What is the best way to store Brett

Calder · Oct 20, 2013

I have an all-Brett beer going right now. It is about 4 weeks since brewing. I plan on racking to a secondary later today (glass carboy) to free up the HDPE fermenter it is now in.

What is the best way to harvest and store the yeast. It will be several months before I will be using it.

My current plan is just to swirl up the sediment in the empty fermenter and pour it into sanitized mason jars and store in fridge until needed.

When I need it next, I'll wash it at that time and make a quick starter.

What would you do?

Austin_ · Oct 20, 2013

Store at room temp. I think Chad Yakobson's research showed it stores better at room temp rather than chilled.

spenghali · Oct 21, 2013

Johnnyhitch1 · Oct 21, 2013

This is interesting, would love to hear more on the room temp storage.

Austin_ · Oct 21, 2013

It was in one of the podcasts I listened to where they interviewed Chad. Can't remember for certain, but I believe it was Sunday Session. It was either that or the Music City brewers presentation.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/866 Give that one a listen. I think it's in there. Even if it's not, your mind will still be blown by the amount of Brett knowledge Yakobson drops.

jhay_x7 · Oct 24, 2013

Austin_ said:
It was in one of the podcasts I listened to where they interviewed Chad. Can't remember for certain, but I believe it was Sunday Session. It was either that or the Music City brewers presentation.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/866 Give that one a listen. I think it's in there. Even if it's not, your mind will still be blown by the amount of Brett knowledge Yakobson drops.

Yup, that is the correct episode. If I remember correctly, there are more viable Brett yeast when stored at room temp than if stored cold. Even 6 month cold storage made a large impact on viability.