Yeast Harvesting

[Chinese]

I've done something stupid . . . Again. I was going to harvest Bell's Two Hearted yeast so the wife and I split a six, saving the bottom inch for collection into a sanitized flask for some DME addition and stir plate aerating. Did almost everything right. After a week I have a nice yeast cake growing on the bottom. Here's the problem. Instead of pouring our Two Hearteds off into a glass to drink them . . . We drank them right out of the bottle - spit and all! What is the likelihood of what I have in my flask resembling Bell's Two Hearted yeast? I have a NB Dead Ringer kit . . . Should I get another Two Hearted six pack and start over?

 

[el_caro]

What is the likelihood of what I have in my flask resembling Bell's Two Hearted yeast?

Why am I reminded of Harry Callahan?

"I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? "

 

[Nomad]

As far as I know both spit and beer kill germs. Go for it!

 

[isleofman]

I think it is a bad idea to try and use it.

 

[ja09]

Just decant and taste the discarded beer. If it tastes and smells normal it's probably not infected. But if you're going to worry about it you might just want to start over

 

[BigFloyd]

I'd start over with a new sixer. There's quite a lot of bacteria in the human mouth that would live to go forth and multiply in that residual beer.

 

[northcal]

The yeast you've collected will brew your beer, but there's gonna be some hitchhikers in the brew as well. I'd just get another 6'r of beer and start again. You only need one beer if you can make a starter for your batch if you can get single bottles there.

Best,