Bottled Yeast

[mongrell]

I've been collecting the yeast from my secondary and bottling it. As in pouring it into a sanitized bottle and capping it. After that I label it and stick it in a refrigerator. Is that an okay long term storage method?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Sure is, but most/many wash the yeast from the primary...some from the secondary...too late...can of worms opened...long drawn out debate to follow...

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I made the mistake of bottling a yeast cake without washing it once. When I opened those bottles the entire contents hit the ceiling in about .5 seconds flat.

Now I thoroughly wash all of my yeast.

 

[BREW N QUE]

I don't think it's a good Idea to cap a bottle of yeast. I've been storing mine in baby food jars and I have to loosten the cap from time to time to let off some pressure. Even if the pressure isn't enough to make the bottle explode, I think the pressure will harm the yeast.

 

[mongrell]

Why would there be presure increase if there is no fermentation going on?

 

[BREW N QUE]

Even the slighest bit of fermentation will build pressure quickly. I think it's because of the high number of yeast in relation to the size of the container. After the yeast completly go dormant I have noticed that no more pressure is built up, but that usually takes a couple weeks in the refrigerator even weeks after the batch of beer is done fermenting. I think you will be fine, just be carefull when you open the bottles. I have noticed that when you open a vial of White Labs yeast there is some pressure. I'm not sure if that is from the yeast or warming the vial up to pitching temperatures.