Are mason jars a must?

[eadavis80]

I have been reading and watching several youtube clips on harvesting yeast. Sounds like a good way to 1) save a few bucks and 2) expand my knowledge of this hobby. My question is this - when harvesting yeast, do you have to use mason jars or can I keep harvested yeast in any glass jar as long as it's properly clean and sanitized? I just finished off a jar of Smuckers jelly this morning and wondered if I could use that for yeast harvesting after I clean, boil and sanitize it. Sorry if this is a dumb question, but I don't want to ruin an entire batch simply because of the type of jar I use.

 

[Braufessor]

I don't see why that would not work. Run it through a hot dishwasher (or clean and boil), rinse it well some more (to get rid of any soap residue), Starsan to sanitize and you should be good to go......

I think a lot of people use mason jars because they are just handy, cheap to buy a box of 12 of them, perfect size, easy to clean/sanitize, etc......

 

[flars]

Mason jars are also nice to use because the seal is separate from ring which forms the lid assembly. Some other types of jar lids have seals that do not perform well after the first intended use. You can use sanitized aluminum foil, on those jars where the lid has become ineffective, to make a seal.

 

[Darwin18]

You can use any container you want so long as you sanitize it correctly. Also be aware that pressure may build up in that container so have a way for it to vent.

 

[Omahawk]

An added bonus is the ml markings on the side - once cold and the yeast settles, you can see how much slurry you have.

 

[kingwood-kid]

You can use any container you want so long as you sanitize it correctly. Also be aware that pressure may build up in that container so have a way for it to vent.

I use the 1/2 liter water bottles that seem to be ubiquitous these days. With a little bleach, they're sterile. The screwcap makes it easy to vent. They're free, and I don't worry about dropping them. But if you really like glass, beer bottles work great too.

 

[broadbill]

The thing I don't like about mason jars is the 2 piece lid design, and they will rust/corrode over time. I would suggest getting a box of the plastic lids they fit them.

 

[jekeane]

Ive seen a few people use glass Starbucks frappucino type bottles. I found some great lab type 500ml bottles pretty cheap.

 

[Felixio]

I grew up in a house where we canned out own fruit and jelly, so I have been around mason jars my whole life and love them for a number of reasons:

The lids are easily replacable. I buy one fresh box of rings every year and swap out the older ones that are showing wear. I also keep several boxes of the flat lids on hand (I don't trust a rubber seal after it's been heated, the jar leaves an impression that's hard to get out, so when I go to clean the jar, I toss out the lid).

With my vacuum sealer attachment, they create the perfect container for adjunct grains. Brewing both 5 and 1 gallon batches, I have a tendancy to over buy most of my grains (unmilled), exactly measure them on my much more accurate scale at home, and I store the extra in a vacuum sealed mason jar. (I also use them to store rice, oats, dried fruit, home grown herbs, and a few other things at home.)

I still make spaghetti sauce and stewed tomatoes to this day. And every year my mom sends jellies over (of course, she gets wine and beer in return).

They come in a number of sizes. I have the 4oz jars for my small yeast samples that I treat like a normal vial, I have pints for small starters (first steps), I have quarts for full-sized starters and yeast washing. I use a pressure cooker to jar all of my starter wort, to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum (aka - botulism)

The straight sided ones can be frozen. I would only use pint or smaller, as even the large mouth quarts still have a little bit of a collar to them that I wouldn't trust in the freezer.

And this is all on top of the fact that I constantly have a large selection of jars at hand, just sitting in the basement. And if I run out, I could always run out to the local store and buy a case. (I have one store that keeps them in stock all year long, and several others that stock them seasonally.)

 

[JonM]

I gave up on using mason jars long ago. I use sanitized beer bottles. Once I had a bottle of harvested 1450 gush when I opened it, but it works well. Just keep the bottles refrigerated.

 

[catdaddy66]

I use 8 oz jars from a food company called 'Polar' that markets fruit, mushrooms, garlic, etc. I boil and sanitize and have had no issues at all. My yeast start up strongly!


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[fmr_army]

I use whatever I can scavenge around the house. Right now I have some yeast in a smallish mason jar; starter juice (third runnings from my last mash) in two re-used spaghetti jars; and yeast in a old jam jar. And sanitizer in some more spaghetti jars. Be really thorough when you clean the spaghetti jars...

Keeping the lids from rusting is a bit tough, and I don't always get a great seal since the lids aren't made to be reused. I keep an eye on them and make sure they seal, so on the few times when they haven't sealed up, I've restarted the process.

But I'm uber-cheap. Mason jars would probably be easier.

 

[rekoob]

I used Mason jars just cuz of the wide mouth and easy to pour into.

If you use beer bottles are you "washing" in them or just final storage?

I have stored washed yeast in beer bottles and have also used them for a step up with an air lock on them but don't see how you would use them to wash yeast in, unless your using a funnel I guess.

 

[solbes]

Jut about anything works as long as it seals decent enough and is clean. I use spaghetti sauce jars alot. Also have Mason jars, pickle jars, jelly jars, etc.