Washed Yeast Storage Time

[sgoehner]

Hey everyone, been a while since I have been on here and at least that long since I brewed, but I have a question now that I have a brew coming up, actually 3, this weekend.

I brewed a Scotch ale for my Dad back in March and washed and stored a bunch of the yeast. Well I am making that beer again this weekend and have no idea if the yeast is still good. In a normal size mason jar I have about 3 inches of yeast with the water/beer on top of that.

It has been refrigerated the whole time, but I don't know how to tell if it is bad by looking at it. I was planning on making my starter tomorrow, if I even need one with that much yeast but that is another question, but if it is likely bad I can just as easily buy more.

What say the great minds of HBT?

 

[BigRob]

Use a starter, that's what I do with washed yeast that sits longer than a month or so.

 

[jwalker1140]

I'd say if it's the color of peanut butter or darker, toss it. Otherwise, I'd pitch it to a starter and if it takes off you're golden. I'd discard all of the water/beer except what's necessary to get the yeast loose enough to pour (maybe an inch?) and dump it all in. What I definitely would not do is pitch it straight to your wort. Good luck!

 

[sgoehner]

I'd say if it's the color of peanut butter or darker, toss it. Otherwise, I'd pitch it to a starter and if it takes off you're golden. I'd discard all of the water/beer except what's necessary to get the yeast loose enough to pour (maybe an inch?) and dump it all in. What I definitely would not do is pitch it straight to your wort. Good luck!

I have heard the peanut butter color comment before, but my issue is it was a fairly dark color when I first put it in a jar. Maybe I didn't wash well enough or correctly, it is not the brown of peanut butter, but not white either. I have the supplies, so might just do the starter tomorrow and if it fails, oh well, I but some more.

 

[jwalker1140]

Washed yeast, once it settles, should be about the same color as the yeast in a White Labs vial. I realize it may start out darker and that the water/beer on top may be darker, but the washed yeast that eventually settles out should be pretty light in color. If your's isn't, i'd recommend taking a close look at your washing process for next time. This time, what the hey, give it a try.

 

[McGlothan]

No harm in trying to wake it up in a starter. you will know quickly if it is viable yeast. I made a starter out of yeast that was washed and put into the fridge 4 months ago and it is vigorously fermenting a 1.076 OG beer perfectly! Since you put the effort into washing it, give it a shot before you dump it.

 

[Transamguy77]

No harm in making a starter, I've used yeast that has been in the fridge that was a year old after making a starter.

 

[iowabrew]

I also have used 1yr old yeast that i washed with great results. I actually just did this last week. Just make a small starter and step it up once or twice.