Taking yeast from a fermenting batch?

Hello all,


I currently have a batch on its 3rd day of primary with White Labs Bavarian wheat.


Say I wanted to brew another wheat beer...could I just take a hydrometer sized sample and add some starter to use the same yeast strain?

seems like it would work in theory I just wanted to make sure there werent any issues.

are you going to be brewing your next batch before your current one is finished fermenting? If you can wait till this one is in secondary, the easiest thing to do would be to brew another batch and throw it on the trub or yeast cake from the previous batch, should be fermenting for you in about an hour.

Maybe the hydro sample would be enough to grow in a sample (It is more than the remains in the bottom of a bottle when we grow to harvest.) May be a good experiment to attempt.

Another would be to scoop up some of the krauzen off the top and grow a starter from there....I don't know how much fermentation waste products would be in it though....


hmmm...both are interesting venues to pursue.

It would be worth hooking a blow off tube to a container and using distilled water or heywaitaminute!!!

Use Wort in the jar and see if the krauzen blowoff would ferment that.

Donasay said:

are you going to be brewing your next batch before your current one is finished fermenting? If you can wait till this one is in secondary, the easiest thing to do would be to brew another batch and throw it on the trub or yeast cake from the previous batch, should be fermenting for you in about an hour.

Click to expand...

do this. it's bad @ss and fun to watch. just be sure to hook up a blow off tube. this is how i used to brew when i brewed alot. i would transfer to secondary, put the airlock back on, brew, then rack the wort right on top of the trub/yeast. i've done it as much as ten times in a row with no ill effects.

If you want to brew before you rack the first batch:
Take the tip off of your racking cane and siphon a cup + off the bottom. That is more than enough to pitch a next batch and is ready to go.

If you want to wait until your first beer is out of the fermenter:
Pour the entire yeast slurry into an apple juice jar filled about half way with clean water.
Shake the crap out of it to mix it thoroughly.
Let the jar rest for about 15 minutes to allow solids to settle.
Pour all but the last ¼ inch into another clean apple juice jar and repeat.

This will scrub your yeast of unwanted particles and give you plenty of clean, ready-to-use yeast.

I’d recommend splitting this up and storing one half in the fridge (capped loosely or with an airlock) and use the other half on your upcoming batch.

BierMuncher said:

If you want to brew before you rack the first batch:
Take the tip off of your racking cane and siphon a cup + off the bottom. That is more than enough to pitch a next batch and is ready to go.

Click to expand...

Would this still be true if the beer is actively fermenting? It seems like:

1. there would not be much yeast on the bottom because they would all be at the top or in suspension
2. Anything that was on the bottom would be the weakest of the bunch who have already given up or died