The whitelabs yeast I pitched into my current brew had a "best if used by date" of December 20, didn't notice till after I pitched February 2. It did start activity at about 48 hours, but I'm wondering if it's worth washing and keeping this cake or if the fact that it was past its prime will affect future generations.
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"Kicking and a' gouging in the mud and the blood and the beer." -Johnny Cash
Should be fine. If the beer smells and tastes good when you rack it, wash away.
Speaking of smells and tastes, does anyone want to take a shot at answering my question about sterilized, though somewhat tomato-y smelling salsa jars for yeast washing? Will the starter smell like a TexMex restaurant?
1. The last pic has a jar with the yeast all at the bottom. Can I just get rid of all the other liquid on the top and store in a smaller container like a White Labs vial or even baby food jars? 5 mason jars is a bit much to keep in my fridge if there are a few types of yeasts in there.
2. Is one jar good for a 5g batch, or do you need all 5 jars?
1. The last pic has a jar with the yeast all at the bottom. Can I just get rid of all the other liquid on the top and store in a smaller container like a White Labs vial or even baby food jars? 5 mason jars is a bit much to keep in my fridge if there are a few types of yeasts in there.
2. Is one jar good for a 5g batch, or do you need all 5 jars?
It' probably better if you didn't disturb the yeast until you are ready to pitch. But there's no law saying you HAVE to save five jars of washed yeast. If you only want one, just save one. Just know that the more you save, the more batches you will get out of your original pack of yeast. And it doesn't have to be mason jars, either. I just use them because they work well for me. They're small, and I can stack them in the back of the fridge. Some people use baby food jars, or beer bottles.
Oh, and one jar is enough for a starter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eingutesbier
Speaking of smells and tastes, does anyone want to take a shot at answering my question about sterilized, though somewhat tomato-y smelling salsa jars for yeast washing? Will the starter smell like a TexMex restaurant?
One way to find out- give it a shot and tell us what happened.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YooperBrew
I simply cover my jug with sanitized foil and shake it
Speaking of smells and tastes, does anyone want to take a shot at answering my question about sterilized, though somewhat tomato-y smelling salsa jars for yeast washing? Will the starter smell like a TexMex restaurant?
That rubber stuff soaks up smells, especially salsa-ish ones, but I'd be very surprised if it harbored any actual biology. I've had used Mason jar lids leave a faint taste of salsa in jars of water I've canned for emergency supplies, but there you're looking at a quart of water, not five gallons of beer, and the smellies were liberated by 10 minutes of boiling with the jar closed up. I'd bet good money you won't ever notice anything unless you've got a great imagination ...
cheers!
--Finn
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Planning: Wilhoit Springs Bitter; apple-plum hard cider
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In glass:Wilhoit Springs IPA(dunkles); Grain alcohol & Rainwater beer; Obfuscatator Doppelbock; Jamil's Ordinary Bitter; Dun Ringill Scottish 80/-; Bohumbug Pilsner; several strong ciders
On tap:Wilhoit Springs Bitter; Mac Cumhaill Breis Tiubh Stout; cider; soda water
Just did this yesterday for the first time. All I could think was, "wow, this is easy. I can't believe I am savign $50 x 5 right now". Woke up this morning and the yeast in the fridge looked just like the final pic. Thanks Bernie!!!!
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i've used this method twice so far and just made my first starter with the yeast i washed. it's so easy and the starter took right off. i have a feeling this will save me a lot of money.
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