michael.berta

Recipes 

I'm curious how many people wash their yeast vs just pitching onto the old cake. I'm sure washing yeast is better since you get rid of trub, dead yeast, etc. Plus you can pitch the correct amount of yeast. But washing yeast takes time and it seems that people have great results just pitching onto an old cake.

Suthrncomfrt1884

Recipes 

You'll do fine either way. When I re-pitch onto a yeast cake, I normally make sure I'm going from light to dark. I may use an American Ale yeast (as usual) and go from a Pale Ale to a Brown/Amber ale to a Stout. I'll pitch on top of that yeast up to 3 times, then it's time for new yeast. But, if I'm not making beers in that order (light to dark), I'll wash and save the yeast for later.

__________________
He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven.

Another HERMS rig...

Bob

Recipes 

I never advocate just dumping fresh wort into a filthy container and such humongous overpitching.

But, practically speaking, It Depends. If you're brewing a beer that should lack esters, you can get away with overpitching, so you can go ahead an knock out onto the old yeast. If you're brewing an English or Belgian beer, or any ale that's supposed to have an ester profile, harvest and pitch the right amount.

If you're going to pitch fresh wort the day of racking or within seven days or so of harvesting, you don't really need to wash the yeast. Just harvest the slurry into clean, sanitary Mason jars and keep 'em in the fridge. Then consult the Mr Malty calculator to see how much slurry you need to pitch.

Cheers,

Bob

__________________
http://www.reconstructinghistory.com