Washing yeast problem? HELP!!!!

[JKHomebrew]

Guys,

In January I washed some yeast from the slurry of a honey beer batch that I used a Wyeast pack starter to make, I followed the directions on this site for washing yeast, it appeared to have gone good, while yesturday afternoon I pulled one jar out of the fridge and let it get to room temp, then last night around 8 i boiled 2 cups of malt in 5 cups of water then cooled to 70 and pitched in the washed yeast, at this point today 12 hours later nothing

What happened?

Did I do something wrong?

 

[llazy_llama]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/

The answer was literally 2 inches away from the Post New Thread button. You were so close!

 

[JKHomebrew]

Thanks,

I am used to it going crazy in such a short time using the Wyeast packs, I am supposed to brew on Weds i will see what happens as the day goes on,

Thanks again,

Could have I killed the yeast somehow, I have made starters at the same time I washed the yeast and it worked great, maybe it takes longer when the yeast was in the fridge

 

[llazy_llama]

No worries. I generally use White Labs or just plain ol' Nottingham, and I usually don't see any signs for at least 16 hours.

I doubt very much that if you followed the direction in Yeast Washing Illustrated you killed your yeast. Even if you froze it somehow, you'd only be losing around 10% viability.

 

[joety]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-stirplate-cheap-easy-build-86252/

Build it and you'll never have to ask this question again. Last fermentation started in a few hours using a four month old Wyeast pack smacked the night before.

 

[mosyslack]

One of the first times that I had ever used washed yeast, it seemed like it had a very mellow growth process in the starter. There was no krausen, but after a few days of shaking and swirling, it changed to a creamy color (growth) and I pitched it in the planned brew. It took off, no problem.

 

[conpewter]

Your starter may have fermented out too quickly to see, have you pulled a small sample and tasted it?

 

[cubbies]

at this point today 12 hours later nothing

What happened?

Did I do something wrong?

First things first, a starter can, and quite often does, completely ferment out in 12 hours. How do you know that it has not done anything?

Also, I want to mention that I too had my problems with washing yeast and went a different direction. Basically what I do now is make a starter twice as big as I need to and save half off, and pitch half. That way I know that I am getting nothing but healthy viable yeast in storage. Minimal trub, minimal dead cells, minimal resins/oils etc etc. Works for me, but to each their own. You can read here if you are interested.

 

[riromero]

First things first, a starter can, and quite often does, completely ferment out in 12 hours. How do you know that it has not done anything?

Also, I want to mention that I too had my problems with washing yeast and went a different direction. Basically what I do now is make a starter twice as big as I need to and save half off, and pitch half. That way I know that I am getting nothing but healthy viable yeast in storage. Minimal trub, minimal dead cells, minimal resins/oils etc etc. Works for me, but to each their own. You can read here if you are interested.

I've always wondered about that but never tried it in the heat of the brewing moment. I used White Labs vials of yeast that seem to have only about 1/2" of yeast on the bottom. I've always thought I should pitch this store bought yeast into a starter, let it go to town, and then refill the vial and put it back into the fridge, before pitching the main portion of the starter into the wort. That way I'd have an everlasting supply of yeast strains to choose from. Should work, right? Wrong?

 

[PseudoChef]

Starters are for growing yeast, not for fermentation, remember. Yes, it will ferment out, but that time period before you see any visible signs of fermentation is when the yeast are absorbing and metabolising the nutrients in the wort provided, and processing through their cell cycle. Make sure your starter is just covered with foil, no airlock, and give it some intermittent shaking if you do not have a stirplate.

 

[JKHomebrew]

Guys,

Just thought I would let you know that as of this morning the starter finally got going, about 1 " of foam and activity, must be a slow start, I plan on brewing tonight

Thanks for all the help and guideance

 

[JKHomebrew]

Brewing went great, I pitched the starter in at 9 last night and this morning it is doing great with a ton of activity, I am sold on washing yeast,

Thanks again

 

[Cookiebaggs]

Brewing went great, I pitched the starter in at 9 last night and this morning it is doing great with a ton of activity, I am sold on washing yeast,

Thanks again

Awesome! Glad it worked out for you.

A stirplate would be a good investment. They are not that hard to build.