Yeast Washing Illustrated

I wasn't planning on brewing this soon, but after SWMBO saw the keg cooler I made last week for an upcoming weekend getaway, she asked if I could throw together 5 more gallons of the blond for her to take to a trail day event in three weeks.

It just happened to work out that I decided to try my hand at yeast washing.

SIAP, but I didn't feel like reading thru the entire thread for my answer. I have always used liquid yeast and have been washing the yeast for quite some time now. Last weekend I brewed with dry yeast for the first time and was wondering if it is possible to wash this yeast?

MMJfan said:

SIAP, but I didn't feel like reading thru the entire thread for my answer. I have always used liquid yeast and have been washing the yeast for quite some time now. Last weekend I brewed with dry yeast for the first time and was wondering if it is possible to wash this yeast?

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Yeah I do it all the time.

MMJfan said:

SIAP, but I didn't feel like reading thru the entire thread for my answer. I have always used liquid yeast and have been washing the yeast for quite some time now. Last weekend I brewed with dry yeast for the first time and was wondering if it is possible to wash this yeast?

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Yup... in case you haven't noticed, dry yeast doesn't stay very dry once you pitch it

MMJfan said:

SIAP, but I didn't feel like reading thru the entire thread for my answer. I have always used liquid yeast and have been washing the yeast for quite some time now. Last weekend I brewed with dry yeast for the first time and was wondering if it is possible to wash this yeast?

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Which strain of dry yeast did you use? I have washed both US-05 and Nottingham with good results.

Ive washed and pitched 3 generations of Notty for both hard ciders and beers. All good

msa8967 said:

Which strain of dry yeast did you use? I have washed both US-05 and Nottingham with good results.

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US-05 is what I used.

If its yeast, and you wash it (per the OP), and start it in a starter, it will grow.

MMJfan said:

US-05 is what I used.

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US-05 rocks in later generations. I think it has an off flavor from the dry packing process that goes away after washing

So now you have four (4) jars of pretty good yeast.

So that 1/2 to 3/4 in the bottom is enough for a five (5) gallon or ten (10) Gallon batch?

I guess most people make starters with it but I just want to cast it on the next batch... usually with-in a week of harvesting the yeast...

DPB

Kinda what I want to do this time. I just washed a third generaion nottinham on Sunday from a cream ale and want to pitch it this upcoming saturday in a pumpkin ale. Should be fine, right?

I'm not sure if someone has already posted this in the ~200 preceding pages, but if anyone who does small batches (1-gallon) wants to wash their yeast, I used a quart jar and two pint jars and the measures came out correct for my 1-gallon fermenter.

johnpcook1 said:

Kinda what I want to do this time. I just washed a third generaion nottinham on Sunday from a cream ale and want to pitch it this upcoming saturday in a pumpkin ale. Should be fine, right?

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I don't see why not. I just harvested yeast from a sixer of Bells Oberon and made a starter (I had to step it up a couple of times throughout the week after I began the process). I brewed an Oberon clone a week after I started harvesting the yeast from the Oberon bottles and it was bubbling away within 8 hours after pitching it!

Are you making a starter from the yeast you just washed or are you just planning on pitching it straight from the mason jar? I've always thought about just pitching it straight from the jar, but it eases my apprehensions by making a starter and seeing it show signs of life before I pitch it...

Pitchin it straight from the jar. First time ive tried that.

Just tried washing yeast for the first time tonight thanks to this thread. It was Nottingham that we used for a red ale. Here's hoping I didn't mess up. Had some liquid left my large jar but not too worried about that.

So I pulled one of the mason jars out of the fridge this morning to see how it is coming along. There defiantly seems to be large amount of trub left I the bottom of the mason jar. Maybe and inch or so. Any thoughts on if this is a normal amount? If it isn't, will it really matter when I go and make a starter?

When you do the first yeast wash, do you utilize the primary fermenter solution or the secondary in the glass carboy? Does it matter?

Theoretically, the yeast in the primary will be among the higher flocculating cells, because they have already settled out of the beer. Harvesting from secondary will get you yeast that stayed suspended longer, eating sugar more, so better attenuating. The ratio of better flocculating to better attenuating is pretty variable and not easy to measure, so hard to be more specific than that, and the amount you'd get from secondary will vary a lot based on how long you fermented in primary, the temp, the style, etc. So in general I'd say harvest from primary unless you have something specific you are looking for to harvest from secondary.

The latest edition of Brew Your Own Mag might be worthy reading for anyone interested in this thread!

Brewfist said:

The latest edition of Brew Your Own Mag might be worthy reading for anyone interested in this thread!

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Seriously. Just got it in the mail today. Using some washed WLP862 Cry Havoc (3rd gen on this one, my other one was pretty mutated after about 15 gens) in an IIPA today

Thanks for this thread! This will hopefully save me time and money in the future! I harvested three pints of 3724 that I look forward to trading with friends and using for my future saisons.

Next up is to wash Safale-05!

And the best part - make better beer!

Squirrels said:

Thanks for this thread! This will hopefully save me time and money in the future! I harvested three pints of 3724 that I look forward to trading with friends and using for my future saisons.

Next up is to wash Safale-05!

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Can I be your friend? I can already picture the yeast sitting in jars just waiting for me!

I've been washing and reusing yeast for 2 years now and have it down to a science, I was glad to see BYO publish an article on the same topic finally this month too. I gave up immediately on early posts recommending that you boil the jars and lids first, that's just crazy since a few minute soak in StarSan accomplishes the exact same thing.

If you're gonna store your yeast for several months be sure to wash it first and save only the healthiest cells then calculate a 10% per month die off rate when making your next starter. Like the other brewer posted I've brewed great tasting beer all year using up to 5 generations of yeast washed from the original vial I bought in January.

ScrewyBrewer said:

I've been washing and reusing yeast for 2 years now and have it down to a science, I was glad to see BYO publish an article on the same topic finally this month too. I gave up immediately on early posts recommending that you boil the jars and lids first, that's just crazy since a few minute soak in StarSan accomplishes the exact same thing.

If you're gonna store your yeast for several months be sure to wash it first and save only the healthiest cells then calculate a 10% per month die off rate when making your next starter. Like the other brewer posted I've brewed great tasting beer all year using up to 5 generations of yeast washed from the original vial I bought in January.

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Where do you get the water to wash with if you dont boil water? Or are you jus saying there isnt a need to boil the jars and lids? I jus washed and pitched a fourth gen Nottingham into a hard cider. Pitched the slurry from 1 jar 9 days after I washed it without using a starter. Vigourous fermentation! But how do you do any math on any of this to "know" you are pitching a sufficient number of healthy yeast cells?

johnpcook1 said:

Where do you get the water to wash with if you dont boil water? Or are you jus saying there isnt a need to boil the jars and lids? I jus washed and pitched a fourth gen Nottingham into a hard cider. Pitched the slurry from 1 jar 9 days after I washed it without using a starter. Vigourous fermentation! But how do you do any math on any of this to "know" you are pitching a sufficient number of healthy yeast cells?

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Use MrMalty.com, go to the yeast section, they have a calculator with a slurry tab.

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

catdaddy66 said:

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

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Yep, inoculate the dregs into a small volume of clean wort and then step up to brewing volume. Make sure to be clean. When you open the bottle, decant beer and then recap the bottle and store cold til you step up. Make sure to save some of your new year by storing cold or freeZing for latter use.

There is a good list of beers with viable yeast (and sours with other bugs) listed on The Mad Fermentationist website (search google). Also some threads on this site.

catdaddy66 said:

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

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I got Pacman from a dead guy. Pretty much as the last poster laid out. I star San everything and drink the beer on the warm side, then swirl the bottom oz or two to disturb the yeast like a Belgian and dump it into a starter batch (maybe 100mL ish? It's been a while). Cry havoc I buy vials every so often WLP862. Great strain as a house yeast.

catdaddy66 said:

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

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I found the following link extremely helpful:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/entries/harvesting-yeast-from-commercial-bottles.html

brewski09 said:

I got Pacman from a dead guy.

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Whaaaaatttttt?

mtnagel said:

Whaaaaatttttt?

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Dead guy ale. Thx for the laugh

I have a Noob question, which I hope has not been posted too much, could not find it going to random pages in this thread. After my first batch (Coopers English Bitter kit) I harvested the yeast (Safale S-04), as per the start of this thread (Thin down with pre-boiled, cooled water, let settle, pour liquid & min dregs, repeated about 4 times {started by decanting ALL dregs} keep in fridge in sealed jar). Yesterday I wanted to to batch 2, took yeast out of fridge in the morning, so they can warm to room temp, when I got home from work I made a starter with about 150g DME, total volume about 2l, added some nutrient. Pitched the yeast when the starter was about 41degC, whole thing was about 29degC when the yeast added, started stirplate, at 18:20, put 40W incandescent bulb against the glass hooked up to my temprature controller, light ON at 28 deg, off at 30deg. This morning there is still no sign of life (Krausen, foam, anything) this morning 05:30. Switched everything off when I showered, afterwards there were some tiny foam patches, so decided to let it run through the day. Did I do something wrong? I was expecting more & quicker activity? My LHBS is only open tomorrow again. Any advice (for next time I think) would be great.
Thanks
Peet.

Looks like you have an airlock of some sort? If so, that could be the issue. For a starter, you want an oxygen exchange...

Just something to think about...

Thanks - that is just some loose fitting foil. I have a temp probe in there, which looks like a pipe. I have a few times poured the starter / yeast back in to the bottle and shook vigorously to aerate more. There should at least be some oxygen in there, though I need to get an air filter, to put an airline from my small compressor, which should be better.

Couldn't really tell what you had going on there looking at it on my phone.

I will say it looks very mad-scientist-ish...

Aside from that, I don't know what to tell you. I've only washed yeast once. But i have already used some of it and my Blond has finished up nicely.

I am wondering if my yeast could have died in the fermentation process, as I am not seeing signs of carbonation either. I will try and find the right thread to post about that though.

Xtant said:

Looks like you have an airlock of some sort? If so, that could be the issue. For a starter, you want an oxygen exchange...

Just something to think about...

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I havnt heard that before. Thats interesting. Ive always aerated the starter wort before pitching the yeast into it, like I would a batch or wort, then put an airlock (S-type bubbler) on it. Is that not a good way to do it??

Soundreflections said:

I am wondering if my yeast could have died in the fermentation process, as I am not seeing signs of carbonation either. I will try and find the right thread to post about that though.

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Any decrease in gravity??

I have to admit guilt - I have been taking temp and activity readings twice a day for fermentation, but never took a reading on the starter. It is now 1008, I will re-read in the morning.