Dark gray layer on top of yeast sample

I am planning on making a starter tonight from this sample of WLP585 I collected from a starter in January. I have done this plenty of times before (grow extra yeast in my starters for later use) with other strains, but I have never experienced this dark layer on top of the yeast before. It does not smell unusual. Is this okay to still use? Thanks in advance for the help.

I get this sometimes also. I still use it in the starter. I believe its likely just lysed cells. Looks like you have a good amount of healthy yeast there so if it were me I wouldn't worry.

Do you pitch the liquid matter on top of the yeast? If not, then when disposing of it (I would) dispose of the darker layer also. If so, then geter while the gettins good!!!!!!

Ah, I decanted, swirled and pitched it into my starter wort. Seems fine. I briefly considered siphoning it off, but I just went for it. I know my sanitation is solid and it did not smell unusual. So, yeah.

Brew day is tomorrow morning, I guess I will see the outcome in about 6 weeks.

How did it work out? I noticed something similar on my washed yeast collection.

Everything went fine with this batch. It fermented quick and clean. In hindsight, I wish I would have harvested this generation of yeast. I know sometimes things don’t get really good until the 3rd generation, but I basically had written off this yeast and its weird flocculating. Oh well.

Right now I am trying out WLP565 as my choice of Saison yeast. I have already tried WLP566 and 3711. I miss 3711.

I may add half a vial of WLP566 to a harvested batch of WLP565 at some point. I also think I have a few Saison bottles with 585 in the cellar. That might be a good one to add back to the DuPont bloodline as well.

Good to know, thanks.