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Commercial Beer Dregs Inoculation

447 bytes added, 15:49, 29 November 2015
added sour worting instructions
===Using as a primary fermenter===
Bottle dregs can also be used a primary fermenter. It is generally advised that mixing different bottle dregs together will provide a greater diversity and thus better results, but using a single bottle may prove to be an educational experience as well. Jeffrey Crane describes a method of using 1 gallon of wort, which can easily be produced on a normal brew day from a larger batch, to create sour beer from bottle dregs. Essentially this process involves transferring 1 gallon of at wort any time during the boil when there are less than 7-10 IBU's. That 1 gallon of wort is then used to pitch the sour beer dregs starter into.<ref>[http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f127/easy-way-make-sour-beers-1-gal-wort-dregs-189748/ Jeffrey Crane] describes how to make 1 gallon sour beers from bottle dregs.</ref> The brewer has the option of allowing the 1 gallon of sour beer to age on it's own, or it can be used as a starter itself for a larger batch.
 
===Sour worting===
Another option is to pitch the starter of dregs into the wort, and allow for a day or two to pass before pitching a fresh pitch of ''Saccharomyces''. This has the benefit of allowing the lactic acid bacteria in the dregs starter to sour the wort before competing with ''Saccharomyces'' for sugar. See [[Sour_Worting#Souring_in_the_Primary_Fermenter|souring in the primary fermenter]] for more information on this technique.
===Storing Dregs For Later Use===
* Pitch the dregs directly into a fermenter that already has beer in it.
* Have an air-locked vessel, such as a gallon jug or an Erlenmeyer flask, with an airlock on it with a starter beer (or fresh wort) ready to collect multiple bottle dregs.
* If the brewer wants to keep the dregs separate from other cultures or does not have another vessel available as previously described, leave the last quarter inch of the beer in the bottle itself. Recap the bottle if possible, and place it in the refrigerator. If it is not possible to recap the bottle because it is a corked bottle or a wider diameter than the brewer's bottle capper/caps, cover the bottle with plastic wrap or tin foil and a rubber band. Keeping the beer cool should prevent spoilage, although this is not guaranteed without more sanitary procedures such as purging the bottle with CO2 and capping it. Although brewers have successfully stored bottle dregs beers like this for months, it is generally advisable to make a starter for the dregs at least withing within a few weeks so as to avoid any potential spoilage.
==Potential Problems and Issues==

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