I got some dregs from a few sours this weekend and want to use them in some homebrews. I don't have any beers going right now that I want to use them in, but I was wondering if I should go ahead and make starters now (to check the viability of the dregs) or if I should wait until I have a brew planned to make the starter? If I make the starter now how long can I store it before using it? Thanks in advance.
How long does it take yeast/bacteria to start to die off? I've hear people letting beer sit in primary for a month or so without much problem. Does this hold the same for starters?
You won't know until you know. If I were you, I'd build it up to 1/2 size of a pitchable quantity and then after activity dies down, pour in (under sterile technique) some carbonated water & shake a little and degas to purge any residual O2. Then seal airtight and refrigerate until you're ready to use. I wouldn't wait longer than 1-2 months before using, and prior to use, build up the culture again to a healthy pitch rate.
I've harvested yeast cakes from previous lambic batches with success. I usually just keep some old White Labs tubes around for this purpose and store them in the fridge as I would for normal yeast. No idea how long they would last, but I've gone up to 3 months of storage with no ill effects.
Is there any benefit in adding some Wyeast Nutrient to the starters? Will the nutrient be beneficial only to any yeast or will it be beneficial to the bacteria as well?
