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Okay, lesson learned...


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#21 Bklmt2000

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Posted 13 July 2018 - 06:04 AM

Ken what do you put over your stored yeast? I had problems using water and started covering them in the beer from the batch. Haven't had a problem since unless using yeast that was just way too old.

 

Same; I shoot for 5.5 gallons into the primary, so there's usually enough beer left after filling a keg to cover the yeast if I want to save that slurry.



#22 Big Nake

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Posted 13 July 2018 - 06:12 AM

Ken what do you put over your stored yeast? I had problems using water and started covering them in the beer from the batch. Haven't had a problem since unless using yeast that was just way too old.

Yeah, always beer.  I figure that if I had the chance to swim in water or beer I would choose beer.  Billions of yeast cells have thanked me for the beer bath.  :P



#23 Bklmt2000

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Posted 13 July 2018 - 06:18 AM

Yeah, always beer.  I figure that if I had the chance to swim in water or beer I would choose beer.  Billions of yeast cells have thanked me for the beer bath.  :P

 

To that point, I recall reading some years back that storing yeast under water (IIRC, distilled(?)) resulted in lower yeast viability in subsequent batches vs. storing the yeast under beer, usually the same beer it had just fermented.

 

Anecdotally, I've found that to be true the hard way; several years back, I had a couple of batches turn out less than stellar, and I was able to trace it back to using yeast stored under water vs. beer. 

 

The slurries weren't that old (less than a month between harvest and re-pitch, and stored cold in my lager fridge), but the beers ended up "off".

 

Haven't made that mistake since.



#24 Big Nake

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Posted 13 July 2018 - 07:15 AM

To that point, I recall reading some years back that storing yeast under water (IIRC, distilled(?)) resulted in lower yeast viability in subsequent batches vs. storing the yeast under beer, usually the same beer it had just fermented.

 

Anecdotally, I've found that to be true the hard way; several years back, I had a couple of batches turn out less than stellar, and I was able to trace it back to using yeast stored under water vs. beer. 

 

The slurries weren't that old (less than a month between harvest and re-pitch, and stored cold in my lager fridge), but the beers ended up "off".

 

Haven't made that mistake since.

There was also a thing about "washing" yeast, remember that?  Boil some water and let it cool.  Pour it into the flask with the yeast, shake it and let it sit.  Eventually the yeast will rise to the top and the schputz will sink to the bottom.  Pour off the yeast into another container/starter/whatever and off you go.  But that sounds like the yeast would be swimming mostly in water as opposed to beer.  I remember trying that exercise a couple of times and then concluding it was not worth the time.  Plus, I always get a little squeamish futzing around with the yeast.  I want to have as little contact with it as possible because I know I don't have 'lab conditions' in my house and I'm always afraid I'm going to contaminate the yeast.  



#25 positiveContact

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Posted 13 July 2018 - 09:19 AM

at this point I make 10 gal batches which means reuse is fairly minimal.  I might use a yeast for 3 generations max now.  I just plan my brewing so that I harvest from a yeast cake and use it within a week or so.  usually I only do this one time.  do I really want 30 gallons of beer made with the same yeast?  probably not since I like to have a mix of ales and lagers going.




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