dead yeast not dead -- how to cultivate and preserve?

FSBrewer · 06-24-2008, 12:40 AM

I posted earlier about a liquid yeast that arrived here after 3 weeks in transit. I made a starter for it Friday night to see if I could use it Saturday night in a batch of dopplebock. Zero activity, nada, nichts, etc.

I'm a lazy fellow, and couldn't be bothered to dump it out, but I went ahead and made my beer with a packet of dried yeast.

Monday night (day 3) I took a close look at the starter and can see some tiny bubbles making their way to the top.

You have to look closely, but they're there. Now I'm thinking since these liquid yeasts are suppose to be better, and I can't really get them in here due to transit times, maybe I should work on cultivating this yeast and preserving it for a future batch. The question is, what would be the best way to do this?

I thought about making another cup or so of boiled water & DME and adding the yeast fuel we've been discussing in the other thread. What suggestions do you all have? If that is successful, what is the best way of preserving it until my next lager?

The yeast was a wyeast lager yeast.

Danek · 06-24-2008, 12:48 AM

Depending on how long until your next brew, this might be of interest:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/guide-making-frozen-yeast-bank-35891/

fratermus · 06-24-2008, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSBrewer

I thought about making another cup or so of boiled water & DME and adding the yeast fuel we've been discussing in the other thread. What suggestions do you all have? If that is successful, what is the best way of preserving it until my next lager?

The yeast was a wyeast lager yeast.

I have been having a great deal of fun innoculating agar slants from liquid yeast packs (and pitching the remainder into the batch-at-hand). I have not innoculated from a starter for hygiene reasons.

I bet you could just refrigerate the whole starter and hit it with the new wort/energizer a couple of days before the next lager run.

FSBrewer · 06-25-2008, 12:31 AM

Yes, that first reply with link sounds like an interesting possible long-term solution for me, but getting the equipment might be troublesome for me here.

Since this is a bock yeast I'm guessing it will probably be a couple of months before I'm ready to use it.

If I wanted to just store my starter in the fridge, what would be the best way to do so? I have mason jars and beer bottles at my disposal, but would the starter need to be able to breath? Or wait until the activity has more or less stopped and then cap it and store it? How long can it be stored for?

Hoosierbrewer · 06-25-2008, 01:47 AM

I wash my yeast and then save it for months. You can store for up to a year in a fridge. I wold build it up some, let it settle out, then follow the yeast washing thread on here. I cultured pacman from a bottle of Rogue and am using to to ferment now and then I will get 4 conatiners out of it for additional batches. I will also wash those batches to keep it going. I store in mason jars.

FSBrewer · 06-26-2008, 12:28 AM

Thanks, I just read this thread http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/ and it looks easier than I thought it would be. Would it be OK if I stored the yeast in a capped beer bottle in the fridge or shouldn't it be capped that tight? I don't have that kind of small mason jar.