For those who are using agar/malt slants to store yeast strains, what kind of shelf life are you getting and how are you storing them?
I have been slanting my yeast for 2 years now and am just now having issues. I slanted a Wyeast 1968 ESB yeast almost exactly 2 years ago. I make up 3 tubes of each strain, wait until I get some nice visible yeast, then I store them in the fridge. Last fall, I had one tube fail and went to another. It was fine. This week, I went to the same set and had another failure. I tried the remaining sample and didn't see any activity, so I went to my LHBS for a fresh smack pack. Well, the third sample actually finally took off and I do have a nice bit of yeast in the first stage starter. (15 CC's)
What is everyone else experiencing?
I have been slanting my yeast for 2 years now and am just now having issues. I slanted a Wyeast 1968 ESB yeast almost exactly 2 years ago. I make up 3 tubes of each strain, wait until I get some nice visible yeast, then I store them in the fridge. Last fall, I had one tube fail and went to another. It was fine. This week, I went to the same set and had another failure. I tried the remaining sample and didn't see any activity, so I went to my LHBS for a fresh smack pack. Well, the third sample actually finally took off and I do have a nice bit of yeast in the first stage starter. (15 CC's)
What is everyone else experiencing?
