My yeast starters are less vigorous when I use recycled yeast?

Video:

• Watch it in HD to see the bubbles better
• This yeast is roughly 2 months old

Text:

I've just started down the righteous path of the saved/washed/reused yeast brewer. Got a nice little collection of jars going in my fridge.

This is the second time I've made a starter using this recycled yeast and I feel like the results have been underwhelming.

When I use "fresh" liquid yeast, my starters are like little yeast volcanoes. The yeast is overflowing and the krausen pushes hard against the foil lid on my 1000ml flask.

When I use the same yeast, recycled from a previous batch, I've noticed a few things:

1. They take a long time to get going
2. When they do get going, I almost never get a krausen up top.
3. The yeast smell (baking bread aroma) is barely present (comparatively.)

My theory: The count of healthy cells in my little jars is just so low that it takes longer for the yeast to reproduce and get to the density level I'm used to.

Are you saving the yeast from primary or secondary? How cold is your fridge (no ice forming in your jars)?

DrawTap88 said:

Are you saving the yeast from primary or secondary? How cold is your fridge (no ice forming in your jars)?

Click to expand...

Primary.

Fridge is pretty cold, and just right below freezing.

jeremydgreat said:

Primary.

Fridge is pretty cold, and just right below freezing.

Click to expand...

Assume you meant just above freezing

I experience the same thing occasionally. Be sure you allow the east to warm up to pitching temperature. Also your assumption is correct that there are a lot I dead cells mixed in and viability is always questionable after a period of time.

Also are you re-using yeast that had already been reused more than once? That too could have a profound effect on its overall ability to function optimally.

Sorry, yeah- Just above freezing. :cross:

Quick update- they yeast did start taking off about 24 hours later and it's been a pretty solid fermentation. Hopefully it's viable enough to reach my final gravity. Looking pretty good so far. Last time I made this IIPA I definitely needed a blow-off tube. This time, though the bubbles have been steady, I just left the bubbler on. My hope is that it will be a full fermentation even if it didn't have the huge spike I would have seen from using "fresh" yeast.

So this is a little late, what color was the yeast in the jar before you added it to the starter? Light brown or creamy? How did it turn out, or has it turned out?