Is it worth the risk?

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
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Meatymc
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Is it worth the risk?

Post by Meatymc » Tue Mar 06, 2018 5:48 pm

I posted on the Grain forum last month that I'd had a brew go off - fine until the 2nd week in the fermenter when it went rapidly (or should that be rabidly!) downhill and ended up going down the drain. I'd taken a yeast sample 3 days into fermentation when everything seemed OK. Although I had to bin the brew the sample smelled fine when capping off and storing.

Will it be obvious when making up a starter with it whether it's OK or not - very reluctant to risk losing another 5 gallons - ever again!

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vacant
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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by vacant » Tue Mar 06, 2018 5:59 pm

Not worth the risk IMHO. For instance, a sourdough "mother" is easy to keep (it's a balance of yeast and wanted lactobacillus) the sample you took could be a balance of yeast and unwanted lactobacillus.
I brew therefore I ... I .... forget

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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by McMullan » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:13 pm

Definitely not. Chances are it was a problem with the yeast anyway. If the beer was fine for 2 weeks then went bad, I'd guess the yeast, for whatever reason, couldn't cope with the alcohol. Either that or you've been very unlucky. Don't risk it, it's just yeast. Start afresh :wink:

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Meatymc
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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by Meatymc » Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:28 pm

I know you're right - just hoping to rescue something - anything from a rather depressing but hopefully not repeated experience! Hey ho!!


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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by Rookie » Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:27 pm

Meatymc wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:28 pm
I know you're right - just hoping to rescue something - anything from a rather depressing but hopefully not repeated experience! Hey ho!!
Have you figured out what the problem was?
I'm just here for the beer.

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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by IPA » Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:08 am

Meatymc wrote:
Tue Mar 06, 2018 5:48 pm
I posted on the Grain forum last month that I'd had a brew go off - fine until the 2nd week in the fermenter when it went rapidly (or should that be rabidly!) downhill and ended up going down the drain. I'd taken a yeast sample 3 days into fermentation when everything seemed OK. Although I had to bin the brew the sample smelled fine when capping off and storing.

Will it be obvious when making up a starter with it whether it's OK or not - very reluctant to risk losing another 5 gallons - ever again!
I have once managed to reuse a yeast in the same circumstances. Try the taste test before pitching into a starter. If the infection occured after taking the sample you should be ok. Having said that if a new sample of the strain is readily available just buy it. In my case it was not so I took a chance
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Meatymc
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Re: Is it worth the risk?

Post by Meatymc » Sat Mar 24, 2018 9:43 pm

Hi guys, sorry for the delayed reply.

The simple answer is no - couldn't pin it down to anything specific. Having said that, it wasn't in the brew fridge - that was tied up with the damned Kolsch my daughters had me brewing. I've done several brews though where I've had to rely on our utility - nice and small with the boiler in situ - and not had a problem. I can only really say 'familiarity breeds comtempt' and just got lazy.

Done 2 brews since without a problem. However, if I haven't improved my sanitising 'regime' enough the Porter in the fridge will find me out - transferred to secondary with 2KG of heat-treated frozen 'Wonky Berry Fruit' from Morrisons. What a bloody mess that was!!

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