I am relatively new to brewing with "bugs" but am now starting to build a collection of different strains ... a BDS with B. lambicus and a berlinerweisse with Lacto Bacillus. I think next will be a flanders red. Anyways, I was thinking about all the comments of folks pitching dregs from Jolly Pumpkin and RR brews to inoculate brews and began to wonder why not do the same with the batches I have on hand. For example with the berliner weisse, I was thinking that I could potentially bottle 22oz that I just save for when I want to brew another berlinerweisse, dump the entire bottle into the wort, wait 2-3 days and add the yeast. In theory, the lacto bacteria is still alive, survive long term storage, and would reproduce quickly. From the new batch, I just bottle up and save another 22 oz bottle.

I would think that the same technique could be used with the hardy Brett. strains, but would likely need to make a starter prior to pitching since it is still technically a yeast and not a bacteria.


I would love any comments, thoughts, ideas that other more experienced "sour" brewers have on this topic ... I guess I should stipulate that I am specifically refering to Intentionally "sour" brewers .

That is absolutely a viable method. However, you'll have the same concerns you would if you were pitching dregs from a commercial bottle, namely age (yeast/bacteria health), and secondarily number of microorganisms. I would probably do a starter regardless, unless you are pitching only into secondary.

Not that I am "experienced," I've just had the same thoughts and have tried this exact thing.

Brett and Pedio are much stronger than lacto and thats why you can usually get results from bottles. If you were just going to pitch your berliner into a new ferment you are highly under pitching the lacto and it might not ever get sour. If you have time the bacteria will eventually get sour. It took two years for a bottle of RR dregs to sour a 1040 wort. That gives you an example of the timeline when just using a bottle vs smackpacks or starters.