Yeast cake with hop residue

I currently have a cream ale sitting on a nottingham yeast cake. I will be transferring this over to a secondary and will be brewing an IPA the same day. I would like to use this yeast cake, but I was wondering if it would be a problem since I didn't strain the wort and there are hop bits (pellets) in it.

I feel that the nottingham yeast would be appropriate for the IPA. The other option would be to use Windsor yeast. What do you guys think?

The recipe is:

9lbs pale LME (half will be late addition)
1.4oz Columbus (60 mins)
1.5oz Cascade/Willamette blend (2 mins)
1oz Palisade (dry hop)

I'd go for the fresh Windsor. It's cheap so not like you are making an expensive yeast go further.

My advice is to attach a blowoff.

orfy said:

I'd go for the fresh Windsor. It's cheap so not like you are making an expensive yeast go further.

Click to expand...

I'm definitely not worried about the money, dry yeast is cheap. I haven't actually tasted either yeast in a finished beer, but from what I read, the nottingham seems more appropriate. Just wanted an opinion from some more experienced brewers.

If you are brewing a big IPA, rack it onto the cake. The hop bits will settle out, and be covered by the floculated yeast soon enough. It will take off and ferment vigorously, make sure you have a way to control the temps, water bath with ice etc. I have pitched onto cakes a couple times, and the beers always fully attenuate, and ferment clean if you control the temps.

I love to pitch on cakes as often as possible. Vigorous ferment and full attenuation. Will be absolutely on the money for an IPA. I say cake!

Pour in the IPA and stand back - holding a blowoff tube ;-)

Racking onto the lees is perfectly safe IME for at least one batch - ie, fresh yeast, one batch, next batch on the lees of the first batch - no problem. At some point, you may start to get weirdness with repitching on the lees, and not liking to make expensive experimental mistakes, I have not pushed even as far as a third batch.

If you want to fuss, you can wash the yeast (search, there's a thread with pictures around here somewhere) - but there's no need to for one batch.

Worried about MORE hops in an IPA....I say just rack it onto the cake. If it doesn't turn out how you like, then chalk it up to science, though I'm sure it'll do just fine.