Question about my white labs yeast. Is it junk?

[ARock_DK]

I am making my first few batches with liquid yeast so I am not 100% sure if this is normal. I got a vial of WLP001 California ale. I made a starter and when I went to pour the vial in nothing but the suspension liquid came out and all the yeast was a big gloppy solid mass. Had to pour some starter liquid in and vigorously shake to get the yeast chunk to fall our and then shake it thoroughly in the flask to dissolve. There are still big chunks in the liquid.

Is this normal or did the shop send me a bad vial?

Just a little nervous as I am brewing a decent gravity beer with a lot of expensive hops and don't want to be stuck with no activity because the yeast is crap. Thanks in advance for any help.




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[RmikeVT]

Sounds pretty typical. Did you let the vial warm up to room temperature? If not then you would probably have a tough time getting the yeast out. I typically let the yeast warm up to room temperature, dip in sanitizer, and then pitch. Always giving it a good shake.

Your yeast is fine, this is normal. You don't have to shake the flask around to get the yeast to dissolve either. They will break apart as they start doing their thing.

 

[NTXBrauer]

I agree with RmikeVT. I use White Labs yeast the majority of the time when brewing, and you want to let it sit out and warm up to room temperature. I do shake the flask around to ensure that the yeast is dispersed in the flask solution before pitching. This has just been normal practice for me.

Now, if you are well past the "best before" date on the flask, then you could have an issue with the yeast. Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

I gather you don't have a (home-built) stir plate. Keep swirling it as often as you can. You should see some activity within a day or 2 (foaming). That's your proof the yeast is active. Just make sure to keep things sanitary.

Just for future reference Safale US-05 (dry), WLP001, and WYeast 1056 are all pretty much the same yeast strain (Chico).

You can harvest the yeast after this brew and use in your next 3 or 4 batches and so on. As long as you can keep things sanitary.

 

[IslandLizard]

I agree with RmikeVT. I use White Labs yeast the majority of the time when brewing, and you want to let it sit out and warm up to room temperature. I do shake the flask around to ensure that the yeast is dispersed in the flask solution before pitching. This has just been normal practice for me.

Now, if you are well past the "best before" date on the flask, then you could have an issue with the yeast. Cheers!

+1 on bringing it to room temperature.

Just a word of caution, first sanitize the vial, but before you start shaking it, open it up a little bit (half a turn or so) and carefully. There could be some pressure built up inside and you want to slowly release that. Close tightly and shake it up to dissolve the yeast cake. Then before you open it, again, first release that pressure carefully and slowly. If you don't, half the yeast may get lost...

 

[ARock_DK]

Whew! Thanks guys that us a load off my mind. Yeah I only let it warm like 20 minutes or so while I made the starter. That must be the problem. Thanks for the help


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[ARock_DK]

I gather you don't have a (home-built) stir plate. Keep swirling it as often as you can. You should see some activity within a day or 2 (foaming). That's your proof the yeast is active. Just make sure to keep things sanitary.

Just for future reference Safale US-05 (dry), WLP001, and WYeast 1056 are all pretty much the same yeast strain (Chico).

You can harvest the yeast after this brew and use in your next 3 or 4 batches and so on. As long as you can keep things sanitary.

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[ARock_DK]

Sorry the app is going crazy on my phone and I am out and about. Yeah I have not built my stir plate yet. That's my next project. Stir plates are insanely expensive in Denmark and it had taken me a bit if time to track down the prices needed for my own.

Yeah I star San everything I touch so fingers cross nothing happens there. I really want to harvest this yeast along with the us 05 from another and have them for brews to come. I am experimenting with 001 because it is a relatively cheap liquid yeast here and I want to get my practices down pay before experimenting with more expensive strains.


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[kh54s10]

To make a DIY stirplate:

Can you find an old computer. If you can, take the cooling fan and hard drive. Mount the cooling fan is some kind of box. Take apart the hard drive to get magnets. They are in the read/write arm. Now is the only part I had to but, a potentiometer, (sp) to control the speed of the fan. I used a power converter from an old answering machine. I had to try a couple to find one with the right power. It may take a bit of experimentation to locate the magnet in the best place on the top of the fan and the distance from the flask.

I spent $7.40 US on mine.

The only other expense is a flask and stirbar.

 

[hunter_le five]

White Labs yeast is good stuff. As others have pointed it, it's normal to be all gloopy and stuck to the bottom, especially when it's cold. Let it warm up for a while and then shake it real good before dumping out of the vial.

Sometimes I too have to pour some of the starter into the vial and shake to get the last little bits out.

The only reason I would suspect the yeast of being bad is if:
1) It's expired
2) It wasn't stored properly (too warm)

 

[kh54s10]

White Labs yeast is good stuff. As others have pointed it, it's normal to be all gloopy and stuck to the bottom, especially when it's cold. Let it warm up for a while and then shake it real good before dumping out of the vial.

Sometimes I too have to pour some of the starter into the vial and shake to get the last little bits out.

The only reason I would suspect the yeast of being bad is if:
1) It's expired
2) It wasn't stored properly (too warm)

3) frozen....

 

[IslandLizard]

Sorry the app is going crazy on my phone and I am out and about. Yeah I have not built my stir plate yet. That's my next project. Stir plates are insanely expensive in Denmark and it had taken me a bit if time to track down the prices needed for my own.

Yeah I star San everything I touch so fingers cross nothing happens there. I really want to harvest this yeast along with the us 05 from another and have them for brews to come. I am experimenting with 001 because it is a relatively cheap liquid yeast here and I want to get my practices down pay before experimenting with more expensive strains.


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It becomes second nature quickly, like after your first

A stir plate really helps in growing starters and is easy to build.

Homebrew wise we are so spoiled in the US right now. For example, most WLP and WYeast strains are priced the same within each brand, except for some very few specialty ones. So buying a WLP001, WLP802, or WLP568 cost us the same, around $6.50-$7.00 a vial. The "special ones" may run $8.50 or $9.50, although I saw some WLP Brett cultures priced at $12. And those have not much in them...

Aside from the way larger selection of liquid yeast, some people just prefer liquid over their excellent dry alternatives. There's only one way to find out where you stand on that.