I Now Know What Autolysis Smells Like

[rob7]

It's rank! :blink:

i've got a few jars of washed yeast from previous batches sitting in the fridge, one was some belgian yeast that i put there at the end of september. last week i noticed some stringy growth starting at the top of the water, gave it a sniff - whoah!

rinsing out the jar nearly made me chuck.

anyway, moral of the story - yeast definitely has a maximum storage life.

i'd only used it once, too. live and learn.

cheers,
Rob

 

[jgriffin]

Sounds more like an infection than autolysis to me.
And you can definately store your yeast for more than 4 months.

 

[rob7]

ok, fair enough

 

[Gulf Brewery]

rob7

A stringy growth is usually a sign of acetobacter. Did it smell like vinegar (that is when you could hold your stomach down)

Cheers
Pedro

 

[rob7]

hey pedro,

it didn't really smell like vinegar - it's pretty hard to describe what it did actually smell like. maybe because i haven't smelled anything quite like it before. i'm not sure if stringy is the best wat to describe the growth - it was sort of a scum on the top surface with a few bits forming strings going down towards the yeast. i don't know, i guessed autolysis 'cause it'd been there for a while. when i tipped it out, the yeast was the smelliest bit. yuk. whatever it was, i don't want to repeat it.

cheer,
rob

 

[Jesmol]

Autolytic smells are almost "bready" or like vegemite. In Champagne's it is sometime encouraged to get to autolysis, it can actually enchance the flavour.

 

[pint of lager]

Autolysis does not show up as scum and stringy growth. You definitely have an infection.

Keeping yeast slurry in the fridge is a great way of discovering what autolysis smells like.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Hmm, I have a keg of beer that has vegemitey flavours- I left it in primary for a while (I think 15 days), is autolysis a cause of this?

 

[Screwtop]

Have had this same infection twice in the past 8 months, vegemite is a good description of the smell and a sweetness in the taste. From experience outside of brewing I would say it's not autolysis that is a bready flavour not a strong vegemite flavour. You will know a ropey bacullus infection when it happens, the only way to describe the wort in this case is, it's "like strings of snot". The wort becomes slimy and clings together in strings. Another local brewer has experienced this vegemite like infection. My experience with this is that fermentation does not stop at the expected time, the airlock continues to bubble and you think the yeast is still working. Strange one. Would like to hear from others who have experienced this bug.

 

[beersom]

Ropey or stringy is a sure sign of Pediococcus.

 

[Screwtop]

Ropey or stringy is a sure sign of Pediococcus.

Pediococcus damnosus is about the only one of this lactic family whose name I remember. It reduces oxygen making things difficult for yeast cultures who need oxygen for cell division. While other acidilactics are used I think to produce lambic or sour beers, you certainly don't want these guys in your wort.

Acetobacter organisms secrete slime so these are usually behind ropey/slimy infections.

As for the vegemite smell, I'm with beersom, Pedio as the smell is a little like smelly feet.

 

[peas_and_corn]

Have had this same infection twice in the past 8 months, vegemite is a good description of the smell and a sweetness in the taste. From experience outside of brewing I would say it's not autolysis that is a bready flavour not a strong vegemite flavour. You will know a ropey bacullus infection when it happens, the only way to describe the wort in this case is, it's "like strings of snot". The wort becomes slimy and clings together in strings. Another local brewer has experienced this vegemite like infection. My experience with this is that fermentation does not stop at the expected time, the airlock continues to bubble and you think the yeast is still working. Strange one. Would like to hear from others who have experienced this bug.

I guess I will have to throw ol' sheamus out. Oh well...