Reusing starter yeast

Brewer #334545

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Hey everyone,
I was going to make a lager 3 weeks ago and ended up in busy at work and forgot about it. Today I dumped the wort off it and added some water and poured into a mason jar for time being. You guys think it’ll be okay to make another starter with this yeast cake or should I just get a different yeast pack.

thanks.
 
If you have been keeping it in the fridge then you should be fine to make a new starter with that cake.
 
If it smells pleasant and yeasty, it's fine and likely viable for another starter or maybe even for a small batch. If it smells unpleasnant - slightly dank and "meaty" - with a soy-sauce sort of aroma, it's dead.
 
Thanks, my plan is to make another starter with it.
I don’t ever recall a yeast being pleasant smelling but I get what you mean lol.
 
I have to agree that your nose is your best friend at this point!
I reused some yeast really successfully 3-4 times, then it turned out a beer that was definitely a bit "off". I have had some wild yeast infections in the past, and it wasn't nearly that bad but somewhat reminiscent. I (stupidly) reused the yeast one more batch with the same result.
If it doesn't smell like nice fresh yeast...be wary!
 

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