Growing and testing yeasts

I am planning on brewing a 10 gallon or so batch of IPA at the beginning of next week. I though i would try  and grow a sample from two bottles of Worthington white shield IPA. So far no activity on the whiteshield sample. I will give it a week and see what we get. For next weeks brew I will fall back on my house yeast which is US-05 and it will be its 7th generation. I am also growing a 5th gen sample as well. I don't expect there to be much difference in two generations

The photo below shows from left to right

7th gen US-05(Dec 2010) on sucrose & honey mix(1 hour)

As above but in a PET bottle(1 hour)

5th gen US-05(Oct 2010) on a wort at 1.040(1 hour)

Whiteshield IPA on a wort at 1.040(20 hours)

Amazing how the 7th gen took off within an hour! I do this with all my yeasts to prove they are live before pitching. I hope i can get some life out of the White shield yeast and grow it to see what it will do given time and its own batch of IPA. See you next week for the brewday!

 
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