Wet yeast

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

nittanybevo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
55
Reaction score
1
Location
Pittsburgh
Tomorrow I'm getting my first batch of wet yeast. I'm planning on using it for my Pumpkin Ale...which I wasn't going to brew for a few more weeks. Since I haven't used wet yeast yet, any words of wisdom on how to keep it until i'm ready?
 
Do you mean liquid yeast?

Make a starter. That's the most important thing you can do with liquid yeast.

It's really a good idea to make starters when using ANY liguid yeast for all beers above 1.020 OG...

The biggest reason I suggest folks make a starter is if you make one you'll have peace of mind. It's especially important if you have questionable situation happenning with your yeast, like not being sure the yeast arrived healthy. ;)

And you won't be starting an "is my yeast dead" thread in a couple of days.

Making a starter first insures that your yeast is still alive and viable before you dump it in your beer. You will be less likely to start one of those "is my yeast dead?" threads that are on here every day.

You will also ensure that you have enough yeast usually the tubes and smack packs are a lot less yeast that you really should use for healthy fermentation.

Making a starter also usually means your beer will take off sooner, because the first thing that the little buggers do in the presence of wort (whether in a flask or in a fermenter) is have an orgy to reproduce enough cells to do the job...So it won't take such a long time in the fermenter since they started doing it in the flask.

Additionally it is better for the yeast to consume and reproduce incrementally rather than just dumping them into the fermenter...The yeast will be less stressed out than if you just dump them in.

Stressed out yeast can lead to a lot of off flavors...maybe even (though rare) the dreaded autolysis....Or the curse of 1.030....getting a stuck fermentation because the yeast have bit the dust.

So making a starter proves your yeast is still healthy, allows you to grow enough yeast to do the job, cuts down on lag time, and ensures that you will not get off flavors or stuck ferementations from stressed out yeast.

You won't have to worry about storing it since you'll be using it already.
 
The only thing you're missing is a link to the 'how to make a starter' page. And, how long can it stay in the starter? I guess worst case is if I mess it up, I can run out to LHBS and get another pack...wouldn't be the first time I dumped 6 bucks down the drain.
 
As posted in response #2. You make a starter a few days before brewing, not yet.
If you make a starter and can't brew then refrigerate it, but making a starter several weeks early makes no sense unless for some reason you doubted that it was still alive.


And I like "wet" yeast as contrasted to "dry" yeast - sounds better than liquid yeast.
 
I am actually not fond of making starters unless the gravity of the beer absolutely requires it. Sacrelidge, I know (looking at you "Reevy").

Over time, you will learn the cause and effect of yeast chemical pathways, ester production, other byproduct effects.

Liquid/Wet yeast definitely has it's place in the spice of life but Dry yeast is much less "fussy" and nearly as ecclectic. So to speak.
 
See I think of Wet yeast as being the yeast known as "Fresh Yeast" or "Cake Yeast" that is a big WET brick of yeast. That has to be stored in the fridge.

RS-CakeYeast.gif


yeast-cake.jpg


And back in the bad ole days of homebrewing prohibition was pretty much all folks had to bake with, along with their cans or "Blue Ribbon Malt Extract."
 
Back
Top