After carefully pouring the first bottle I could see the I had a good amount of yeast in the bottom. I grabbed my flask, swirled and poured it in. I drank a total of 2 bottles last night and added some previously frozen unhopped wort this morning. Can't wait to see if it takes off.
As for the taste, it was a very good beer. The amount of Brett was noticeable but not overpowering. This would be a great addition to a Saison or a Big Belgian. I've been looking at a recipe from the Madfermentaionist, it is a Rye Saison beer with added Dregs, this might be the yeast I was looking for.
Update #1
After just 24 hours in my starter, I am seeing signs of life. The spots on the top of the liquid makes me believe that we have bugs alive in the sample. I am also getting a nice layer of yeast on the bottom. If everything goes according to plan, I am brewing this weekend and dropping the slurry on the beer in about 10 days. By then I think I will have a pitch-able amount.
Update #2
Today (12-15-11) the yeast slurry is looking great. I decanted it and added more wort (After this picture) to get the starter bigger. The big answer is still unknown. "How does it taste?" I am planning to use my wine thief after work and take a sample for quality.
Update #3
Today (Christmas Eve) I tasted the wort from the dregs to insure that what I cultivated was in fact Brett, like Green Flash stated. I have to tell you, it was awesome. Clean, bretty...almost a clone of the Rayon Vert itself. This is over a total of 14 days.
Update #4
Today (12-31-11) I added my dregs to my Funky Saison. I am going to give it a month or so and then keg it.
Update #5
The dreggs are working VERY slow. I think if I use it again I will ramp them up more than just the 4 bottles.
Update #6
Well it took almost 8 months to get the results I wanted. The beer was undrinkable for about 3 months. But 3 weeks ago I noticed the beer was clearing up. After listening to the Trinity Show on the brewing network I knew it was close to finishing. Yesterday (Aug 12) I keged the beer and I'm planning to cold crash it for a couple of weeks.
Any update on how these dregs worked out for you? I used them as well (along with odell sabatoure brett) in an Arrogant Bastard-esque ale. I am also following it on my blog at www.alesgonewild.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThey are working a lot slower than I had hoped. The beer is very cloudy (Started Clear) and has a very musty smell. It has not developed any sort of pellical. The original recipe was stored for 6 so so months. Right now I am at 3ish. This will be my 1st Sour Kegged beer on tap at my house so I am excited to have it finish up.
ReplyDeletedumb question, I see you are using a elermyer flask for your yeast prop, do you use this for both bugs and for regular yeast starters?
ReplyDeleteAO
I am using the same flasks for bugs and no bugs. The only thing I do not mix are the airlocks. After this test. http://www.lewybrewing.com/2012/10/cross-contamination-sour-experiment.html
DeleteGreat readinng your post
ReplyDeleteThere’s something satisfying about trusting the process and seeing patience finally pay off after months of experimenting. It actually reminded me of preparing for difficult certifications when I felt overwhelmed and even searched “take my comptia exam for me” out of stress. Just like brewing takes time, the right preparation, patience, and steady progress can eventually lead to great results.
ReplyDelete