Yeast Washing Illustrated

2 questions for everyone. Once again, I've read most of this thread a ways back, but since it has grown with popularity to being a giant thread now it's hard to reread the whole thing for my questions.

So, how long should we wait after washing to make a starter? Does it have to be a full week, or just when it seems everything has settled?

And, if I repitched a pack of dry yeast (Safale 05) onto one of my whitelabs london yeasts for more attenuation, can this yeast be washed and reused? Or will it be a monster yeast creation that should be taken out to some old swamp and drowned so it can never come back again?

Thanks

Doc Robinson said:

After 1 week in the fridge:

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The layer in the bottom of my jars was above the "Mason". I was concerned at what I had done until I made a starter and was seeing activity in 2 hours. I plan to use it for my Porter tomorrow. I ended up with a little over 1/2 quart. Will it be enough?

Instead of the large jar, can I put my 2L flask in the boil and use that for the extra liquid?

chrisrush said:

Instead of the large jar, can I put my 2L flask in the boil and use that for the extra liquid?

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Sure. Stopper it up to preserve its purity.

chrisrush said:

Instead of the large jar, can I put my 2L flask in the boil and use that for the extra liquid?

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i was just gonna ask this, lol

after you dump all the water in the fermentor from the 4 jars and the "big jar", won't you have more volume than the "big jar"? what do you do with the extra liquid in the fermentor?

I usually only dump in the liquid from the big jar and I end up with 3 little jars. There's no hard science to the volume of water AFAIK, just make it work for what equipment you have...

i just didn't quite fill the jars to the brim. there was still a little liquid remaining in the primary after i transferred, but i guess i didn't worry too much about it.

Pretty sure I failed at my first attempt at this. Tried to wash some WLP002 and all I have is a slight dusting of yeast on the bottom of my jars. I'll give it a shot in the starter in a week or so to see what happens, but I am not confident.

motobrewer said:

i was just gonna ask this, lol

after you dump all the water in the fermentor from the 4 jars and the "big jar", won't you have more volume than the "big jar"? what do you do with the extra liquid in the fermentor?

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The idea is that you want more water in the fermenter than will go into the big jar, so that the trub has time to settle in the fermenter itself. Then a higher percentage of the water you pour back into the big jar will be just yeast.

Just throw out the extra liquid in the fermenter.

I did this same technique about a week ago. When i added the water from the jars to the carboy i didn't let it sit, i just swirled and poured it into the jars. I've noticed my jars look a bit different from yours. Mine are half full of liquid and half full of yeast cake. Did I mess it up, or is it still usable??

It's probably still usable, but you didn't let the trub settle out, and that's the entire purpose of washing your yeast. You've got a lot more than just yeast in your jars, you have hops, trub, basically all of the dregs that you wanted to get rid of by washing.

so basically just try again with my next batch

Pretty much, but you may still have viable yeast in your jars. Don't throw them away just yet. Make a starter and see what happens. The dregs won't hurt anything, but the whole purpose behind washing is to leave the dregs out.

As long as you allow the jars to settle out and then decant off the liquid into other jars wouldn't that be the same as letting it all settle in the fermentor?

If I wash us-05 and store in pint jars, how long do they last (average) and can I just mix and dump or do I need to make a starter....sorry if covered earlier.

I've already asked this once, but I'm still curious to see if anyone knows about this.

If I repitched some dry safale on top of my liquid whitelab 005 and then washed the yeast, will it be alright to use? I'm about to need a WL005 soon (Monday soon!) and don't want to ruin it if this isn't a good idea.

Thanks guys!

I'd say it will ferment duffman, but with two strains who knows which one will dominate?

magnj said:

I'd say it will ferment duffman, but with two strains who knows which one will dominate?

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Thanks mag, and I agree that I don't know how it will turn out but if both strains are suitable for the style I'm brewing I may not be in bad shape.......but I dunno. I haven't experimented with yeast enough to know about this, but I guess I'll give it a try!

If it works out you may have your own unique yeast blend to keep harvesting. Could give you a very distinct brew. Let us know how it goes.

Duffman says "Oh Yeah!!"

Figure it's probably already in a later page of this thread, but after 60 pages, it's just too much to read now. I read this thread initially some time ago, but don't remember: How are you guys rinsing Wyeast 1968 for repitching? This yeast floccs out so much, wondering how you guys go about it. My guess is, if you do it the usual way, then you're not going to get anything because the yeast drops out immediately. How do you manage to separate it from the trub without also losing all of the yeast?

Thanks for any insight.

MattHollingsworth said:

Figure it's probably already in a later page of this thread, but after 60 pages, it's just too much to read now. I read this thread initially some time ago, but don't remember: How are you guys rinsing Wyeast 1968 for repitching? This yeast floccs out so much, wondering how you guys go about it. My guess is, if you do it the usual way, then you're not going to get anything because the yeast drops out immediately. How do you manage to separate it from the trub without also losing all of the yeast?

Thanks for any insight.

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Someone actually started a thread on this issue a while ago, and it helped me out a lot. I now have a bunch of jars of 002 in my fridge. Here's the thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-highly-flocculant-strains-152080/

Palefire said:

Someone actually started a thread on this issue a while ago, and it helped me out a lot. I now have a bunch of jars of 002 in my fridge. Here's the thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-highly-flocculant-strains-152080/

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Great! Thanks!

Good technique,
Great! Thanks!

Thanks, for guide. Washed last night and have 4 Mason jars worth.



Lots of clean creamy yeast.

im a noob sorry for the questions,you collect this from the trub put it in a mason jar and use this has yeast for a future brew?so this would allow you to have that particular strain for several batches then if im following correctly.

david83 said:

im a noob sorry for the questions,you collect this from the trub put it in a mason jar and use this has yeast for a future brew?so this would allow you to have that particular strain for several batches then if im following correctly.

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That's it. Saves a ton of money that way- liquid yeast is expensive!

good to know ill have to try that

Can I store the washed yeast in my fermentation chamber ?
During lagering its around 34F and during fermentation around 46F.

This is an awesome post Cheers!!!! I will be trying this myself!! Great pictures. You can tell me 10 times and I would still have questions. Show me the pictures and Whooaaaaaa I get it!!!!

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt - I washed 1968 using this method and it worked fine.

Finally made it all the way through this thread. Thanks, Bernie!

2 things:

1) I'm gleaning that if you don't use the yeast 3-4 days after washing it is best to make a starter?

2) Right now I have a pale with Notty yeast in the fermenter. Unfortunately, this batch fermented high, up to 75 deg. Will the washed yeast from this batch be any different than washed yeast from a batch that was fermented at 65 deg?

thanks

Sorry guys another noob question.... well 2..

Im using a live yeast liberated from my local brewery Thwaites.. when its fermenting is the big thick 2" of cake on the top of the brew the yeast? (sorry if im being dumb, it just looks like it) and if so cant i just scoop some out during the fermentation, wash it and store it as per this thread?

Cheers.

tomonners said:

when its fermenting is the big thick 2" of cake on the top of the brew the yeast? (sorry if im being dumb, it just looks like it) and if so cant i just scoop some out during the fermentation, wash it and store it as per this thread?

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Yes, and yes. the krausen (sp?) on the top is filled with good active yeast and you can harvest it.

I did the whash, but sometimes my yeast smells like bad eggs or maionese.
and when i whant a clean yeast with not too much work i just save the yeast in secondary, its have no sediment and is pure yeast.

True the yeast in the secondary has no sediment, but it's also the slower performing yeast. The really active guys have all gone to sleep in the primary, and in theory those will make for a faster startup next time. However using a starter to kick the butts of the yeast from secondary may make them faster. I've never tried it from the secondary, so I can't say for sure.

About 10 hours ago I created a 1.040 starter. After cooling to 68 degrees F I added the washed yeast from an 8oz jar that I had put away in the fridge about two months ago. The 8oz jar had about a 1/4" layer of yeast at the bottom. I decanted most of the liquid from the 8oz jar, gave the yeast with the remaining liquid a good shake and then added the contents to my 1.040 starter through a sanitized funnel.

The starter has been whirling away on my stir plate for 10 hours now. How do I know that my starter is alive and my yeast is viable and growing?

Will I see a color change?

I don't expect to see kraesen since I am using a stir plate, right?

Will I see a change in the cloudiness of the starter as it whirls on the stir plate?

Please advise. Thanks in advance!

The starter will get cloudy as the yeast multiply. You may also still see some foam around the edges and in the middle of the vortex.

Gfei said:

The starter will get cloudy as the yeast multiply. You may also still see some foam around the edges and in the middle of the vortex.

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Thanks Chris. It is now Saturday morning (starter stirring for 10+ hours), a day before my planned Sunday morning brew. How long until I see a change in the appearance of the starter? I have until midday today to get to the LHBS in case this doesn't get going? This may just be a case of RDWHAHB!.

Thanks for the advise.

I think my last one took about 24 hours to show signs of life.