2 Month Old Yeast Starter

[Logan_01]

G'day,
I have a yeast starter I made about 2 months ago for a brew I didn't end up doing. It has been sitting in the fridge, in a sterile jar, since then. The yeast was a liquid snap pack type which I added to a 1l DME starter.

Just wondering if I can turn this old starter into a vibrant yeast again by building it up with another few starters over a week or so. Would there be a risk of off flavours from the yeast mutating , autolysis, or possible infection.

As for infection, it looks ok, but I've never had any infections with my brewing so I'm not sure what to look for. The jar is one of those push on top coffee jars.

 

[Frag_Dog]

I haven't done it but I think it would be ok.

If you're growing it back up and if doesn't have an infection I would think it would be OK. You shouldn't get any significant off-flavors because you are building a new colony of yeast. So the dead yeast will be either consumed or left behind. My understanding with yeast mutation is it happens over generations, not from being dormant in a fridge.

That being said, I would just start with fresh yeast. ~$10 for a new smack pack isn't much compared to the time and ingredients wasted if you do have an infection in your starter.

 

[Vini2ton]

Go ahead. What have you got to lose? Reawaken the beast yeast. Let taste and smell be your guide.

 

[MartinOC]

I'm not sure what to look for. The jar is one of those push on top coffee jars.

Are we talking about a Moccona-type glass jar with a plastic insert/cover on the lid?

If you were scrupulous about your sanitation & everything else is OK, it'll probably be fine (it just might take awhile to fire-up).

What to look for: If you see a distinct "ring" of whitish film at the liquid/air interface, or anything filmy/shiny sitting on top of the liquid, CHUCK IT! $10 for a new smack pack is cheap insurance.

 

[Yob]

Recently did this with 4 month old slurry, you'll be fine.

 

[Logan_01]

Yeah it's an old maccona type jar. I find them good for starters as the lid just gets pushed up while fermenting and you just push it back on afterwards.

There's no white ring or film on the surface, only a little crud in the jar left over from fermenting. I haven't had the lid off, so should be fine. I know the yeast are not expensive, but if there's nothing wrong with it I might as well use it. Thanks for the advice, I'll make up a new starter, tip the old one in and let nature take its course.

 

[Yob]

Consider giving it a rinse to drop any dead cells...

 

[TheWiggman]

Would you rinse this before stepping up Yob, or between steps?