Scored of some Free Yeast

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dmcoates

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So i just got about 8lbs of WLP002 English Ale Yeast slurry for a Mirco Brewery in my town.

Have any of you guys done this, should i use Mr. Malty for the amount to pitch. Its a fairly thick slurry. What sucks is that there is no possible way i can use it all in the next 4-6 weeks. I think i might have to dump most of it down the drain.

How long will it last in the fridge, i was think maybe 4 weeks with no starter, maybe up to 3 months if i use starters?
 
Is the slurry just yeast? Or is there hot/cold break, hops, etc... in it. In other words, did it come from before or after fermentation?

If it's just yeast, maybe look into banking the yeast for future use. One method I follow is to freeze the yeast in sterile vials (with glycerine so that ice crystals don't burst the yeast cells). I got started by following this tutorial: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/guide-making-frozen-yeast-bank-35891/

8 lbs is quite alot thought :D
 
There won't be hot break or hops in commercial slurry. They usually at least get the basics right.
 
There is very minimal trub and break material. They have a 14 bbl conical so they dump most of the trub after it settles.

YA its alot of yeast.

Its good for the septic, but before i do that i am going to give the guys in the Brew club a call
 
I'd treat it no different than if someone gave me a free smack pack. Figure out how much slurry you need with Mr Malty, make a beer, reharvest the cake from the bottom of the beer.

Assuming your sanitation is good, the yeast at the bottom of the beer shouldn't be any worse than your bucket, and it will be fresher.
 
I would us it as is for maybe a week, after that I would take a teaspoon or two and make a starter. After about 4 weeks I would toss it. My re-pitching results have been very hit or miss if I don't reuse it very soon after fermentation has finished. IMO people doing 4 week primaries should never re-pitch slurry.

If you can find friends to share it with great but don't feel bad about dumping it, the brewery is dumping plenty of it (or perhaps giving it to farmers). If they like you you should be able to get as much as you want on a weekly basis if you provide a sanitized container at a convenient time.
 
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