First lambic, possibly stupid question

[Nicks90]

I treated myself to a nice bottle of cantillon gueuze lambic today, and I had forgotten what an incredible beer it is.
Fortunately I didn't just empty the bottle in to my pint pot and I have a little bit left in the bottom with some dregs/slurry.

So I am struck with an urge to do a gallon in a dj as an experiment
If I do a 25% wheat, 75% pilsner malt mash - do a 2 hour boil with a noble hop and just chuck the dregs from my bottle in - will it take off and make a suitably decent lambic?
Obvs will leave it in a dj for at least a year before bottling and then leave it a loooong time before tasting - but am I wasting my time and I should plan it properly and get suitable wlp yeast and Brett from the HBS?

 

[Ajhutch]

The dregs from one bottle isn’t loads of bugs to kick off a fermentation. My temptation would be to mash high, say 70C, let US05 loose on it for a week to get some ABV and then add your dregs. This way, you don’t risk it sitting unfermented and spoiling, but the high mash temperature would leave plenty for the bugs to go at.

 

[Ajhutch]

I have a bottle of Cantillon Gueze waiting for a special occasion. Likewise I’ll be saving the dregs!

 

[strange-steve]

Agree with the above, pitch some yeast first then add the dregs. I've also heard of people adding a little maltodextrin to give the brett and bugs something to work on. BTW, did you source the Cantillon in the UK?

 

[Ajhutch]

I did, my local bottle shop gets an extremely limited batch once a year that doesn’t last a day. This year they had 375s of gueze and 750s of kriek, one of each per person. I just bought a gueze as I felt that 750ml of kriek is a bit much for me. Regretted it by the time I got home! I dont even know how much it cost, best not to!

 

[Dutto]

............. but am I wasting my time and I should plan it properly and get suitable wlp yeast and Brett from the HBS?

When we experiment, we are never wasting our time! It will always teach us something.

With regard to the dregs in the bottom of a bottle, I suggest that you use the dregs to make a yeast starter. Here's a video to show you the basics.



You can use the dregs instead of a packet of bought yeast and just shaking the bottle every so often will imitate the actions of a stirrer. If the dregs contain any live yeast cells then the jar you are using will change colour as they start reproducing.

That change will look similar to the photographs and when it starts to change colour, that will be time to start making your wort.

Enjoy - and look forward to enjoying your beer this time next year!

 

[strange-steve]

There's a really good article on milk the funk which explains the best method for using dregs.
http://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki/Commercial_Sour_Beer_Dregs_Inoculation

 

[Nicks90]

BTW, did you source the Cantillon in the UK?


Yes, bier Huis in ossett. They have some incredible beers in there.