yeast washing question

[mglicini]

i was hoping someone might be able to answer my question. if i wash yeast and divide the yeast up into separate jars and instead of storing one of them and start a yeast starter and then take yeast from that giving me young viable yeast am i speeding up the process of creating an inferior yeast or helping maintain a stronger strain? basically combining both of these techniques.

http://billybrew.com/yeast-washing



yeast-harvesting-novel-approach

 

[Begin2Brew]

I wouldn't make a starter until you are looking to brew. Theoretically you are creating more cells to store. You will have more cells in the starter than in the other jar, but if you're not using it right away you're not gaining much.

 

[mglicini]

I wouldn't make a starter until you are looking to brew. Theoretically you are creating more cells to store. You will have more cells in the starter than in the other jar, but if you're not using it right away you're not gaining much.

I guess I'm just worried I was going to do it wrong, and not get any viable yeast I never did it before. i guess I'll find out when I try to use it

 

[Warthaug]

It best to make a starter right before you brew - yeast deteriorate as they age. So collect your washed yeast and store that. Then, a few days before you brew run that yeast through a starter to make it happy & healthy again.

I have recovered - via a starter - yeast that had been washed over a year previously. This isn't a good idea, but it does give you an idea of just how long a properly washed yeast can remain viable.

If you're thinking about banking the yeast via the various freezing methods out there, it is a good idea to run the yeast through a starter, and then to refrigerate the yeast in the spent wort for a few days. The starter builds up unsaturated lipids & sterols, while the refrigeration builds up trehalose, all of which help the yeast survive the freezing process.

Bryan