Is my yeast still good?

[roggae]

ok folks here is my question: Is my yeast still good? here is the scenario: about four weeks ago i racked an amber ale and bottled the yeast cake into a sanitized growler with an airlock on it. i put the bottle in the basement on the floor which is about 40 degrees. the yeast was safale us 56. i was thinking of making a starter with it for this weekend. is there a way to tell if the yeast is still good? was it too cold? thanks everyone in advance!

 

[MriswitH]

It should be fine.

Just make a starter out of it and it should take right off for you.

There are threads around here about people freezing their cakes too (iirc), but i've never done so.

 

[roggae]

It should be fine.

Just make a starter out of it and it should take right off for you.

There are threads around here about people freezing their cakes too (iirc), but i've never done so.

this might make me a total n00b, but what is iirc? i'm assuming it is not related to mIRC....thanks

 

[rdwj]

I'm curious why you'd want to bother with saving a cake of safale us 56. Dry yeast is so cheap, it's not really worth the effort IMHO.

 

[rdwj]

this might make me a total n00b, but what is iirc? i'm assuming it is not related to mIRC....thanks

If I recall correctly

 

[boo boo]

If you followed sanitary procedures for the storage, then all you need do is pitch that sucker.
Nothing wrong with saving a dry yeast cake if you want. If it was good enough to brew your first brew with than why not a second or third. It wouldn't mutate that fast.

 

[mew]

How many batches can you get out of one original yeast cake. I don't mean to steal the thread, but I thought it was relevent.

 

[roggae]

this beer would make the second. i saved it 'cause i lie to have it on hand and good thing i did, my LHBS was out of 56...

i am very frugal in that way i guess. i compost, reuse water bottles and plastic cups, etc.....

/me is a neo hippie!!

lol

 

[boo boo]

How many batches can you get out of one original yeast cake. I don't mean to steal the thread, but I thought it was relevent.

I break down the cake into 4 vials plus what I can fit into a mason jar. The rest is tossed as I don't generally brew a brew using the same strain of yeast twice in a row.
The mason jar is kept in case I want to do a brew in the next month or so.
The vials are processed/frozen http://www.schwedhelm.net/brew/yeast_harv_freeze.html for later use.

I don't generally freeze my dry yeast cake vials as I usually have enough yeast around to do me anyway. But if I'm down to my last packet...well
waste not want not.
So using liquid yeast as a reference, I get the origional brew plus 4 vials. Total 5. Now each vial is split once again. This is as far as I'm willing to go.
so I guess that makes 21 brews from one smack pack if my math is correct.

 

[brewhead]

How many batches can you get out of one original yeast cake. I don't mean to steal the thread, but I thought it was relevent.

3 - 5 generations is what i do - some more some less