Can Low Amounts of StarSan Ruin Yeast Washing?

[beardown2489]

So, here's what happened.

I was preparing to some yeast washing after racking a brew to secondary.

I had set up 3 64 ounce growlers. Two had been filled with sanitized water, and the 3rd had the StarSan mixture I had used to sanitize the other two.

My brother walks in as I'm about to throw in the gallon of sanitized wager. I ask him to pass me a growler. I didn't instruct him which growler to pass and didn't realize I was pouring the StarSan growler until about 32 ounces of properly proportioned StarSan mix has entered the carboy.

I went ahead and pour the gallon of water into the carboy and proceeded as normal.

I am currently storing the mixtures in the three growlers until my shipment of more Ball containers shows up tomorrow.

Should I even bother proceeding with the yeast washing? Is the StarSan going to affect anything?

Thanks

 

[actionjackson905]

I'm not 100% sure, but I would have a fresh yeast ready in case, and I would test the washed yeast in a starter. If it goes, you should be good to go. If not, you know it's dead, pitch the new yeast and start again. If it goes, pour as much of the beer off the yeast as possible, and maybe Re wash it before using it to get as much starsan out as possible. Either way for $0.50 worth of DME, you have a neat little experiment.

 

[seigex]

So, here's what happened.

I was preparing to some yeast washing after racking a brew to secondary.

I had set up 3 64 ounce growlers. Two had been filled with sanitized water, and the 3rd had the StarSan mixture I had used to sanitize the other two.

My brother walks in as I'm about to throw in the gallon of sanitized wager. I ask him to pass me a growler. I didn't instruct him which growler to pass and didn't realize I was pouring the StarSan growler until about 32 ounces of properly proportioned StarSan mix has entered the carboy.

I went ahead and pour the gallon of water into the carboy and proceeded as normal.

I am currently storing the mixtures in the three growlers until my shipment of more Ball containers shows up tomorrow.

Should I even bother proceeding with the yeast washing? Is the StarSan going to affect anything?

Thanks

On the IPA I just brewed, when I was pitching yeast, I thought I had it all in suspension but ended up leaving a majority of the cake on the bottom of the flask. I didn't have any sanitized water with me and had to get out the door, so I took a chance dumped some starsan water into the flask, mixed it up for a few minutes to get it all into suspension and dumped it into the wort. I won't be able to taste a sample until tonight, but the fermentation took off with no problem and the beer finished out where I needed it.

I'm not sure how much you pitched into it, but there's a possibility it will be fine. If you do decide to dump it, get some dme and make a starter and see if it works, then report back for the rest of us. 1) you'll find out if your yeast are still alive, and 2) good info for future people with the same question.

 

[beardown2489]

I planning on washing them soon and making another batch in a week or 2. I'll report back.

I have a feeling it's gonna be just fine. StarSan is pretty cool stuff. And so is yeast.

 

[Calder]

It will be fine. Acid washing yeast is a method used to kill bacteria which can contaminate yeast.