yeast farming
- Thread starter Todd
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
chillHayze said:
Found this searching the web.http://www.schwedhelm.net/brew/yeast_harv_freeze.html
I plan on making a mega crapton of the rogue yeast and freezing it.
I don't see why not.ilikebeer said:
I might have to try that freezing technique mentioned above. On the other hand, I've been sitting on a vial of harvested/washed yeast since July, and I made a starter with it last night. I opened the vial too quickly and most of the contents wound up all over my hands and in the sink. I poured the remnants into a 750mL starter and fired up the stir plate. It went nuts! The krausen climbed up and out of the flask, and it's bubbling like mad.
Evan!
Well-Known Member
Alright, maybe I'll take a pic tonite and post it tomorrow, but I need some further assistance on this yeast washing thing. I am trying to wash and harvest my Belgian Abbey yeast, so I sanitized a big ass honey jar, and sanitized the rim of the carboy, swirled it around (there was quite a bit of trub!) and poured it into the jar.
Two days later, I don't have these three layers...just a whole bunch of fallen solids, and about 2-3" of liquids. Should I agitate this mixture to try to get more yeast separation? I just don't know where the yeast is in this stratification. Are they in the liquid on top? Or are they still mixed in with the trub?
Two days later, I don't have these three layers...just a whole bunch of fallen solids, and about 2-3" of liquids. Should I agitate this mixture to try to get more yeast separation? I just don't know where the yeast is in this stratification. Are they in the liquid on top? Or are they still mixed in with the trub?
Todd
Well-Known Member
Evan! said:
The liquid at the top is beer, the settled part is yeast and trub. I've yet to be able to get any separation. I think I need to dilute it more. The trub should settle in a matter of minutes, it is just slightly darker than the yeast. The yeast is White. Drain the beer and try adding some sterile water and shake it up again. It is possible that you don't have much trub, if you were careful with the hops.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
Evan!
Well-Known Member
Some of my hops were in pellet form---so I'm betting that there's some hops residuals. I'll try your suggestion. Thanks!
boo boo
Well-Known Member
GrimsawyerStarters... can you use corn sugar instead of dme? (corn sugar is $4 for 5 lbs where DME is $5 a pound) How much water do you use? ?[/quote said:
homebrewer_99
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2005
- Messages
- 19,581
- Reaction score
- 1,223
- Location
- I-80, Exit 27 (near the Quad Cities)
I always add 1/2-3/4 gal of water to dilute it so it seperates better.Todd said:
Alright I know this is an old thread but a lot of good questions on yeast washing. I have another. I washed a batch several months ago but apparently I did not decant the wort enough so it fermented a bit. The jar of slurry I opened was carbonated. Is this bad or could it still be rehydrated?
Six posts above yours, Yuri Rage sounded like he lost half of his vial to carbonation, he sounded pretty happy even so, 750 mil starter took off great.
Bumping an old thread, I know....the thread is new to me
I'll be Home Brew Talk's newest Yeastie Washie
bierzwinski
Well-Known Member
What does the stir plate do? Why is it necessary/better??
When you make a starter without a stir plate you are supposed to shake it to break it up and get it to stay loose. Stir plate keeps movement and the yeast never clumps. I am a newb but I believe I read that it helps get oxygen and sugar to the yeast, and the yeast thrives better when not clumped on bottom.
bierzwinski
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the reply.
can i add a question to that?
When you poor new wort on to old settled yeast - trub - do you shake up the whole carboy after you poor it on?
If i don't have a blow tube am i going to have a big mess?
can i add a question to that?
When you poor new wort on to old settled yeast - trub - do you shake up the whole carboy after you poor it on?
If i don't have a blow tube am i going to have a big mess?
If you are pouring a new batch onto an existing yeast cake, again I am a newbie at this, I would think that you would want to pour it hard. I always try and introduce oxygen when getting the yeast to start up fast. I have never used an old yeast cake though. Definitely do a blow off, I read several posts that the yeast cake has healthy, multiplied yeast colonies that sometimes kicks off in an hour or two, visiously!
Side note, I also read that you want to do a darker/heavier beer on a yeast cake. A used cake had attributes of the beer it made. So if you make a dark roasty beer and then use cake to make a lighter one, the roasty dark attributes will show up in second beer.
Side note, I also read that you want to do a darker/heavier beer on a yeast cake. A used cake had attributes of the beer it made. So if you make a dark roasty beer and then use cake to make a lighter one, the roasty dark attributes will show up in second beer.
bierzwinski
Well-Known Member
Thanks. I am just going to try this and see what happens. (need to get a blow tube though) I don't have an oxygen tank, so i usually shake my wort and actually i usually shake it after i have pitched the yeast. One other thought i had was to see if i could get half of the cake out with sterile water ... like dump it in, swirl it around a little and dump some of it off... but maybe that is not necessary. I was thinking this so i could avoid a mess.
Thanks again. I had read some of that about the yeast attributes as well. Noted. I also read that the cake could be used 5 - 6 times. Did you find that too?
Thanks again. I had read some of that about the yeast attributes as well. Noted. I also read that the cake could be used 5 - 6 times. Did you find that too?
McGarnigle
Well-Known Member
If you are pouring new wort onto a full yeast cake, you probably don't have to worry too much about shaking the pail. You're overpitching so much that the yeast will fly regardless.
I personally don't pitch on the whole cake. I do what you mention regarding sterile water. I've used a sanitized ladle to remove yeast and put it into the new carboy (i.e., I don't use the same fermenter twice in a row). Just don't water it down too much, lest you be pulling out mostly water and not yeast.
As far as 5-6 times is concerned, I thought it was more like 3-4, but have never gone more than twice myself just because i like to mix things up.
I personally don't pitch on the whole cake. I do what you mention regarding sterile water. I've used a sanitized ladle to remove yeast and put it into the new carboy (i.e., I don't use the same fermenter twice in a row). Just don't water it down too much, lest you be pulling out mostly water and not yeast.
As far as 5-6 times is concerned, I thought it was more like 3-4, but have never gone more than twice myself just because i like to mix things up.
Similar threads
