Would you reuse this yeast?

[kerant]

Used 3787 Trappist to make a Belgian Double (this is 4th gen); made starter but after over 2 weeks this beer is still chugging away. Took a reading OG 1085, FG 1030 so I know that's not low enough. Only yeast I had around was S5 washed so I poured some slurry ( about 125 ml) and swirled. That got it to where I need it but wondering if I should just toss this yeast after since its basically now a mutation. Would you agree?

 

[newbe]

I'm still learning about yeast but it sounds like it has seen it's better days. I'd retire it ...

 

[beeber]

Brewing a high gravity beer like a Dubble will stress the yeast. I would not reuse that.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm still learning to juggle yeast too.

The best I've come up with is making a good size starter from the vial or smack pack, pour half into another jar for keeps and grow a new starter to pitch from the leftover half. Apparently you can keep doing this, since the reserved jar is always 1st generation.

If you know you're going to use it a lot, you could distribute over 3 jars (1/4 each), although it may be better/easier to reserve halves instead, and rejuvenate each time you split the starter.
Leave the starter beer on top of the reserve jars.

 

[tagz]

I would toss it and start fresh. I pushed two strains too far and it feels like a waste of ingredients to learn that it's spent after a batch shows off flavors.

 

[solbes]

Yeah you don't know what strain your really have now. I'd cast a vote for TOSS. BTW, you can wash yeast from 3787 (even from Dubbels or Tripels) and make a fresh starter and still make good beer on subsequent batches. I've done it many times.

Best thing has been to make a belgian blonde or patersbier and wash that yeast for higher gravity Belgians though.

 

[billl]

Toss it. 3787 should have had no trouble on its own, so you know for sure it wasn't optimal even before you contaminated it with other yeast.

 

[peterj]

Used 3787 Trappist to make a Belgian Double (this is 4th gen); made starter but after over 2 weeks this beer is still chugging away. Took a reading OG 1085, FG 1030 so I know that's not low enough. Only yeast I had around was S5 washed so I poured some slurry ( about 125 ml) and swirled. That got it to where I need it but wondering if I should just toss this yeast after since its basically now a mutation. Would you agree?

Well it's not a mutation, there's just 2 different yeast strains present now and no way to seperate them. So I would also vote for tossing them because there's no way to know which strain will be more prominent so you're results will be unpredictable. Also, as someone said before it sounds like your 3787 wasn't doing to well to begin with. If you don't mind experimenting though it could be interesting, but I wouldn't use it on an expensive batch or one that you cared too much about.

 

[Thakaz]

Brewing a high gravity beer like a Dubble will stress the yeast. I would not reuse that.

I generally go this route when brewing a big beer, and to echo other posters, it's a better practice to harvest yeast from an oversized starter then to wash the yeast after primary. Not to mention, it's much easier.

 

[khawk95]

Brewing a high gravity beer like a Dubble will stress the yeast. I would not reuse that.

Agree with this.


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