What is the difference between Slanting yeast and getting yeast from the fermenter?

rjsnau said:

Slanting is used for long term storage of yeast. 9 months to a year. But you are only saving a very small amount f yeast on the slant so you have to build it up in several generations of starters. It is more work and more chance for an infection but you can go several months between uses of yeast vs repitching or just saving the yeast is only Said to last a few weeks. You can also use a slant to creat a new slant to give to a friend or extend the life further. It is a lot of work though to save $8 and I only do it for limited release strains.

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Elysium said:

Thanks for the info. Is there a way to save the sediment from a fermenter for longer? For 3-4 months....and use it to pitch without suffering less yeast productivity....

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BlackGoat said:

Some people do save it for longer (read up on yeast washing), but they will lose viability as they age. Depending on how much you save/wash you really should use that yeast to make a yeast starter and not just trust it to be ready to pitch, especially if you're going more than a couple weeks.

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454k30 said:

A starter isn't bringing them back to life perse. It does re-energize the still living yeast cells and gets them to start reproducing again. You will want to do a starter to ensure that you have enough living yeast to pitch, and so you know you aren't just dumping a jar full of dead yeast in your brew.

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MindenMan said:

I have been using the same ESB 1968 yeast, since last year. I don't know how many batches I have "recycled" from the original. I don't bother to get all anal retentive about washing the yeast cake. I just get a sterile scoop, a sterile 1qt bottle, and fill it with the yeast cake/trub. I then put it in the fridge and forget about it until I need yeast again. I warm the yeast up to room temperature, add 2 cups of cooled, boiled with sugar water, wait a couple hours, and pitch 2 or 3 cups depending of wort volume. So far 4 hours has been the longest time it it has taken me to see airlock activity.

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Elysium said:

Thanks a lot. Good info. I am wondering how much sugar you put in it? I guess just a bit so that it wouldnt affect your wort.

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