Rinsed Yeast from 1.076 Beer

[DoWBrewer]

I rinsed my yeast from a 1.076 IPA. I know you are not supposed to re-use yeast from high gravity IPAs.

If I make a starter with plenty of nutrients and oxygen, let it ferment out completely, cold crash it, won't I have plenty of healthy yeast? Is there something else I should do?

 

[Calder]

Just treat it like any other yeast, you will be fine. If you have just harvested the yeast, there is no real need for a starter.

Why they say not to re-use yeast from high gravity beers: The high gravity can cause yeast mutation, and it can start loosing some of it's original properties (it is evolving). It may be more or less attenuative, it may have more or less of particular flavors, it may be more or less flocculant. Chances are that you will not notice any change ..... if you continue to abuse and re-use the yeast you will start to notice a difference.

 

[DoWBrewer]

Thanks for the explanation. Do you have thoughts on mixing fresh yeast or yeast from previous generations to reduce the relative population of mutated yeast? I am making 12 to 15 gallon batches, so I am pitching a fair amount of yeast which is part of the reason I started rinsing my yeast. I also have noticed a big improvement in my beer as I move to the 3rd and 4th generation which why I didn't want to toss the yeast.