Experience Saving Dregs for a few days

You'll be fine. I've heard of people doing the same thing with yeast cakes and just resealing the lids for a few days until they brew another beer to throw on top

 

I've never held dregs that long before re-starting, but don't see where it's a problem. Your yeast don't mind the oxygen, it's the beer that has a problem with it. In theory any bacteria in the air has a chance to go to work, but with only a splash of dregs there is almost no food left. You'll get the same exposure if you pitched the dregs quickly. I wouldn't even bother to re-cap, just cover with foil/saran-wrap, maybe chill for good measure. You probably know, but I would thoroughly sanitize the bottle opening.

 

I, personally, would get a mason jar and add water to it, boil in the microwave, cap, and then cool it. Pitch the dregs into that container with the cooled water. Any acetobacter in the mix left in the bottle with all there air could start to grow and then you have more going into your starter. The water puts a barrier between the dregs and any air in the container. Store in the fridge for a few days, then decant and pitch to a starter.

 

I am currently building up yeast from dregs now. Started at 500mL, stepped up to 1000mL, and plan on doing a 2000mL for a final. Do you think I should have enough yeast for a 5 Gal pitch? I used Casey Brewing and Blending, 3F Oude Geuze, and Tilquin Geuze dregs.

 

I would give it a week or so between steps just to make sure you allow time for growth.

 

I keep my old yeast vials (and have gotten a few empties from the homebrew store owner). I store them with star-san solution in them, and if I finish a bottle that has some nice dregs left in it, I usually dump the star-san back into my spray bottle, and pour the dregs into the sanitized yeast vial.
I can mark it, and then leave it in the fridge until I'm ready to try and start a starter with it.

I've only used these once before, but it seemed to work. Is this a valid approach?

 

I do something similar. I have 50ml centrifuge tubes that I boil in water and then seal up with boiling water in them (if in a rush) or I process them through my pressure cooker (more time consuming). I then dump some of the water out and add the dregs to the remaining water. Store that in the fridge until ready. When I pour off the liquid at time of use it has diluted the remaining beer from the dregs, and left me with just the yeast.

I also have 10ml lab vials that have been sterilized in a pressure cooker containing 1.010-1.020 wort in them and about 3ml head space. When I drink a sour/funky beer I will open the vial, flame the lip of the bottle and the vial, pour the dregs in, flame again, then put the lid on. Leave it at room temp and release the CO2 every couple days. Then I can step that active vial into a 500ml starter. Works great if I keep up on them.

 

I like the idea of the vials. Has anyone stored in multiple vials from the same built up starter? I am thinking of building up a bigger supply and store in multiple vials instead of pitching entire starter (minus excess liquid) into one 5 gal batch? My only hesitation would be to ensure each vial as sufficient good yeast. Any thoughts?

 

I would do a starter, decant the liquid, pitch the contents of the slurry into the batch. From here you have 2 options. 1) Pour the contents of a couple vials into the flask/growler where the starter was, swish it around to get the residual cells that are still in the container into solution, then pour it back into the vials (flame the lip of the container and vials). 2) Take a sample from the fermentor during primary and give a few drops to each vial (make sure you are sanitary in all aspects of your sampling).

 

I usually keep a gallon jug with leftover wort for keeping/feeding dregs. I just keep it next to my carboys with an airlock. It's used to top off my 15 gallon solera barrel.

 

This would be done after primary fermentation?