WLP029 harvesting question.

[seafra]

This is my first time to harvest WLP029 for reuse. Please look at the sediment layers and tell me which you presume to be the viable yeast. I've always noticed that WLP029 is distinctly brown in yeast starters on my stir plate. So, I'm a bit confused about which layers is viable yeast: the creamy whiter layer or the browner layer on top of it (not the beer at the very top)?

I should note that I use stainless conical fermenters and made two small trub dumps from the conicals: 1 after primary finished and another the day before kegging. The washed yeast is in a 2 liter separatory funnel and is from a 12 gallon batch of Kolsh. The Kolsh pitch was the slurry from a 6 liter stir plate starter.

 

[bottlebomber]

First of all, I want to say that that thing is friggin cool. Next, I can assure you that the lighter layer is always the yeast. There is a lot of yeast in the darker layer as well, but the lighter layer is more pure.

 

[seafra]

Thanks, bottlebomber! Just wasn't sure about which yeast layer. The darker one looks more like WLP029 in the White Labs vial and my starters have always looked like a chocolate shake with this yeast.

I'm diggin' the separatory funnel for yeast harvesting. Its nice to be able to draw off from the bottom of the vessel. The only problem is that the valve port is a bit narrow; so, if I let it settle for more than 15 minutes I have to poke an inoculation loop up from the bottom to get the braun hefe chunks through the valve. Stuff settles fast in these funnels.

 

[bottlebomber]

I'm guessing the vial was a little bit on the old side - I've propagated brownish looking yeast from expired vials before, and they grew into nice white creamy yeast.

 

[pabloj13]

first of all, i want to say that that thing is friggin cool. Next, i can assure you that the lighter layer is always the yeast. There is a lot of yeast in the darker layer as well, but the lighter layer is more pure.

+1

 

[seafra]

New question about this yeast harvest...

After keeping the WLP029 that I had harvested (pictured above) in the fridge overnight, I did a 2cd wash this morning. I tasted some of wash from the bottom of the funnel and there is a distinct soapy flavor. Could I have incurred autolysis or an infection!? I was VERY careful with sanitation and the Kolsh that it fermented was fine.

 

[bottlebomber]

I don't know if you tasted the yeast before you used it, but 029 isn't very pleasant tasting as yeasts go. It produces a lot of sulfur. Ok I did you solid and tasted some from an open vial I have that I use for adding to lagers before I bottle. It tastes like Palmolive lol. So I think you're fine there.

 

[seafra]

You da' Man, bottlebomber! Really appreciate that.