Mostly trub...correct?

Washed WY 1272 after ~36 hours. The thin white layer is yeast, and the thick darker layer is trub, right?

This was my attempt (failed, I think) to save a measured amount of yeast to use on a 1090 winter warmer. I got too much kettle trub from the original beer in my carboy, I left too much beer on the cake when I began the yeast washing process, and because I couldn't see what I was doing very well, I wasn't adept enough not to pour the trub into my washing vessels.

If you'll confirm that this is the measly amount of yeast I think it is, I'll move on to plan B--buying a fresh smack pack of 1028 and building a big starter. I wanted to work with 1028, anyway.

You will need to wash it again.
Pour off the beer (I bottled mine last time I did this and it was good), try to get as much of the white yeast as you can into another vessel and mix with some sterilized water. Store in refrigerator and make a starter a few days before your next brew. Should be fine.

Yeah, wash it again. Pour off the beer, add sterilized water to the jar, shake well, let sit for 20 minutes, then pour off the cloudy/yeasty water into another jar. Sometimes it takes 2-3 washings to get a nice jar that's mostly yeast.

+1 to wash it again and I think you need more yeast for your brew. However instead of buying more just do a stepped starter. I would add that to 500ml of wort and when it is done then fridge 24+hrs decant, swirl 2000ml starter (or what ever your final size is from however you calculate it). Stepped starters are similar to washing (the crash cool and decant bit anyway) so you have practice or will have practice. Once you starter down the road of stepped starters you are only a small step from slanting or freezing yeast and then you will never pay for yeast again.

Clem

Palefire said:

Yeah, wash it again. Pour off the beer, add sterilized water to the jar, shake well, let sit for 20 minutes, then pour off the cloudy/yeasty water into another jar. Sometimes it takes 2-3 washings to get a nice jar that's mostly yeast.

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Thanks for your replies. We're talking about washing and pitching into a starter, right? If so, I don't think it would be worthwhile for me to continue washing this, since it seems like there's very little yeast there.

I was trying to grow about 150 - 200 ml of yeast that I could pitch right into my winter warmer (per Mr. Malty calculations). If re-washing this big jar would result in only ~25 - 50 ml of yeast, well... I've already got a few jars with that amount of 1272, I don't need another. I think I'll stick with plan B and go get some 1028, London Ale yeast. After all, that's what my recipe calls for.

But for future reference, when washing yeast, can I wait *longer* than 20 minutes after swirling with water and waiting for the trub to settle? I've been decanting right at the 20 minute mark, because I wanted to yeast to remain in suspension, and not settle into the trub. If I could wait, say, 30 - 40 minutes and get the trub to compact a little bit more, that would sure be helpful.

Any guidance is appreciated.

Clementine said:

. Once you starter down the road of stepped starters you are only a small step from slanting or freezing yeast and then you will never pay for yeast again.

Clem

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Thanks, Clem. Slanting seems tremendously difficult to me, but I *am* interested in freezing my washed yeast. As I understand it, to freeze yeast I would need to introduce some glycerine to the washed yeast solution, correct? Is there much more to it?

Not really that much to it. Sounds more complicated than it actually is.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/d...tarter-then-why-not-farm-yeast-freeze-269488/

mredge73 said:

Not really that much to it. Sounds more complicated than it actually is.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/d...tarter-then-why-not-farm-yeast-freeze-269488/

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+1 This link has really good info, I had to slant as I had limited freezer space (SWMBO thought breast milk had more priority than yeast, the nerve) So I slanted. I'm just about to relocate from HI to PA and when I get there freezing is on the top of the agenda (not just for the yeast but me too!). Both methods are really so easy it hurts. I played with a batch and ditched it first and then went with it 100%. Both methods give you free (virtually) yeast the only difference is slants have to be renewed more regularly than frozen banks.

No matter which way you go, if you are making yeast you will want and stir plate and pressure cooker. With these two things you can make yeast quickly and easily and you don't stress out during summer that you yeast is cooked in the mail. You know that your yeast is 100% viable and ready to go to work for you. I have the shortest lag times and the quickest ferments, typically less than 4 days since i started making my own yeast. I put this down to how fresh the yeast is when I pitch it!

Clem