Yeast Autolysis, how to tell if they are eating each other?

Yeast & Fermentation
1

As some of you may know from my post in another subforum here, I way overpitched 2 one gallon batches, causing flash. I have been told by several people that I should still be okay for bottling later this weekend, and that my flavors are most likely okay, UNLESS they go into Autolysis. How can you tell this is happening? The Kreuzen in both jugs has disappeared, and the locks are silent, with just enough jug pressure to keep all the water in the second chamber(I use 2 chamber locks), but no bubbling. I think this means there is no activity like autolysis going on, but I want to be sure.

Thanks,

Gonzo

2

I’ve never experienced autolysis but heard it smells terrible.

3

[quote=“Gonzo”]As some of you may know from my post in another subforum here, I way overpitched 2 one gallon batches, causing flash. I have been told by several people that I should still be okay for bottling later this weekend, and that my flavors are most likely okay, UNLESS they go into Autolysis. How can you tell this is happening? The Kreuzen in both jugs has disappeared, and the locks are silent, with just enough jug pressure to keep all the water in the second chamber(I use 2 chamber locks), but no bubbling. I think this means there is no activity like autolysis going on, but I want to be sure.

Thanks,

Gonzo[/quote]
The yeast arent eating themselves or each other. They are just rotting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autolysis_(biology) You will be fine you can leave the beer on the yeast for quite awhile before you have any problems http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10-3.html

4

Other posters have suggested autolysis is not a problem in small batches of beer. The total weight of large volumes of beer in commercial fermentors may predispose autolysis. Take a hydrometer sample for SG and tasting. I believe you can carry on with your normal procedure and have good beer.

5

Put the yeast under a microscope. If the cells look like this: 69 they’re eating each other.

6

autolysis is pretty rare for homebrewers. Don’t worry about problems you haven’t encountered yet.

only look into problems if it smells/taste bad. (only worry when/if it smells or tastes: sour, rancid cheese, spoiled milk, meat, vinegar…)

7

Autolysis smells and tastes somewhere between broth/meat, rubber, and in its worst stage, like when you light a match. If your beer doesn’t taste like beef vegetable soup, you’re probably just fine. Yeast doesn’t go into autolysis too bad in homebrewing situations for at least 2-3 months. After that, all bets are off. But prior to that timeframe, you should be just fine. Autolysis is a bigger concern in commercial breweries where they are making hundreds of barrels at one time, where the pressure from the weight of the beer above is exerted on the yeasts’ cell walls, bursting them when they become too tired or unhealthy to resist. Strong yeast cells can handle the pressure. Old, sluggish, dying cells cannot. But for homebrewers with only maybe a foot or two of liquid pressure, as compared to tens of feet, this ain’t anywhere near as big a problem in the homebrewers’ situation.

8

Thanks for the replies everyone, except you, Beermebeavis.

9

Unless you plan on leaving it on the yeast for an extended peroid at warm of temps autolysis shouldn’t be much of a concern.

10

Wouldn’t autolysis smell like fish then?

11

Only if you didn’t wash them before pitching…