Infection from Re-Pitch

[asdtexas]

I have had two infections this year which are the only two in my 10 years of brewing. Both times I harvested some of the yeast cake and poured the yeast into sanitized mason jars. On both occasions I decanted the liquid off and pitched. These were probably an average of 2.5 months old. Each time the yeast smelled fine. Each time the fermentation happened very fast and I did no see much krausen. The taste was the same and it is "horse hair" or a Bretamyoses (spelling?) infection.

1. Would making a yeast starter have helped
2. Was the yeast too old or infected

Thoughts appreciated

 

[Jawbox0]

I can't say that it was in your case, but the only infection I've had in the last two years came from a repitch. I'm not saying give it up or anything like that, just that I need to review my yeast handling sanitation if I'm going to repitch.

1) Seems like a long time, a starter would help make certain you had a decent population of viable yeast, not necessarily prevent an infection.
2) Too old, maybe... a starter would have helped. Infected... very likely that something about your yeast handling caused the infection. I couldn't say though, you'd have to go step by step on your procedure and where you sanitized along the way.

 

[wonderbread23]

Maybe just off flavors from stressed yeast? 2.5 months is awfully long to pitch harvested yeast without a starter. Also, if the yeast were weak, brett might have had a chance to gain a foot hold before your saccro was up for the fermentation. The other possibility is not using sanitary procedures to harvest and package the saved yeast.