7 replies to this topic

[neddles]

I can't wait until White labs comes out with their new yeast pouches. I put WLP002 on the stir plate about 4 hrs ago. I shook the vial as best I could but you guys know how that goes. 50% of the yeast still remained in one big solid blob and it refuses to break up in the flask. It keeps knocking my stir bar off the magnet. It's driving me nucking futz. Anyone have any tricks to getting this thing to break up?

[zymot]

Shake the flask, swirl, swing it left-right. Do this with the stir bar in the flask.

[neddles]

Shake the flask, swirl, swing it left-right. Do this with the stir bar in the flask.

I tried that relentlessly. To no avail. The blob is getting a bit smaller now and it's been an hour since I had to reset the stir bar on the magnet so maybe I'll be ok for the overnight. 

[zymot]

Find something you are comfortable that you have sanitized properly and stick it in there break up the yeast clod. I have some glass wands I bought along with my flasks. I rub them with straight bleach then rinse off the bleach with Starsan or Iodophoe, which ever I have made up.

[Big Nake]

I definitely prefer the packaging that Wyeast has but I don't think I have ever had this problem. Before making the starter I might take the White Labs vial out of the fridge and let it warm up. I will leave it upright and upside down and shake it every so often. The biggest concern I run into is that I crack it open and if I don't go slowly, the contents bubble up and overflow and I lose some percentage of it. Unfortunately, the new WL packaging will not be as good as Wyeast's 'nutrient bubble'... it will just be a foil wrapper as opposed to a plastic tube.EDIT: I would guess that 002 is as likely a culprit as there is because flocs sooooo well.

Edited by Village Taphouse, 15 December 2014 - 06:05 AM.

[ChicagoWaterGuy]

I haven't tried this but an inoculation loop would work. Stir up the slurry in the vial and break up the blob. They are easy to sterilize, hold it over a flame until it glows. 

[neddles]

I would guess that 002 is as likely a culprit as there is because flocs sooooo well.

That's what I assumed was the issue. I've used 002 enough times and have been able to get it to break up with considerable shaking in the past but this one just wouldn't come apart. With the new packaging I should be able to break it up by mushing the foil pack.

 

The blob eventually broke up and the starter took off with no problem. As of this morning the 002 is already trying to give up and floc out. It's got that swirling curdled milk look to it.

[Big Nake]

That's what I assumed was the issue. I've used 002 enough times and have been able to get it to break up with considerable shaking in the past but this one just wouldn't come apart. With the new packaging I should be able to break it up by mushing the foil pack. The blob eventually broke up and the starter took off with no problem. As of this morning the 002 is already trying to give up and floc out. It's got that swirling curdled milk look to it.

I think that's the WL equivalent of 1968 and I have mentioned many times how I have racked off of 1968 and had what looked like a solid pancake on the bottom of the fermenter. It looks like you could pick it up and Frisbee it across the backyard.