recycling yeast questions

Going to try recycling my yeast next time I bottle but I have a couple of noob questions.

1) how much yeast per jar should I save?

2) Do I need to use mason Jars or can I use other old jars such as jam, baby food, or salsa ect ect?

3) Is washing the yeast 2 or three times necessary or can I just add water to my cake and pour? (worried about getting it infected, which I know I shouldn't)

4) Can I pour the "sludge" (dead yeast and settlement) in the bottom of the jars into my primary or is that bad juju?


Thanks!

Unless you're going to pitch to a batch the same day, you really need to wassh then yeast to separate the living cells from the Trub at the bottom of then fermenter. Check out then stickie on how to wash yeast for a start point.

william_shakes_beer said:

Check out then stickie on how to wash yeast for a start point.

Click to expand...

Where is the Sticky on washing yeast? I haven't seen it. Just did general search for info.

you're going to get lots of different opinions on this. I was listening to a podcast with one of the big yeast labs guys, i think it was Dave Logsdon of Wyeast, and he said he wouldn't recommend any sort of rinsing for re-pitching. Basically swirl up everything in the bottom of the carboy, oour into sanitized jars, and use within a week or two. He said that rinsing does indeed help yeast health, by removing the trub and dead yeast, but that he didn't think for homebrewers that the additional handling required for rinsing was worth those benefits.

Of course, he also said that for people who were rinsing, if it worked for them, they didn't need to stop.

Full disclosure, I rinse yeast prior to storing for re-use. But hsi interview made me think about trying a re-pitch w/o rinsing in the near future.

BlainD said:

Where is the Sticky on washing yeast? I haven't seen it. Just did general search for info.

Click to expand...

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

-a.

BlainD said:

Where is the Sticky on washing yeast? I haven't seen it. Just did general search for info.

Click to expand...

The first thing that comes up when you search for the words yeast and wash....

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

one point of clarity, what is outlined here is sometimes referred to as rinsing rather than washing. often when people say washing they are referring to acid washing of yeast to reduce bacterial loads. just bringing that up for awareness sake, whenever people refer to washing, make sure you understand what they're really referring to, as it may mean different things to different people.

discnjh said:

The first thing that comes up when you search for the words yeast and wash....

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

one point of clarity, what is outlined here is sometimes referred to as rinsing rather than washing. often when people say washing they are referring to acid washing of yeast to reduce bacterial loads. just bringing that up for awareness sake, whenever people refer to washing, make sure you understand what they're really referring to, as it may mean different things to different people.

Click to expand...

+1......It is indeed rinsing and not washing, at least based on everything I have read outside of this forum, IMHO.

discnjh said:

The first thing that comes up when you search for the words yeast and wash....

Click to expand...

Oh! Didn't search wash.

So use mason jars so they seal like when you can? Not familiar with canning.

What about the trub when I make a starter in a month or two? Should I keep it out or dump it all in? No difference?

BlainD said:

Oh! Didn't search wash.

So use mason jars so they seal like when you can? Not familiar with canning.

What about the trub when I make a starter in a month or two? Should I keep it out or dump it all in? No difference?

Click to expand...

I put my yeast in mason jars with the lids on, but not tightly sealed, just in case any activity happens and creates some pressure. This shouldn't occur, but i don't like to take a chance on it.

If you are goign to worry about trub, I would worry about that on the front end and rinse. The trub removal part is the additional handling that increases your chance for contamination, so if you're going to take that risk, I would do it on the front end.

As for using it in a month or two, this is another thing where you'll get lots of different answers. There have been folks on here that have re-used yeast after months in the fridge and were happy with there results. Then there are folks (including the people from the yeast labs, although they're also interested in selling you more yeast, so that could influence their recommendations) who say anything over a couple weeks and you're asking for potential trouble.

I generally only rinse for re-using if i'm doing the next batch within a week, but as I said, many have been happy with their results from going significantly longer than that.

Thanks to all!

Going to give it a try. We will see after a month if I use it on a batch. I'd like to reuse yeast to save money. If I wreck a batch though it will might just break even or worse loose money.