Yeast question

[moto36]

How long can yeast remain alive once activated? If the fermentable sugars are gone after a week, how do the yeast remain alive during the 2 week secondary stage without any food source?

 

[Orfy]

There is enough to keep some of them alive, they will slow down if there is less food and ideally a secondary will be at a lower temperature than primary which will help slow the metabolic rate. If you think, yeast last for months dried or in the smack pack with no food.

There is probably a better detail sientific explanation that also takes into account the growth cycle of the yeast etc. but the above is how I see it.

 

[treehouse]

When the yeast see that "food" is getting scarce, they have the capability to store nutrients and then they go dormant. When they find "food" again, they use the stored nutrients to make more yeast. To put it in more scientific terms: they get fat, they lie on the couch, then they have sex and then they drink beer...