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Author Topic: silly yeast prop questions  (Read 5917 times)

Offline pinnah

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silly yeast prop questions
« on: February 26, 2013, 10:17:53 am »
I have been lamenting the fact that I need to buy some more yeast for spring brewing.

This weekend I was cleaning out the beer fridge,
and found a growler that still had a little of my fall farmhouse in it (Wyeast 3711).
Has been in there since Thanksgiving.

I cracked the top and could see yeast on the bottom.
I may have been drinking a bit, but I convinced myself that a true farmhouse house strain could be had.

Boiled up some dme and added the swirled beery remains.
Nothing the first day, but now I think I am getting activity (airlock)
and there is some sedimentation at the bottom of the flask.

It seems a little brownish grey..not normal white yeast.

So my questions are these:
1.  Stupid idea and waste of time?
2.  How would I know if these yeasties are any good?
3. I suppose I need to step up a starter as the next step if I move forward?

Thanks for your thoughts.



Offline tschmidlin

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2013, 10:44:17 am »
Step it up, smell the starter, taste the beer.  If the yeast still looks off, or smells or tastes off after the next step, I would toss it.  Be sure to use nutrients in your starters when trying to revive old yeast like this.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2013, 12:13:38 pm »
In my experience, once the gray color is pretty prevalent, the yeast is not worth reviving...but that is just my own standard based on fear of wasting time and effort - YMMV and in theory, if there is life in there, you should be able to regenerate the yeast cell count.  Problem is, how would you know if it's healthy yeast (predominately)?  Tom is right - smell is a great indicator in the absence of sophisticated measurement tools.  Gray usually equals funky to me (and not in a good funky way).

Good luck!
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Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2013, 01:36:05 pm »
There was probably a lot of dead cells that dropped out right away and are contributing to the gray trub. I don't think I've ever seen fresh yeast that color. Look for white yeast descending as the starter gravity approaches its final destination.
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Offline pinnah

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2013, 06:12:28 am »
Look for white yeast descending as the starter gravity approaches its final destination.

 :), I have had a nice krausen for a few days now, and am getting a nice white layer on top of the grey.
I am going to step it up and give it a taste when I am done.

Any common household ingredients that can act as yeast nutrient?  I appreciate your recommendation Tom, but do not have any on hand.  Just wondering.

Thanks for the advise.

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2013, 08:52:15 am »
Look for white yeast descending as the starter gravity approaches its final destination.

 :), I have had a nice krausen for a few days now, and am getting a nice white layer on top of the grey.
I am going to step it up and give it a taste when I am done.

Any common household ingredients that can act as yeast nutrient?  I appreciate your recommendation Tom, but do not have any on hand.  Just wondering.

Thanks for the advise.

you could boil some yeast for yeast nutrient. boil in a little water and add that? I don't know if this is a good idea or not. Tom can probably tell us though.
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Offline pinnah

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2013, 06:36:31 am »
Any common household ingredients that can act as yeast nutrient?

Thanks for the advise.

you could boil some yeast for yeast nutrient. boil in a little water and add that? I don't know if this is a good idea or not. Tom can probably tell us though.

Hmmm. Interesting Morticai..I do have a couple cakes ready for the drain.  Wonder if some boiled up yeast=yeast nutrient?

Offline denny

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2013, 11:20:10 am »
Ever since I've started brewing I've heard that yeast can be used as a yeast nutrient.  But I've never heard why that works.  Tom?  Anybody?
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2013, 04:20:56 pm »
I know there are yeast nutrients on the market that are made out of autolyzed yeast. The idea being that the things yeast need to grow are in other yeast already.
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Offline Jeff M

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2013, 06:00:19 pm »
I believe it was described in Complete Joy of Homebrewing or his Follow up works as Yeast cells that have been fractured and spun in a centrifuge leaving only the yeast Skeletons(read cell walls i believe)  i may have that backwards tho and I am sure one of the more experienced brewers can correct me:)

Im curious how your experiment runs out, ive always wanted to try keeping yest alive from brew to brew it just seems like a huge pain, so anything i can absorb is great!
« Last Edit: March 03, 2013, 06:33:34 pm by fejjgw »
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Offline tschmidlin

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #10 on: March 04, 2013, 12:03:50 am »
Yes, the yeast are able to scavenge things they need from dead yeast.  You can use killed bread yeast as well.  If you threw a tablespoon of yeast slurry in with the starter when you are boiling it, that will certainly work.

So if you're trying to help an existing fermentation, boiling some yeast in a little water and throwing it in should help.  Better than nothing anyway :)
Tom Schmidlin

Offline gmac

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #11 on: March 04, 2013, 05:55:27 am »
Ever since I've started brewing I've heard that yeast can be used as a yeast nutrient.  But I've never heard why that works.  Tom?  Anybody?
Same principle as below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sp-VFBbjpE

Offline pinnah

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2013, 07:01:46 am »
If you threw a tablespoon of yeast slurry in with the starter when you are boiling it, that will certainly work.

Only a tablespoon aye?  I was wondering how much to add.
 Is too much dead yeast a problem?  Excessive trub perhaps?

I have a washed US-05 cake in the fridge I was thinking of using for yeast food. 
Seems like a good use for it.  I mean who saves a US-05 cake?  :o


Then
I was rummaging through some stuff this weekend, and came across a packet of yeast nutrient that I bought a couple years ago for some wine and never used it. ::)  "common" household item.


I still might try the boiled yeast soylent white trick.
  Thanks for the knowledge.

Offline mmitchem

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Re: silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #13 on: March 04, 2013, 07:10:58 am »
We boiled yeast for this purpose at an eastern Virginia brewery. We dumped yeast from a conical and saved a few pints back to be used as yeast nutrient in the boil that same day. Seemed to work very well.
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Offline denny

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silly yeast prop questions
« Reply #14 on: March 04, 2013, 08:55:27 am »
Ever since I've started brewing I've heard that yeast can be used as a yeast nutrient.  But I've never heard why that works.  Tom?  Anybody?
Same principle as below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Sp-VFBbjpE

:)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell