Yeast wash

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rewster451

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I've read a lot of posts on Yeast Washing, as well as exploring some other sites. I have the 1084 Wyeast from the Imperial Stout's primary carboy in the fridge. It's been there for about two weeks. It has separated into a lot of sludge and a little liquid on top.

I plan on dumping the liquid on top, adding water, and shaking it up, like I've read to do. But here's what concerns me. They say to wait for it to settle out, and dump the water off the sludge, and save the water. So, my question is, do the other things you don't want in there settle to the bottom faster than yeast, or did I just read this wrong, and you want to save the sludge, which seems right to me.
 
Generally speaking, the non-yeast settles faster. I usually dump my trub with some water into a big 1g pitcher my wife has and let it settle for an hour. By then there's a pretty decent trub on the bottom of the pitcher and I decant the lighter liquid into as many jars as I want to save and refrigerate them. After a day or two there is a 1/4" or so whitish-tan yeast cake on the bottom with clear amber liquid above it (which I decant prior to making a starter).
 
Thanks everyone. I'm going to try this soon. If it is contaminated in the process, is there a way to know this before I use it?
 
The best way to tell if it's bad is to smell it. If that doesn't work...taste it.

Of course, the bad thing about this is you have to know what you are tasting for. This is one of the reasons I sample everything at every stage.

OK, I'm picky, but I'm not anal.

On the other hand...you may get a kick out of this...I like tomato juice, soup and BLENDED salsa...I DO NOT like tomatoes or catsup...I like oranges...I DO NOT like orange juice...I like pineapples...I DO NOT like pineapple juice...I like grapefuit...I DO NOT like grapefuit juice...I like apple juice...I DO NOT like apples...I like mushroom gravy...I DO NOT like mushrooms...there's more so I won't bore you any further...but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night and I LIKE BEER A WHOLE LOT!!! :D
 
That's some funny stuff. I like all things tomato except for catsup. Catsup is the most vile condiment on god's green earth. Down with catsup!

Oh, and about the yeast wash... There was ice on top of my sample. Is that going to kill the yeast. My instincts say it might not kill them but it might mess with the flavor it produces.
 
Beermaker said:
Catsup is excellent unless its Heinz! Then it sux! Just like the democrate ho who ownes the company. Down with liberals......:mad:
That statement is totally uncalled for on this forum...there are plenty of places on the net where political discussions are appropriate, both considered and drunken. Please don't ruin this place for the rest of us.
 
El Pistolero said:
That statement is totally uncalled for on this forum...there are plenty of places on the net where political discussions are appropriate, both considered and drunken. Please don't ruin this place for the rest of us.


Yep. Let's please keep anything political out of this forum.
 
I've never found that someone's political affiliation affected the taste of their cooking.:)

These guys are right, stuff like that gets ugly quick. Let's save our disagreements for things like White Labs vs. Wyeast.
 
Beermaker said:
God you bunch of weenies cant even take a facetious comment. Spose youd get your panties in a wad if i said baseball sux, cause thay are all over paid whiners. Its ajoke...haha chuckle chuckle.....not trying to persuade you from the dark side......but i digress, sorry to offend you all.:rolleyes:
Generally a facetious comment is accompanied by a little winky thingy...like this: ;) or in your case one of the "I'm drunk" :)drunk: :cross: ) icons would have helped us determine your intent.
 
El Pistolero said:
That statement is totally uncalled for on this forum...there are plenty of places on the net where political discussions are appropriate, both considered and drunken. Please don't ruin this place for the rest of us.


Too late. :(
 
Umm.... so, ice in the yeast? It was on top, where it was all liquid. None of the yeast itself froze.

Or are we stuck on catsup and liberals?;)
 
rewster451 said:
Umm.... so, ice in the yeast? It was on top, where it was all liquid. None of the yeast itself froze.

Or are we stuck on catsup and liberals?;)
ice doesn't kill yeast. I am a chef and at work we cold retard our baked goods in the freezer and bring them up to room tem and then bake them off with no problems. The yeast bounces back right away. If the cold affected the yeast places that dropped below freezing wouldn't have any wild yeast, it would die every winter.

Hope this helps

John
 
Nwcw2001 said:
ice doesn't kill yeast. I am a chef and at work we cold retard our baked goods in the freezer and bring them up to room tem and then bake them off with no problems. The yeast bounces back right away. If the cold affected the yeast places that dropped below freezing wouldn't have any wild yeast, it would die every winter.

Hope this helps

John

I'm a scientist and I can tell you that ice DOES kill yeast no if and or butts about it. Its not as effective as an autoclave, boiling, bleach ect but it will kill yeast and bacteria. More specifically the formation of ice crystals around/in the cell membrane is the main culpret for cell death. This is why all if not all of the frozen stocks of yeast in the world are stored in glycerol (or DMSO) to change how the ice crystals form. As for your second comment "freezing" of surface water on a large scale (i.e. outside) is not the same a freezing a cell in a freezer. There is never a complete freezing in nature almost always there is liquid water present, insulated areas, warm pockets ect. Finally in a baking situation there are couple of different reasons one is macromolecular stabilization. The majority of yeast still die but enough remain to proof the item. In pre-formed, pre-proofed uncooked bakery items most of the yeast are dead all you need is the CO2/water to reamin in the breadie item in order for it to work.

As for yeast washing. If you didn't freeze the entire item, your good to go. When you wash make sure it is sterile water. Also as others stated do a smell and taste test during the starter. Washing without differential centrifugation or acid wash will also wash any contimating bacteria. If you use good sanitary/sterile technique you should be fine but its a good thing to double check.

Good luck!

-Eric
 
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