Infected Test Tubes

[Daniel.lear]

AAARGH!!!

A while ago I split up 5 smack packs. I went to grab a test tube today to step up for a Sam Adams Bostom Lager and found this.

This infection has buggered up 10% of my yeasts!! Including 2565, 2124, 1968 and 1084. I have lost all of my 2124, but strangely only a few each of the other strains. Clearly cross contaminiation of some sort, but interesting that I didn't lose more of each strain.

Looks like i'll be using nottingham, unless Mark has something <_<

Anyone able to identify the infection?

Leary

 

[pk.sax]

gee, I'd want to know too. How do you come to the conclusion that they are infected? Smell? Taste?
I'm only waiting on my test tube order before I start splitting the yeast packs sitting in my fridge. Have you used any on a small test batch (starter) to check whats up with them?

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[Daniel.lear]

gee, I'd want to know too. How do you come to the conclusion that they are infected? Smell? Taste?
I'm only waiting on my test tube order before I start splitting the yeast packs sitting in my fridge. Have you used any on a small test batch (starter) to check whats up with them?

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Not yet, I assumed they were infected as while they didn't smell bad, they didn't smell like any other culture, and the growth on top looks furry and feels leathery. I didn't really want to go to the effort of pitching them in to a starter.

Spose I can though, no harm done either way.

Leary

 

[razz]

Leary, you could make some streak plates up and try to grow from a few cells. Not hard to do and there is a thread or two on the topic.

 

[Daniel.lear]

Leary, you could make some streak plates up and try to grow from a few cells. Not hard to do and there is a thread or two on the topic.

Hmm, ive not done anything like that yet, i'll have a look.

Cheers

 

[manticle]

Hard to tell from the picture but I got something like that on a couple of testubes of 1214. Only happened in those two tubes.
Good motivation tyo be that little bit more sanitary when preparing them I guess.

 

[TidalPete]

Can't idenify the infection but keen to know if you're sterilising those tubes by boiling in a saucepan (if so, for how long?) or do you have a pressure cooker. Pretty sure you don't have an autoclave?

TP

 

[GTS350]

Its hard to tell from photo, but is the infection limited to just the furry bit on top? <--heheh furry infection
maybe scoop the bacteria from top, and culture the bottom yeasties (for the lager).
if you find another clean slant or you smack another pack, try this method and compare starters, keep us posted how it turns out

 

[Sammus]

Yeah, I'm also wondering how you prepared them... I use a pressure cooker and have slants and agar at room temp I havent used in 3 years that are still clean as a whistle...

 

[RdeVjun]

Funny this should come up. I've got a couple of 1000ml Schotts with starter wort on hand, I do most of my starter preparation in advance and do several at once, so about a month ago I boiled them for >1hr in the big stockpot with the lid on and just put them aside, they were sealed by just screwing the caps down tight at the completion of boiling. Have noticed today that just one of the bottles has islands of fuzz, so now has an obvious infection (sorry, no pics just now) that it didn't have a week ago, but it has taken a couple of weeks for it to show up. No biggie though, I'll toss it as I have others on hand, but its food for thought! :icon_cheers:

Hey Leary, AFAIK none of those strains are PCs (Wyeast's Private Collection), so they should be available from local Wyeast suppliers for renewal of your slant library, that is if you do lose a particular strain altogether. I will usually only slant PC/ seasonal strains or stuff that is hard to source, eg. Brewlabs ex- UK, and do lots of them with scrupulous sanitation, I feel that if I can just get a fresh pack then it is a tad easier to do that rather than culture a starter up from a slant, but of course may cost a bit more. It doesn't hurt at all though to muster up some more- common yeasties on slants, helps to get your slanting and starter culture techniques ironed out before you do indeed encounter a seasonal strain that is needing slanting, so for when it can't be had for love nor money. So good on you, hope yeast ranching works out for y'all! :icon_cheers:

 

[brando]

I bought 50 of the test tubes from Proscitech as per Tony's thread on "How to Split a Wyeast pack"

http://www.proscitech.com.au/cataloguex/online.asp?page=l9

I've found that many of the test tubes have small loose black flecks inside them. I sent off an email asking for explanation, but no satisfaction.

They are sold as being "sterile", and the bloke assures me that they are, but somehow I think I should sanitise them before first use (didn't want to have to mess around doing that).

Thoughts?

 

[MaltyHops]

...
They are sold as being "sterile", and the bloke assures me that they are, but somehow I think I should sanitise them before first use (didn't want to have to mess around doing that).

Thoughts?

Could give them the full works treatment before using - soak in a high
concentration of sodium perc. for a couple of days, then soak in starsan
or phos. acid for a couple of more days, then cook the little buggers.

T.