twd000
Well-Known Member
I don't have any first-hand knowledge in this area, as I just started washing yeast to re-use it for multiple fermentations.
I have heard/read a lot of concern about propagating yeast for too many (although the # differs) generations lest it "mutate" and yield off-flavors in your beer.
I'm sure this is based on some experience, but I can't figure out how it would be a problem in light of other uses of yeast. Commercial and home bread bakers commonly keep a sourdough yeast starter alive for years or even decades, refreshing them by dumping half the starter, then feeding with a flour/water mixture.
How do commercial brewers maintain their yeast? I'm sure they're not buying smack-packs from Wyeast for every batch! Aren't all these yeast strains cloned/duplicated for hundreds/thousands of generations without mutating? Is there some certified pure "yeast bank" in a vault protecting our valuable strains?
I have heard/read a lot of concern about propagating yeast for too many (although the # differs) generations lest it "mutate" and yield off-flavors in your beer.
I'm sure this is based on some experience, but I can't figure out how it would be a problem in light of other uses of yeast. Commercial and home bread bakers commonly keep a sourdough yeast starter alive for years or even decades, refreshing them by dumping half the starter, then feeding with a flour/water mixture.
How do commercial brewers maintain their yeast? I'm sure they're not buying smack-packs from Wyeast for every batch! Aren't all these yeast strains cloned/duplicated for hundreds/thousands of generations without mutating? Is there some certified pure "yeast bank" in a vault protecting our valuable strains?