Home Distiller

I've got a block of yeast that's been in my freezer for a couple of years and I just refill my yeast bottle when it gets low. I'm finding that I'm having issues getting a ferment going lately and curious if yeast can still go bad if in the freezer? Oh, it's redstar active dry yeast btw. I started two batches by sprinkling on top and didn't stir in, then when that never took off I hydrated in water( two separate bowls) and poured that in. Now the next day they are both barely fizzing let alone working off. Temp is 28.5 deg c steady. I've been doing ag for so long I'm wondering what the heck is up with a stupid sugar wash! Lol!
23l pail with half can of tomato paste, a squirt of lemon juice to lower ph and enough sugar to make 11percent Abv. Done it a million times years ago....what the heck is wrong now?

Bad yeast is all I can figure...although the iron levels in the water are higher here at the new house.

I'm starting another bowl just to see what it looks like all the way through.

But...can yeast freeze or go bad after all this time?

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=35891" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow check out this thread on how to properly freeze yeast. I have a frozen yeast bank. It comes in very handy.

goinbroke2 wrote:I've got a block of yeast that's been in my freezer for a couple of years and I just refill my yeast bottle when it gets low. I'm finding that I'm having issues getting a ferment going lately and curious if yeast can still go bad if in the freezer? Oh, it's redstar active dry yeast btw. I started two batches by sprinkling on top and didn't stir in, then when that never took off I hydrated in water( two separate bowls) and poured that in. Now the next day they are both barely fizzing let alone working off. Temp is 28.5 deg c steady. I've been doing ag for so long I'm wondering what the heck is up with a stupid sugar wash! Lol!
23l pail with half can of tomato paste, a squirt of lemon juice to lower ph and enough sugar to make 11percent Abv. Done it a million times years ago....what the heck is wrong now?

Bad yeast is all I can figure...although the iron levels in the water are higher here at the new house.

I'm starting another bowl just to see what it looks like all the way through.

But...can yeast freeze or go bad after all this time?

High gravity wash, minimum nutrients and old yeast
Use the old block of yeast for boiled yeast nutrients
And spend $5 for a new 2Lb block of yeast.
Also ditch the lemon juice and use some dirt cheap crushed oyster shells for pH control

Yeast can certainly "go bad" even with refrigeration and/or freezing. Just putting the yeast in the freezer without protecting the cells from rupture can kill them.

Take a look here: http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 39&t=61608

Had a good discussion about yeast farming and long term storage. MitchyBourbon really knows his yeast man!

goinbroke2 wrote:...a squirt of lemon juice to lower ph...

Why do you want to lower pH at the outset? Most sugarheads will do that all by themselves.

tp

shadylane wrote:

goinbroke2 wrote:I've got a block of yeast that's been in my freezer for a couple of years and I just refill my yeast bottle when it gets low. I'm finding that I'm having issues getting a ferment going lately and curious if yeast can still go bad if in the freezer? Oh, it's redstar active dry yeast btw. I started two batches by sprinkling on top and didn't stir in, then when that never took off I hydrated in water( two separate bowls) and poured that in. Now the next day they are both barely fizzing let alone working off. Temp is 28.5 deg c steady. I've been doing ag for so long I'm wondering what the heck is up with a stupid sugar wash! Lol!
23l pail with half can of tomato paste, a squirt of lemon juice to lower ph and enough sugar to make 11percent Abv. Done it a million times years ago....what the heck is wrong now?

Bad yeast is all I can figure...although the iron levels in the water are higher here at the new house.

I'm starting another bowl just to see what it looks like all the way through.

But...can yeast freeze or go bad after all this time?

High gravity wash, minimum nutrients and old yeast
Use the old block of yeast for boiled yeast nutrients
And spend $5 for a new 2Lb block of yeast.
Also ditch the lemon juice and use some dirt cheap crushed oyster shells for pH control

Shady, "high gravity"? It's 10 or 11 percent!
" minimum nutrients"? I always thought tomato paste was full of nutrients as well as vitamins etc.
It was old yeast though. After reading all the links I don't think I conveyed my message very well. I was not talking about freezing a yeast solution, I was talking about freezing a 2 lb block of dried redstar yeast. Just brought it home from the store and stored it in the freezer until I needed it.

Anyway, I was going to throw it out and buy more like shady said, but instead I divided it in two and dumped it into the washes. Yes it made a thick cake, but whatever, I'll get some more tomorrow and see what this does first.
Thanks for the responses guys

I use red star dry active yeast.. I have a jar that takes the whole 2 lb brick, pour it in, and store it in the fridge.. take some out the day before needed.. good to go..

Forgot about a jar in the fridge a few years back, well the wife changed the location, put in the back and I did see it.. when I discovered it, it was over a year old and it work ok.. used it all up.. so I don't see one would need to freeze it..

Mars

Thanks stiller boy, lesson learned. I'll get some tomorrow and it will be stored in the fridge.
Interesting point, you said you take it out the day before? Let the dry yeast warm to room temp before pitching...never did that with it and never had a problem until recently, might try that to as it does make sense.

You're welcome.. I usually measure 75 gr (about 1/3 cup) for a 26L wash the day before, and let sit on top of the fridge.. then when the wash temp is at 85 deg F, I'ill sprinkle the yeast on top, let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes, then give it a good stir until no yeast are floating.. within half hour fermenting activity is on.. I try to maintain the fermenting temp around 82 deg F, done in 6 to 7 days..

Mars

Well I pitched new yeast and kept the temp a steady 28C and it still seemed to stop around 5percent so....reread the birdwatch recipe(first time in many,many years) and noticed I should be using more tomato paste, so I dumped in 2 or 3 lbs of cracked corn in. Within minutes it was going again, stronger than when I first started it.
Just like I forgot and dumped in 4.4kg of sugar than realized I remembered wrong and it should of been two and a half bags, I also forgot how much paste to use...memory sucks...

Anyway, going great again and now I have to get back to wrapping presents. Hopefully run it in a couple days.