Gonna harvest/wash yeast

I'm following the method in Bernie's thread. My question is, how detrimental is it if you don't get all the wort off your cake? I mean its no big deal since you're letting the yeast drop and then decanting before use, right?

Yeast washing is actually very easy and little things like this don't matter IMO. I used to be very meticulous about it, making sure to get the yeast as clean as possible and leaving all the trub behind. Now all i do is fill up a jug with water, dump it on my cake, swirl around, separate into separate jars. After about a half hour the trub settle most of the way and I dump the top liquid from the jars into a final jar, and put that in the fridge. The yeast doesn't get as clean, and I probably don't get it all, but I get plenty to store.

The only problem I could ever see is if you are adding the yeast to an extremely different style. Like if there was still some imperial black stout on the yeast you might not want that in your pale ale....then again you might!

Are you really anti airlock?

Thanks guys...yes I'm really anti-airlock

Sorry to jack your topic! Do you use wild yeast or something? Or do you just feel that an airlock is unneccesary?

cheezydemon said:

Sorry to jack your topic! Do you use wild yeast or something? Or do you just feel that an airlock is unneccesary?

Click to expand...

No I think airlocks are bad because they clog (on primaries) and aren't needed on secondaries. I use blowoffs for primary and stoppers with foil for secondaries. Too many new brewers think airlock activity is the most important component of fermentation. Only to find its the cause of their explosion. Its just a pet peeve...

Makes sense.