Old yeast ?

[EO74]

When is it too late to wash yeast?Ive been yeast washing for a while now but ive also started not using a secondary which means longer in primary to clear up via advice on brewtalk.So my question is when is the yeast too old to wash ?Mine is around 5 weeks in primary?

 

[android]

you should be fine to wash it at 5 weeks. i've used washed yeast a few times without making a starter with it and i would recommend making a starter just to wake it up a bit... unless it's really fresh.

 

[BuzzCraft]

i agree with the above. my experience is that after yeast has been sitting in the primary that long, it should be pitched in a starter before re-using.

i've pitched a ton (well 24+ oz) of slurry from 4-5 week old yeast cakes on more than one occasion and experienced much longer lag times than I care for. YMMV.

 

[Revvy]

I've never had any issues with washing the yeast I have after my usual month long primaries.

 

[rico567]

I just finished my first complete cycle of yeast washing. I used the equipment shown in the video running around this forum (I already had all the jars & etc. from home canning so it was not much of a jump), and everything went just as shown.

I used the yeast cake (Wyeast 1056) from a double IPA that had been in the primary for exactly three weeks. I came out with three pint jars of yeast. At three weeks in the fridge, I pitched two of those jars on a barleywine, and had signs of fermentation within 4-5 hours. Yesterday, at 4 weeks, I pitched the remaining jar on an Amarillo Ale (this time just cold pitching), and had vigorous bubbling of the airlock overnight.

Conclusion: with this yeast, even with an extended primary, the washed yeast will produce a good fermentation, whether warmed or not, and no need for a starter.

 

[EO74]

I just wasnt sure if there was a point of no return in the primary,because i love not having to use a secondary but that means the yeast is not as fresh