I just made a 2L starter of wlp001 and am going to save some and make a new starter up to use in another brew. My question is how many times can I do this before the yeast will be compromised, or is this just a plain bad idea? My thinking is the yeast won't be too stressed since they are in such a basic brew.
Yeast harvesting questions
- Thread starter BugEyedValiant
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flars
Well-Known Member
Harvesting yeast from a starter, for the next starter, is the same as using a new pack of yeast in a starter each time you brew. The yeast harvested from a starter has never undergone the stress of fermenting out a beer.
You can also harvest yeast from the primary from low to moderate OG beers.
You can also harvest yeast from the primary from low to moderate OG beers.
TravelingLight
Well-Known Member
I overbuild and harvest off every starter I make. I don't know how many times you can do it. But I do know one strain I have, I've done it 3 or 4 times. The last 2 or 3 times I brewed with it, I've noticed attenuation dropping. Just keep an eye on it.
It depends on your sanitation etc. It could go on for a very long time. Some will limit to 10 generations. That is usually when reusing yeast from a batch of beer. A starter should be more forgiving.
It also depends on your taste. The yeast will mutate in time. It might give you some character you don't like relatively soon, or it might get better. My guess is that without lab control it is more likely to get worse.
I have heard that some people get better attenuation with successive reuse. At least for a couple of generations.
I say do that until you don't get results you like. You will save money unless you get a particularly bad batch. But I wouldn't think it would "turn" from one batch to the next.
It also depends on your taste. The yeast will mutate in time. It might give you some character you don't like relatively soon, or it might get better. My guess is that without lab control it is more likely to get worse.
I have heard that some people get better attenuation with successive reuse. At least for a couple of generations.
I say do that until you don't get results you like. You will save money unless you get a particularly bad batch. But I wouldn't think it would "turn" from one batch to the next.
I save the slurry from most of my batches and will use it over and over again. Haven't had a bad batch yet from one of them, and I let one go to 6 generations before I had a day where I just wanted to clean the fermenters and be done, also ran out of mason jars. I've learned to brew subsequent beers that will benefit from the yeast used in the last one...for example I just kegged an orange wit, saved the yeast, and it will be used next weekend in my first fruit ale. The yeast from the orange wit was a combination of fresh Wyeast Wit yeast and some of my blonde slurry. It took off like crazy within 6 hours and fermented clean. My opinion is, if your beer ferments clean, has no off flavors, and you didn't add loose fruit or hops in the primary, the yeast is fine to save for another batch that may be a completely different style (except for Belgians, sours, and other beers where the yeast is a big determining factor in the end flavor). I used slurry from a jalapeno amber in a Scotch Ale (horrors!) and had absolutely no weird flavors in it.
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