Reusing a yeast cake this weekend - wash, or don't bother?

I'm going to be brewing up a double batch of a winter warmer this weekend, should come in around 1.071 OG. I've currently got an English mild in the fermenter that needs to be kegged, and I plan to repitch the yeast in that fermenter into the winter warmer. The English mild was around 1.036 OG, so effectively it was a 5 gallon starter.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide if I should attempt to wash the yeast, or if I should just wait until Sunday (brew day) to keg the mild, and then divide up the yeast cake between the two fermenters before getting the chilled wort into them.

There's obviously less effort involved in kegging Sunday and divvying up the cake then, so I'm leaning heavily toward this approach. Any significant downsides?

Many people say they have good results without washing but there's just something unappealing about it to me. One downside that I can think of is that it would be harder to replicate the brew again if you really like it.

You can wash it but the easiest thing to do is just keg the mild on the day you are brewing and dump the new beer directly on the cake.

earwig said:

Many people say they have good results without washing but there's just something unappealing about it to me. One downside that I can think of is that it would be harder to replicate the brew again if you really like it.

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It's easy to replicate, just brew the mild again first...duh

If I happen to have a cake ready to go I would just pitch onto it. I have heard that the only down side is that you might over pitch. Not sure how true it is.

I'll do this once in a while if I'm feeling lazy. It was a mild so not too much hop particles in there but will have trub and maybe some dead yeast but probably fine for a winter warmer I would think.
I would make sure to add some yeast nutrient. The best thing to do though is wash the yeast or use fresh.

shutupjojo said:

I'll do this once in a while if I'm feeling lazy. It was a mild so not too much hop particles in there but will have trub and maybe some dead yeast but probably fine for a winter warmer I would think.
I would make sure to add some yeast nutrient. The best thing to do though is wash the yeast or use fresh.

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dead yeast ARE yeast nutrient.

I would at least put some in a jar and let it sit in the fridge and then decant the beer off of the top.

eastoak said:

dead yeast ARE yeast nutrient.

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I think most of us know this. Yeast nutrient is a good idea just because it is more of a complete supplement with vitamins and zinc. That's all.

I have lately gotten into the habit of brewing a lower OG batch, then within a week of kegging or bottling, brewing a higher OG batch with the same yeast. I have not been washing the yeast or making a starter - I just save it in a large ball jar in the fridge.

Next batch is a cream ale, followed by a robust porter and I will be reusing the yeast from the cream ale.

I would "Rinse" it myself washing means your lowering the PH with acid. I want to get any break material and junk out of there.
I know people say they have had good luck with what you wanting to do so give it a try and see.

Extract or all grain? The real question is; are you going to be adding any make-up water?

If you are adding make-up water, put half the cake in a gallon jug (or half gallon if that is all you have - gallon is better) fill/mix with water, let sit for about 30 minutes, then add the liquid (with suspended yeast) leaving behind the trub. ......... washing without effort!

Well, brew day was today, and here's what I went with: I kegged up my mild while my winter warmer was mashing, then divided the yeast cake between two fermenters and once I was done brewing I transferred the chilled wort directly onto that yeast cake.

I figured, being a mild and all, and considering my whirlpool, there really wasn't a ton of really bad trub material to worry about, so I figured it was safe enough to go without washing. And as for the poster talking about washing involving acids - not sure if you've read the threads here on HBT about yeast washing, but that's the process that's commonly talked about around here as washing.

Quick update - just checked on my fermentation chamber, and both fermenters have taken off nicely. Good thick krausen, and boy am I glad I put a blow off tube on both of them, as even the blow off bucket is pretty nasty right about now.