My Recaptured Yeast Is Gushing

[C-MOR]

I've reused yeast slurry a few times, but am still very much a novice. Goes like this... Bottle a brew, swish dregs and pour in to a couple of long necks, rinse and decant a few times with water, store in the fridge... Now its time to re-use that which i've carefully reclaimed. Open the said longneck and GUSHHHH! Half the bottle fizzes out. Next yeast sample. GSH!!!!! In my limited experience, gush=infection. Is my yeast rooted?

 

[bcp]

I've reused yeast slurry a few times, but am still very much a novice. Goes like this... Bottle a brew, swish dregs and pour in to a couple of long necks, rinse and decant a few times with water, store in the fridge... Now its time to re-use that which i've carefully reclaimed. Open the said longneck and GUSHHHH! Half the bottle fizzes out. Next yeast sample. GSH!!!!! In my limited experience, gush=infection. Is my yeast rooted?

I probably have less experience than you, but gush doesn't always equal infection. It could be fermentation, even though you rinsed with water, if there was anything left to ferment. I had a similar experience and there was nothing wrong with it, but in my case i'd reclaimed it from a starter (badly as it appears), so there was definitely something left to ferment.

See what the experts have to say.

 

[unrealeous]

I've reused yeast slurry a few times, but am still very much a novice. Goes like this... Bottle a brew, swish dregs and pour in to a couple of long necks, rinse and decant a few times with water, store in the fridge... Now its time to re-use that which i've carefully reclaimed. Open the said longneck and GUSHHHH! Half the bottle fizzes out. Next yeast sample. GSH!!!!! In my limited experience, gush=infection. Is my yeast rooted?

Rooted I says...

Sanitation is key...

Linky

 

[Rodolphe01]

blind leading the blind here...

i have bottled un-washed slurry once only - massive gusher, and the beer was most definately fully attenuated, and the bottled sludge didn't smell off. No real explanation other than perhaps further fermenation helped along by massive yeast density or yeast autolysis.

i have bottled washed slurry with no incident.

i don't bother anymore, i split my liquid yeast as soon as i open the pack and grow up starters from that. dry yeast is generally cheap enough for single use only, but splitting up liquid ends up cheaper than dry, provided you have the time.

 

[C-MOR]

Fingers crossed that all is ok. One side of me is thinking the same way you are.... A crap load of yeast bottled trying to stay alive, living, respiring. forgive my nervousness about poisoning a fresh batch.

Cue experts...

 

[Wolfy]

If the yeast was washed 'correctly' it should be stored under water so there would be nothing left for it to ferment (or for bacteria/infection either).
I just opened a stubby of a 5 month old washed sample of yeast and there was not even a tiny little bit of carbonation.

Is what you have poured out clear-white/cloudy (mostly water) or is it brownish (more like malt/wort/beer)?
If it smells yeasty (maybe a little bit Vegemite like if the sample is older), then maybe it was not fully washed and there were fermentables left when you bottled it?
How does your gusher smell, is it acidic/vinegary? If so I'd suggest it was an infection.

 

[C-MOR]

If the yeast was washed 'correctly' it should be stored under water so there would be nothing left for it to ferment (or for bacteria/infection either).
I just opened a stubby of a 5 month old washed sample of yeast and there was not even a tiny little bit of carbonation.

Is what you have poured out clear-white/cloudy (mostly water) or is it brownish (more like malt/wort/beer)?
If it smells yeasty (maybe a little bit Vegemite like if the sample is older), then maybe it was not fully washed and there were fermentables left when you bottled it?
How does your gusher smell, is it acidic/vinegary? If so I'd suggest it was an infection.

Ok, i'm going to smell and taste them both.

 

[C-MOR]

One tastes a bit cidery, one tastes ok (like the batch of beer it came out of, perhaps not rinsed after all) I'm gonna pitch the latter.

Oh Sweet Mary, hear my preyer