reusing yeast question

After I rack my brew off the yeast cake is it ok to scoop the yeast from the bottom of the primary using a sanatized spoon and put it in sterile jars and reuse it at a later date?
ToBrew

I would recommend washing it. Just getting scoops from the bottom will also include trub from the previous batch. Without washing it will be difficult to tell how much of that is really yeast and what is junk.

Follow this:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

to answer your question yes you can use the yeast from the primary. but like mosquitocontrol said wash it first to get all the trub crap out of it.

Here is another question is it ok to rack a beer out of the primary and put a new beer striaght back on the yeast and trub for fermenting? Or will the trub cause off flavors?

Reddheadedstepchild said:

Here is another question is it ok to rack a beer out of the primary and put a new beer striaght back on the yeast and trub for fermenting? Or will the trub cause off flavors?

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Absolutely,I do this very often.

The only time I could see this being a issue is if you are doing this while brewing a light lager, which any (if) off flavors vould be detected very easily.

But with ales......Rock ON!:rockin:

In fact I am doing this now, Did a Smoked IPA and I am putting my ESB right on top. I put the new beer in as soon as the other one is racked off. However in this case, I might get a touch of the smoke from the ipa in the ESB. But it is a ale and should blend fine, I really don't think I will even be able to tell.

In closing, sorry for the ramble.... but yes put that beer on that beautiful yeast cake and watch the magic happen and your wallet get fatter from saving!

Thank you sir that was the answere I was looking for.

yeah, i recently have just been getting the yeast and whatever else from the bottom of the primary and re-using it. It works fantastic, but i limit myself to similar tastes just in case of a weird unintended flavor. I'm going to do the washing on this batch as i have a weizenbock in primary now and am going to brew a lighter orange hefe and don't think it will mix particularly well... save's a good deal of money a batch and more then worth it

So to get this straight, if you re-use the yeast cake right away, you don't need to wash it or anything? Just rack the old beer off and the new wort on?

Sounds like a Myagi-ism: Rack off, rack on.

brelic said:

So to get this straight, if you re-use the yeast cake right away, you don't need to wash it or anything? Just rack the old beer off and the new wort on?

Sounds like a Myagi-ism: Rack off, rack on.

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i've re-used the yeast a month or two later without washing, just stored in a sanitized jar in the fridge... but i usually use it on the same "style" beer. I'm washing the hefe yeast i have because its going to be used between a weizenbock and a light hefe.

flyerwire said:

i've re-used the yeast a month or two later without washing, just stored in a sanitized jar in the fridge... but i usually use it on the same "style" beer. I'm washing the hefe yeast i have because its going to be used between a weizenbock and a light hefe.

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+1 on this. I used the same process 10 days after an APA and used it on an IPA. Fermentation was awesome and I now have even more notty to use again.:rockin:

flyerwire said:

i've re-used the yeast a month or two later without washing, just stored in a sanitized jar in the fridge... but i usually use it on the same "style" beer. I'm washing the hefe yeast i have because its going to be used between a weizenbock and a light hefe.

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Had to chime in on this one; I recently did a pumpkin ale and when I was cleaning the fermenter and decided to try something.

I took the white labs tube, the yeast came in, and washed and sanitized the container.

I then proceeded to pour the yest down the drain as usual (when not saving). But this time I held that tube right below the fermenters spout and filled it to the top with yeast from the yeast cake.

3 weeks later I took the tube of recycled yeast (stored in fridge) and made a starter with it, and I am now fermenting my smoked IPA on the same yeast, in which I am about to rack off and rack on the ESB right on top.

When in doubt, experiment :cross: And if you succeed........Pimp your yeast as much as possible

yeah, maybe less viable if you dont filter your wort when going into the fermenter, but i run it through a filter so the trub i have is minimal mixed with the yeast.

flyerwire said:

yeah, maybe less viable if you dont filter your wort when going into the fermenter, but i run it through a filter so the trub i have is minimal mixed with the yeast.

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Maybe but not something you are going to be able to notice at such small quantities


As far as flavor goes.....
Not really necessary if you are brewing ales. You cannot really pick up on the off flavors in ales as much as you can lagers (unless you are brewing water ales). I would recommend filters to brewers that would like to compete, but even so I have won a award for my beer and I didn't filter that one (no money, just bragging rights) As said, I just dont see the need if it is not a lager

98-99% of home brewers do not use plate filters and most only brew ales

And I think I remember reading somewhere that you should always brew a darker ale than the previous one if you are re-using the yeast cake. So, I should be ok to brew my IPA (6 SRM) followed by an Irish Red (14.7 SRM).

Looking forward to it.

And I've got a Steam 'n' Cream fermenting right now (california common with corn to give it a creamier mouthfeel).

brelic said:

And I've got a Steam 'n' Cream fermenting right now (california common with corn to give it a creamier mouthfeel).

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Man that sound interesting, maybe throw some lactose in there at kegging to add some mouthfeel and slight sweetness as well eh.

I am sure it will ROCK

TUCK said:

Man that sound interesting, maybe throw some lactose in there at kegging to add some mouthfeel and slight sweetness as well eh.

I am sure it will ROCK

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I don't have a keg I bottle everything.

But I don't doubt that your suggestion would be tasty!! I'll let you know how this one turns out in a few weeks when it's ready.

Reading this thread has been reassuring. I have been saving my yeast by "partial-washing" in that I rack to keg, add water and swirl the carboy (water not boiled/sterilized but comes from a Star San cleaned growler) and then allowing it to settle and pouring off the yeast(?) to another clean growler. I found that by repeating the process a second time I did not accomplish anything in terms of separating the yeast from the trub so I stopped doing it. I stick the growlers in the keezer and after it cools the yeast separates from the beer which I can pour off. Have PacMan & London Ale awaiting a batch to try them on. Montanaandy

Montanaandy said:

Reading this thread has been reassuring. I have been saving my yeast by "partial-washing" in that I rack to keg, add water and swirl the carboy (water not boiled/sterilized but comes from a Star San cleaned growler) and then allowing it to settle and pouring off the yeast(?) to another clean growler. I found that by repeating the process a second time I did not accomplish anything in terms of separating the yeast from the trub so I stopped doing it. I stick the growlers in the keezer and after it cools the yeast separates from the beer which I can pour off. Have PacMan & London Ale awaiting a batch to try them on. Montanaandy

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Hells yeah man......... I wish my pac man yeast was washed though, I made my stout (Mocha Latte Blend) beer with it and it is almost black from the all the dark grains. Might do a brown ale... but I love me some pacMan!

Brelic said:

I don't have a keg I bottle everything.

But I don't doubt that your suggestion would be tasty!! I'll let you know how this one turns out in a few weeks when it's ready.

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You could always put it in the bottling bucket if you want....but please let me know how this turns out, I am curious

What about over-pitching, though? Mr. Malty says that you don't get the best beer unless you calculate how many active yeast cells are going into the new batch.

I've recently started washing my yeast using this method - https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/
one batch is now fermenting like crazy using the washed yeast. I made a 1 litre starter the the washed yeast. It is fun to know that the $7 thingy of yeast can be reused so many times.