Re-using yeast the lazy way?

Octavius · 08-17-2009, 02:49 PM

Let me run this past y'all.

We ferment for a week or two in a 5 gall corny. Then either transfer (with CO2) to another keg containing priming sugar and bottle or just transfer to another keg and force carbonate for tap beer.

I'm thinking that, on transfer, to run the first 12 oz into a clean beer bottle, cap, refrigerate and then use as the yeast addition on my next batch.

A problem may be this 12 oz would contain some trub as well as the yeast. Then again, I just read that trub may actually increase desirable flavors.

Any thoughts? I like to keep things simple and not mess with the beer if at all possible.

Cheers!

albannach · 08-17-2009, 03:00 PM

Search for the thread on "Yeast Washing Illustrated" on this forum, or look it up in the Homebrew Wiki, also on this forum.

oceania · 08-19-2009, 04:54 PM

can't say that i've tried this, but this seems to be along the lines of what you were getting at:

Mike Beer - How to Save and Reuse Yeast

ManyBrews · 08-19-2009, 05:34 PM

hmmm...this method seems to capture all the trub as well. is that ok?

could you do a brew day in this manner... first make a batch of wort and let cool, then bottle a batch that has been fermenting and leave trub and inch of beer on bottom of bucket fermenter, finally just dump leftover beer/trub on new batch of wort firght of the fermenter???

brrman · 08-19-2009, 05:41 PM

Many people dump a new batch right on top of the trub of the last batch. You obviously don't want to put a new light beer on top of old dark beer trub, and you don't wanna go from an IPA to a light ale (yeast can hold hop flavor). And it's generally accepted that you can't continue to do this indefinitely. A couple times at most.

Washing yeast is easy. After you do it once you will say "dang, that was simple"... Just boil some water, let cool and dump it on the primary trub. Mix it up, let settle 20 min, pour the top layer off to a smaller container (leaving sediment behind), mix, let settle for 20 mins. Pour top watery layer off and whats left behind is your yeast.

ManyBrews · 08-19-2009, 06:01 PM

great thanks.

i just read a thread called "my first attempt at yeast washing"...the process was very clear and had awesome pics.

i'm excited to do this after my next beer, a saison...my first use of the expensive liquid yeast.

**Beerbeque** · 08-19-2009, 06:34 PM

I often reuse my yeast. first I rack from my primary to my bottling bucket, then I swirl the dregs of my primary bucket and dump about 24oz of the sediment into a sanitized jar, cap and refrigerate. On my next brewday I just pour off any beer in the jar and pitch about half of the jar into my my new wort. Fermentation always begins within 2-3 hours. I'm not concerned with picking up a bit of color from the previous batch so I never bother washing the yeast.

HoppyDaze · 08-19-2009, 06:42 PM

its not only color that you will pick up from not washing the yeast; it's also the flavor (some good and some bad I assume) from the trub that is mixed with the yeast.

brrman · 08-19-2009, 06:46 PM

Trub can hold hops, cold break, lots of different types of sediment that can impact the flavor of your beer. If you intend to reuse your yeast more than once, it is wise to wash the yeast as good as you possibly can. yeast sitting on a layer of trub isn't going to be as healthy as a nicely washed yeast.