains are more acid tolerant and should be viable. Making a step starter is best practice for ensuring that a high enough population of microbes are pitched. Begin by making a ~200 mL DME starter of usual strength (1.030-1.040 SG) <ref name="preiss">[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1268830686478476/?comment_id=1269605776400967&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Conversation with Richard Preiss on step starters for dregs on MTF. 03/27/2016.]</ref>. Hops should not be used unless the brewer wants to try and suppress the ''Lactobacillus'' in the commercial beer (''Lactobacillus'' strains for some commercial breweries are fairly hop tolerant up to 20-25 IBU. See [[Lactobacillus#Hop_Tolerance|Lactobacillus Hop Tolerance]] for more information). If the brewer has only one bottle or wants to keep multiple bottle dregs separate from each other, the starter wort can be poured directly into each bottle and covered with plastic wrap. Alternatively, the dregs from multiple bottles can be combined into a single vessel (such as an Erlenmeyer flask or glass jug) with the starter wort, and covered with sanitized tin foil to allow an exchange of oxygen and CO2. The mouth of the bottle may be flamed with a lighter to kill any wild yeasts that might have landed on the area. The dregs don't need to be "washed" or treated in any special way before being added to the starter wort.