Healthy Or Unhealthy Yeast?

[adryargument]

Hey,

Just wondering if i should be worrying about the below yeast.
First liquid yeast i have used that acts in this behaviour.

Has 'clumped' since i purchased it, even after a few shakes it refuses to mix with the liquid. Looks more like soaked brteadcrumbs than yeast...
Note that the photos below i have added half into my starter, and refilled with pure water to see if i could shake it up a bit more.

White Labs - English Ale Yeast





Also i am currently using the below in the starter, this should be fine?
I actually forogt i had ran out of malt and was the only replacement i could find in the supermarket :blink:

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Ive used Wyeast London ESB , looks clumpy like that.

I use that malt extract for starters but i only pitch the slurry.

 

[adryargument]

Ive used Wyeast London ESB , looks clumpy like that.

I use that malt extract for starters but i only pitch the slurry.

Cheers, how much do you use?
I just added 2 teaspoons worth into a 1.5L starter.

 

[michael_or]

Wlp002 english ale is very flocculant yeast. It clumps together like that even on my stir plate. So i think your yeast looks fine.... Or at least it looks like my 002.

 

[Wolfy]

Hey,

Just wondering if i should be worrying about the below yeast.
First liquid yeast i have used that acts in this behaviour.

Has 'clumped' since i purchased it, even after a few shakes it refuses to mix with the liquid. Looks more like soaked brteadcrumbs than yeast...
Note that the photos below i have added half into my starter, and refilled with pure water to see if i could shake it up a bit more.

White Labs - English Ale Yeast

I've not used WPL002, but I have used Wy1968 (which is apparently the same yeast) many times before, there is even another thread here with someone asking the exact same question as you in regard to Wy1968.
The yeast is fine to use, this yeast is simply super flocculant.

Cheers, how much do you use?
I just added 2 teaspoons worth into a 1.5L starter.

To obtain a gravity of about 1.040, which is often recomended for a starter, you'd add 1g LDME per 10ml Water, or 150g of LDME to your 1.5L.
Unless your malt-stuff is super concentrated, compared to home brew LDME, you are most likely starving your yeast and may do them more harm than good by using only 10g. Did you check the gravity of the starter before pitching the yeast?

 

[dr K]

Remember, these yeasts (highly flocculating NZ Ale yeasts, sorry British Ale yeasts) whether Whitelabs which you can see or Wyeast which you cannot, are designed for direct pitch, when fresh of course, into 19 litres of normal gravity wort. I would not say that they are concentrated but rather that whilst they behave taht way in , what 100ml, they will behave a little differently in 19000ml, they will still flocculate brilliantly of course, so much so that rousing is oft-times suggested, the cost of a fast dropping/clearing ale perhaps.

K

 

[Wolfy]

Remember, these yeasts (highly flocculating NZ Ale yeasts, sorry British Ale yeasts) whether Whitelabs which you can see or Wyeast which you cannot, are designed for direct pitch, when fresh of course, into 19 litres of normal gravity wort. I would not say that they are concentrated but rather that whilst they behave taht way in , what 100ml, they will behave a little differently in 19000ml

Or put another way:
Unless the starter is of sufficient size and has adequate nutrients and oxygen, you may actually be harming the yeast's health when using an inadequate starter.

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Cheers, how much do you use?
I just added 2 teaspoons worth into a 1.5L starter.

I dont really measure, i kinda go of feel... depeding ho much starter im making i use a dessertspooon or 2 or 3 to stir some in then check the gravity.
Which i aim for 1035 to 1040 for my starters, so if your going to boil it for 5 - 10 mins(which you should) you will have to allow for a bit of evaporation so that your gravity ends up in the right area.
Should always check your gravity for starter for the reasons that have already been mentioned by others in this thread.