How many generations
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PaulStat
How many generations
Ok so lots of you save your yeast for future brews, but generally for how many generations do you keep it for? Is it possible just to keep re-using time and time again?
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floydmeddler
- Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
- Posts: 4160
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:37 pm
- Location: Irish man living in Brighton
Re: How many generations
People have different views on this. I, personally, wouldn't use more than 3 times.
Re: How many generations
It can mutated over time, unless you are looking after it well.
Three uses is more than enough for me.
Three uses is more than enough for me.
Fermenter(s): Lambic, Wheat beer, Amrillo/Cascade Beer
Cornys: Hobgoblin clone, Four Shades Stout, Wheat Beer, Amarillo/Cascade Ale, Apple Wine, Cider, Damson Wine, Ginger Beer
Cornys: Hobgoblin clone, Four Shades Stout, Wheat Beer, Amarillo/Cascade Ale, Apple Wine, Cider, Damson Wine, Ginger Beer
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Benjy Edwards
Re: How many generations
I think it mainly depends on your sanitation practices coupled with the environment where you brew and ferment. I believe that the more "bugs" that are present in your environment, the greater the chance of mutation/infection, if the sanitation practices are equal. My sanitation and environment allow me to reuse the yeast 5 times with no trouble. I routinely use the yeast 6 times, but on occasion (3 times in the past couple of years), I have had the yeast mutate/get infected and give off-flavours. The yeast I usually use is White Labs WLP002 English ale, and the mutation/infection causes the beer to taste like a Belgian ale = very phenolic. Whether this is an infection or the yeast itself mutating, I have been unable to determine. When I asked him about it, Chris White said he thought it was an infection, not mutation.
Re: How many generations
Benjy,
I think others on the forum here found WLP 002 to be problematic when storing - I don't recall the specific issues people were having but the consensus was that it didn't store well long term in the fridge.
I think others on the forum here found WLP 002 to be problematic when storing - I don't recall the specific issues people were having but the consensus was that it didn't store well long term in the fridge.
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yogester
Re: How many generations
Infection most likely. Six generations is rather a short period for a homothallic yeast to mutate.Benjy Edwards wrote:I think it mainly depends on your sanitation practices coupled with the environment where you brew and ferment. I believe that the more "bugs" that are present in your environment, the greater the chance of mutation/infection, if the sanitation practices are equal. My sanitation and environment allow me to reuse the yeast 5 times with no trouble. I routinely use the yeast 6 times, but on occasion (3 times in the past couple of years), I have had the yeast mutate/get infected and give off-flavours. The yeast I usually use is White Labs WLP002 English ale, and the mutation/infection causes the beer to taste like a Belgian ale = very phenolic. Whether this is an infection or the yeast itself mutating, I have been unable to determine. When I asked him about it, Chris White said he thought it was an infection, not mutation.