Using yeast at the bottom of the bottles.

jonbomb · 06-02-2010, 02:16 PM

I seen a video a while ago and even read about it in the book that came with my starter kit. The yeast at the bottom of my bottles can I somehow save that and use it?? Or even combine some bottles yeast??

Or is the yeast in the bottom dead?

**neovox** · 06-02-2010, 02:39 PM

It would be easier to harvest from your primary, unless your talking about harvesting the yest from a bottle-conditioned commercial brew.

jonbomb · 06-02-2010, 02:46 PM

I just use the krausen to harvest?? or hows that work??

**Revvy** · 06-02-2010, 02:55 PM

The sticky's for stuff like that are usually found in the top of each section. Your question of yeast washing is at the top of this section/ http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

And for harvesting yeast from a bottle this is a good thread. There's a video.

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pacman-yeast-starter-video-63855/

**neovox** · 06-02-2010, 02:56 PM

Basically, you add a small amount of sterile/distilled water to the yeast cake after you've racked the beer out. Pour that into a sanitized container (I use a large mason jar), and let separate. Pour off the yeast into another sanitized container or containers, leaving the trub behind. Top off container with sterile/distilled water as needed to fill the container. Store in the fridge until needed.

That's the condensed version. Here's a pretty good guide. You can search this board or google for yeast washing.

I read that the yeast shouldn't be stored beyond 4 months or so, but I haven't put that to the test. I always seem to use it faster than that.

jonbomb · 06-02-2010, 03:18 PM

yeast harvesting looks fun! So essensially you are using other yeast to creat your own... can you maybe someone harvest two different strains together ??

You use these just as starters not your actual yeast you will pitch correct??

**neovox** · 06-02-2010, 03:27 PM

I make a 1L starter when I use my harvested yeast. I've read some folks simply decant an pitch. No reason you couldn't do that, but the starter allows you to make sure the yeast if viable and increase the cell count.

Teacher · 06-02-2010, 03:27 PM

You certainly can combine strains, but keep a couple of things in mind:

1. Yeast doesn't reproduce sexually, so you won't get a sort of mixed breed yeast out of the deal.

2. Their flavor profiles may or may not complement each other (though experimentation is always encouraged!).

3. It's likely one will be stronger than the other. In that case, one will overtake the other in time. If you find a combination you like, it would be best to recombine them for ever batch (I would guess).

jonbomb · 06-02-2010, 03:33 PM

Well this is all very interesting. I'm gonna try this out.

**neovox** · 06-02-2010, 03:37 PM

It's really quite simple once you get the hang of the process.