Another Yeast Washing Question

danielinva · 05-28-2009, 03:29 PM

I'm planning to wash a hefeweizen yeast cake next Thursday for another hefeweizen I want to brew on June 6th.

I'm going to use the method in the sticky, but I plan to end up with two 1qt containers rather than the 4 1pint containers. Given that I should have a pretty decent amount of yeast in each qt jar, do I need to use a starter other than to ensure the yeast is alive?

I suppose my other option is bottle and brew on the same day and pitch a portion of the yeast cake into the fresh wort, but I'm still not confident about how much slurry I would need even after using the help menu on mrmalty. I think the calculator said about 100ml or a half cup, but its a bit unclear as to whether that's before or after washing the yeast.

Any advice would be appreciated

BornInaHoller · 05-28-2009, 03:50 PM

I've used washed 3068 on my last two batches without a starter. The yeast has taken off just fine.

rsmith179 · 05-28-2009, 03:53 PM

Although 1 qt. of yeast slurry should be an adequate amount of yeast for your next batch, I would still recommend proofing your yeast by making a starter. With all of the work that goes into making a batch, I'd hate to see an entire batch wasted due to an infection. Making a starter will allow you to see if there was any contamination during the whole washing process. Besides the proofing aspect of the starter, you could technically just add that washed yeast directly to the wort.

**cubbies** · 05-28-2009, 03:56 PM

I no longer wash my yeast. These days I make a larger than necessary starter and then split it. Half in the wort, half in storage. This isnt going to work for you if you have already pitched the yeast and are planning on salvaging off the cake. However, I prefer to use this method because I know I am getting nothing but fresh, viable yeast with minimal dead cells. Rather than pulling from trub that contains lots of dead cells, hop resins, proteins etc.

I am not knocking that method, many folks here use it quite successfully, but I just think this way is easier and works better for me.

Read about it here

danielinva · 05-29-2009, 01:21 PM

I think I may just end up starting off of an 8oz container. I may very well go with the extra large starter next time though.

BuzzCraft · 05-29-2009, 04:42 PM

I think it depends largely on how long you've let the washed yeast sit around in the fridge (and also how long it sat in the primary). Hard to use Mr. Malty to figure out your pitching rate with those considerations.
I can tell you from experience that if you have 8 oz or so of washed yeast and you pitch it within a few weeks of harvesting, it'll go off strongly and you'll get a healthy fermentation. If I'm past a few weeks, I personally make a starter with it just to be sure.
If you're racking and brewing the same day and pitching a portion of the yeast cake (i.e. hasn't been stored at all), just pitch a cup of washed yeast and you'll be more than good. If your beer tastes good upon racking, making a starter runs just as big a risk of introducing contamination as detecting it, IMO.

danielinva · 05-29-2009, 04:48 PM

If I decide to wash and brew the same day (as opposed to washing about 2 days prior) how long does it take the suspended yeast to settle out to the point that I know I have a cup of washed yeast?

BuzzCraft · 05-30-2009, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by danielinva

If I decide to wash and brew the same day (as opposed to washing about 2 days prior) how long does it take the suspended yeast to settle out to the point that I know I have a cup of washed yeast?

I use a method that's just slightly different than that on the sticky (as far as I can remember of what the sticky says). The method I go by used to be on the Wyeast website, but doesn't look like it's there anymore. I pasted the info below. Anyway, using this method I end up pouring the suspended yeast from quart jars into pint jars and I end up with anywhere from 2/3 to 1 cup of clean yeast in each jar. Not sure how long it takes to settle out completely, as I usually work at night and it's settled out completely by morning.

Objective:
To recover yeast from a finished batch of beer for repitching or storage for future brewing.

Materials:
One primary fermenter after beer has been siphoned or removed.
Three sanitized 1 quart mason jars with lids, filled half full of sterile or boiled water which have been cooled and chilled to refrigerator temperature (38 F)

Procedures:
Sanitize the opening of the carboy.

Pour the water from one of the quart jars into the carboy. Swirl to agitate the yeast, hop residual, and trub from the bottom.

Pour carboy contents back into the empty jar and replace the cover.

Agitate the jar to allow separation of the components. Continue to agitate periodically until obvious separation is noticeable.

While the viable yeast remains in suspension, pour off this portion, into the second jar, being careful to leave as much of the hops and trub behind as possible.

Agitate the second container to again get as much separation of yeast from particulate as possible. Allow contents to rest, then pour off any excess water from the surface.

Pour off yeast fraction, which suspends above the particulate into the third container. Store this container up to 1 month refrigerated. Pour off liquid and add wort, 2 days before brewing or repitch into a new brew straight away.

danielinva · 06-05-2009, 01:20 PM

Thanks Buzz, I didn't notice this reply until today. I think I'm going to go with your process and just pitch the 3rd jar's contents as soon as the new wort is cooled down to temp.

Are you typically able to get the entire cake in the 1st 1qt jar, or are you actually letting the trub settle out a bit in the carboy first? I doubt this will be an issue for me since I will be pouring into a 2qt jar first, but I was curious.