Today I washed my yeast with about 1qt water and it is still in frig. Heading out for spring break. How long can it keep in the frig in this state?
I'd say you are okay for at least 2 weeks, maybe a month. Anything longer is pushing it. I experimented with yeast washing early on. I found the longer I pushed it, the higher chance an off flavor would develop in a subsequent brew. It is much better to always use the freshest yeast you can get.
I washed some WLP051 yeast the end of December. I just brewed an American Pale Ale on March 16. I did a one quart starter on a stir plate for 48 hours and it worked very well. I am not going to push the rest though.
For commercial breweries, yeast is an input and the cost does impacts the bottom line. They have a lab to help control things and ensure quality. For home brewers, it is $7 for a fresh vial / smack pack of yeast. Buying it fresh is how we can get better control. Sure if you want to economize and save in the ballpark of $50-$100 per year yeast washing, go for it, just don't expect perfect results. If you have a less than perfect batch, that is what $25-$50 down the tubes, to make it pay off you have to be perfect. This year I've used almost 100% home grown hops in all my brews. They are all really good, but some don't have the biterness I was expecting. Mostly because I don't have AA numbers, and the hops probably should have been a little drier. Also because I'm at the point where a Double IPA just isn't bitter enough :lol: Am I saving money, yeah a little. Speaking of saving money - I will be buying amarillo and simcoe in bulk next year.
Perfect, decant the liquid and pitch what is on the bottom. Smell it first and look for signs of infection. If it smells off, toss it. It should smell fresh and bready. Next time shoot for a jar that doesn't have any head space.
Wow! So the entire bottom layer is yeast? I am planning a brew day next weekend. How can I store it? Also, how do you determine the count?
There is some trub in there too. What you have is technically called slurry. The amount of yeast can only be roughly estimated without a microscope. In our yeast pitch calculator the default slurry density is 1 billion cells / mL, some sources say it is as high as 5 B / mL. Yeast health, age, temperature, degree of washing all factor into this. If it is in there for under 2 weeks I think you will be OK.
One more... I would like to make a starter out of this. Suggestions? What happens to the residual trub? I assume it will not effect the next batch? Hoppy Easter!
Yep you can take some of it and make a starter if you want, but you have plenty of yeast there and if you use it soon there is no reason to make a starter. The residual trub is just along for the ride and settles out.
