Yeast Vitality question

[mirsultankhan]

I have a question. How long will harvested yeast survive in the fridge? If as brewersfriend states that yeast loses 20 percent of its vitality after a month, that means that if five months it twill be dead! Gulp! Is this really the case and if so can anything be done?

Perhaps it can be taken from the fridge, brought to room temperature and fed with a little DME, then cooled and stored gain for another few months?

 

[clibit]

You can make a yeast starter, and then assess the healthiness of it.

 

[MyQul]

Yes, I've read on other forums that's what people do for long term storge in the fridge. Every month or so take it out and feed it some more starter. The other long term storage solution is to freeze the yeast but you have to mix it with glycerin so ice crystals don't burst the cell walls of the yeast.

Here's a guide how to do it

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=35891

 

[mirsultankhan]

thanks guys. I think I've made too much beer and i don't have enough bottles. But i can get some from a Rugby club bar near my home I think maybe two three months max for a harvested yeast before it needs to be used. Ill tell you something that Mangrove Jack M44 yeast was amazing, it had a huge krausen about four inches deep.

 

[clibit]

Or, like Bevvied, head to Morrisons car park and raid the bottle bank. :lol:

 

[mirsultankhan]

Or, like Bevvied, head to Morrisons car park and raid the bottle bank. :lol:

Hehe I've thought about it but the ones here are too deep, you need to wait until the fill up before you can reach them

 

[mirsultankhan]

I can definitely say that since I have made yeast starters on my little ghetto stir plate the beers are being much more fully fermented right down to a FG of 1010 and sometimes below and that's from worts with a high gravity sometimes above 1060.