Reviving Year Old Yeast
Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2023 9:15 am
I am planning to brew a Pilsner. I had a package of Omega German Lager I that was packaged a year ago. I am going to brew 10 gallons so I need a lot of yeast.
I am doing a 3 step starter: 0.5 liter, 2 liter and 4 liter starters.
I am in the first step now. It has taken 26 hours to see signs of fermentation. I was getting worried during the first 24 hours by not seeing fermentation activity. I had a yeast pitch a couple of years ago that was inside of 6 months of packaging do the same thing.
I assume that there are so few live cells that it just takes 36 hours to make enough new yeast cells to get to the fermentation stage. So I wonder how many cells were really alive after a year.
Here is a picture of the 0.5 liter starter on my stir plate. The reason for the cards on the sides of the flask is the magnets are so strong, the friction will not let the stir bar move if that 1 liter flask sits directly on the cigar box.
I am doing a 3 step starter: 0.5 liter, 2 liter and 4 liter starters.
I am in the first step now. It has taken 26 hours to see signs of fermentation. I was getting worried during the first 24 hours by not seeing fermentation activity. I had a yeast pitch a couple of years ago that was inside of 6 months of packaging do the same thing.
I assume that there are so few live cells that it just takes 36 hours to make enough new yeast cells to get to the fermentation stage. So I wonder how many cells were really alive after a year.
Here is a picture of the 0.5 liter starter on my stir plate. The reason for the cards on the sides of the flask is the magnets are so strong, the friction will not let the stir bar move if that 1 liter flask sits directly on the cigar box.