# Wlp001 smells funky



## Trevandjo (18/11/14)

I've just opened a vial of California Ale yeast to make a starter. I don't usually smell the fresh yeast but for some reason I did this time. 

It smelt very funky like a Berliner Weiss. It is about 3 months old and has only been stored in the fridge. 

Is this normal or should I use my US 05 backup plan? 

Cheers

Trev


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## manticle (18/11/14)

Since you wouldn't make a starter with the 05, why not continue with plan a, knowing you have 05 as a backup at pitching time?

No idea about that yeast but fresh yeast has never reminded me of Berliner weiss.

Fresh commercial vial or home culture/split?


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## CrookedFingers (18/11/14)

Ooh I love the smell of those vials.

Did it smell kinda like a Yakult ?
I reckon they do.


CF


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## MartinOC (18/11/14)

Two ways of looking at this:

1. If you're not used to the smell of a good, fresh yeast culture, then you won't know whether it's "off" or not. I suggest you educate your schnoz to that effect, as it can save you from ruining a great beer with bad yeast down the track. Once you know the smell of "good", it's easy to decide "BAAAAADDD!!!!" & chuck it.

2. Prepare your starter as you intended & give it another sniff before you intend pitching. Decide from there. Difficult to describe a smell over the internet, but it should be definitely clean, sweet & a little "bready". The Cal. Ale yeast is pretty neutral, so you should pick-up any problems easily.

Learn to trust your nose.

If in doubt, chuck it!


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## Trevandjo (18/11/14)

manticle said:


> Since you wouldn't make a starter with the 05, why not continue with plan a, knowing you have 05 as a backup at pitching time?
> 
> No idea about that yeast but fresh yeast has never reminded me of Berliner weiss.
> 
> Fresh commercial vial or home culture/split?


The 05 would be saved for direct pitching if the brains trust thought it was dodgy. 

It was an original in date white labs yeast.


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## Trevandjo (18/11/14)

CrookedFingers said:


> Ooh I love the smell of those vials.
> 
> Did it smell kinda like a Yakult ?
> I reckon they do.
> ...


That's the smell.


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## Trevandjo (18/11/14)

MartinOC said:


> Two ways of looking at this:
> 
> 1. If you're not used to the smell of a good, fresh yeast culture, then you won't know whether it's "off" or not. I suggest you educate your schnoz to that effect, as it can save you from ruining a great beer with bad yeast down the track. Once you know the smell of "good", it's easy to decide "BAAAAADDD!!!!" & chuck it.
> 
> ...


Thanks. That's why I've asked. It doesn't smell bad but as I expected a neutral yeast to smell bready I thought I'd ask. 

Sounds like crooked fingers has set my mind at ease though. 

Cheers. 

Trev


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## Mardoo (18/11/14)

The scent of fresh yeast certainly seems to age. I opened my freshest beer yeast yet today (four weeks old) and it was sweet and clean as I could imagine. I usually buy in advance and don't get to them for a few months and they definitely tickle my nose a bit by that point. Like MartinOC says, very hard to describe. Kind of like if yeast sweated its own kind of sweat and hadn't changed its clothes in a couple days, all wound up in that package. Maybe...

Come to think of it, in my years as a baker using fresh yeast as it gets on in age it definitely smells a bit yakult-ish. I'm not saying as it goes bad, but as it ages. You're probably fine but Martin's advice about the starter is how I would go. You'll know if it's bad once it's had 36 hours to grow.


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