Yeast Washing - Lots of Trub, no color separation...

Yakima 728
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Evan!

Evan!

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This is the second time I've harvested this batch of yeast. It's Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey Ale. I poured the trub into a few containers so that I could get as much yeast as possible. I've washed it twice already - added starsan solution and let the liquid come to the top, then decanted off - but the thing is, there's no color differentiation in the solids. It's all just a solid brown. So how do I know how much to keep? The stuff is stinky...but I'm thinking that that's because it's a belgian abbey yeast. But there's also the little voice in the back of my head that's telling me that it's stinky because there's too much trub in there and it's spoiling. Am I insane? What should I do here? I worry about wasting a batch of beer by adding this stuff to another batch...suggestions? I love this yeast, but I'm on the verge of dumping it.
 
What's wrong with StarSan solution? The reason I used it is because, from what I've read, it turns into yeast nutrients after awhile. Why is that bad?
 
bah Evan ya beat me to it but oh well . . .
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/acid_wash.html
Acid Washing Yeast
More professional brewery links
Problem: Bacteria in the pitching yeast. Acid washing can help to reduce the number of some bacteria, but is not a complete solution. We usually do not recommend acid washing because:
Acid washing only reduces the number of bacteria, but does not completely remove them. After one or two more generations, the bacteria can regenerate up to numbers that affect flavor. Acid washing has different effects on different yeast strains, and usually reduces the quality of their performance and viability. Acid washing is not an effective way to kill wild yeast.

However, if acid washing is done, here is an effective method:

Keep the yeast between 36-40oF.
Determine how much yeast will be needed to pitch, put in a stainless container and begin the acid washing procedure 90 minutes before the yeast will be pitched.
Add food grade phosphoric acid until the pH of the slurry is between 2.0-2.5. Mix thoroughly to get an accurate reading.
Let the mixture sit for 1 hour at 70-75oF.
Add the entire mixture to the fermentor.
For more White Labs professional brewery links, click here.
Click to expand...
 
Not sure if I read your process clearly, but it sounds as if you are pouring off your liquid.

If that's the case then you threw out the wrong jar. You're supposed to keep the cloudy water and dump the trub. The cloudy water is the yeast in suspension. That would account for your trub all being 1 color...and it should be.
 
homebrewer_99 said:
Not sure if I read your process clearly, but it sounds as if you are pouring off your liquid.

If that's the case then you threw out the wrong jar. You're supposed to keep the cloudy water and dump the trub. The cloudy water is the yeast in suspension. That would account for your trub all being 1 color...and it should be.
Click to expand...

No, I've done this before, HB...I know how to harvest yeast. Normally, when I harvest the trub, I add water to wash it per the Wyeast instructions. I usually end up with 3 layers---beer-colored clear liquid on top, then a whitish layer of yeast, then the brown trub. This time, I'm missing the whitish layer. When I decant off the clear liquid on top, I'm decanting off the washing liquid/beer.
 
Update...

I did another sanstar wash and ended up with some whitish striation at the top of the jars. So I decanted off most of the top liquid, then poured off the top of the solids into an empty sanitized jar and discarded the bottom trub. That should be the good parts. Dunno why it took 3 washings to show some white differentiation...but so be it.
 
Sometimes I notice that if you have some really clumpy flocculation you have to break it up to get more yeast out of the trub. I think I remember someone mentioning they used a mixer to break theirs up.

Don't know the outcome though...as they never mentioned it again. Could have been a failure, don't know.
 
You could also add a little new wort as if creating a yeast starter and once the yeast goes into suspension and multiplies then you can decant the yeast in suspension into a new jar and let it finish multiplying and place in the fridge to harvest your nice new layer of yeasties. I had to do that with my WL English. Chunky Yeast! :rockin:
 

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