Saving Yeast

Hi Everyone, Im new to the forum and new to brewing. I have a batch of Cream Ale fermenting and am enjoying the experience.

I have a couple questions about saving yeast.

Okay, the usual technique when adding yeast to the first batch to start fermentation, is to use fresh, single packet of yeast. Then fermentation goes along for a week or so and then stops. This is when you transfer to either a bottling bucket or secondary fermentation carboy.

Now, many methods are saying to keep the old yeast, and use it for another batch, and also for a few more times as well.

1, What has happened to the yeast? Is it still active?

2, Has the yeast multiplied or is it the same quantity?

I appreciate any answers, and all help. Thanks

Tony said:

1, What has happened to the yeast? Is it still active?

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The yeast does go into a dormant phase if it is no longer actively fermenting, and usualy floculates to the bottom of your fermenter. It can be revived rather easily if you add fresh wort to it (I defer to Janx here on expertise about re-utilizing a yeast cake)

Tony said:

2, Has the yeast multiplied or is it the same quantity?

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Your yeast drastically multiplies durring the early phase of the fermentation, when there is still oxygen present in the wort. Once it has reached an adequate population size, it pretty much stays there till the end of the ferment. So yes, there are a lot more yeast in your fermenter at the end of a batch than you pitched.

Thanks D-Brewmeister, that anwers my questions! Awesome!

Poke around here for some other threads on re-using yeast. I've posted my method a number of times, which is basically to put a batch of chilled wort into a primary that just fermented another batch. In other words, put the beer right onto the old batch's yeast. Advantages:

1 - An insanely huge yeast pitch anf fast ferment and all the benefits of that.
2 - Save some bucks on yeast
3 - wash your primary less often

Check out this thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=288

Cheers!

Cool, thanks Janx! I racked my first batch to the secondary, and pitched my next batch into the previous yeast cake. Within less than an hour, it was bubbling like heck. And actually, it started going so furious the next morning, I had some foam starting to come up into the airlock. I grabbed it as soon as I saw it and cleaned and sterilized the air lock very quickly and reinstalled it. It started bubbling imediately! So the other post regarding the co2 pushing out all the air was on track in my opinion. It went like crazy for 2 days, and has now slowed to a few bubbles per each 4 seconds.