Yeast Washing Illustrated

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This is great! Going to do it this weekend when I rack to secondary. One question though, what's the proper way to pitch this yeast into the next batch? Basically how can I make a good starter and ensure I have the proper cell count for the next batch?
 
If you have enough cells that you need based on the estimation, then you can pitch what you need directly. Yes, let it come up to room temp before pitching.

If you don't have enough cells or you want to wake up your yeast before pitching, there is nothing wrong with making a starting before pitching.
 
I went and bought 6 pint mason jars yesterday and and 4 pint jar to do this exactly as described. I am racking today so I was prepping for it yesterday. I boiled everything for twenty minutes and then tried to fish everything out. It didn't go well and all my lids got stuck in the four pint jar! I didn't feel good about the sanitation so I tried again. All went well but afterwards I noticed a lot of dirt at the bottom of each jar (I boiled outside). I am sure this probably isn't a huge deal but why risk a batch if I am worried about the sanitation?

So it didn't go according to plan (sigh). I will probably just use star San on the jars today and boil some more water inside to use. Just thought I'd share the experience. I am really good at getting lids or corks stuck inside things like fermenters!

One question...he says that when u are ready to use the yeast to decant the water and pitch the yeast. What exactly is meant by that? Doesn't seem necessary.
 
Dlou84 said:
I went and bought 6 pint mason jars yesterday and and 4 pint jar to do this exactly as described. I am racking today so I was prepping for it yesterday. I boiled everything for twenty minutes and then tried to fish everything out. It didn't go well and all my lids got stuck in the four pint jar! I didn't feel good about the sanitation so I tried again. All went well but afterwards I noticed a lot of dirt at the bottom of each jar (I boiled outside). I am sure this probably isn't a huge deal but why risk a batch if I am worried about the sanitation?

So it didn't go according to plan (sigh). I will probably just use star San on the jars today and boil some more water inside to use. Just thought I'd share the experience. I am really good at getting lids or corks stuck inside things like fermenters!

One question...he says that when u are ready to use the yeast to decant the water and pitch the yeast. What exactly is meant by that? Doesn't seem necessary.
Click to expand...

I just use the Starsan solution for sanitizing, and store under beer.

If you have a pint jar with 200 ml of yeast and 200 ml of water, the total volume of the jar, 800 ml, is 50% non-yeast. If you need to pitch 100 ml of yeast for the correct pitch rate, swirl the contents of the jar and pitch 200 ml of the yeast and water solution. 50% of this solution will be non-yeast, water, and 50% will be yeast. What is left in the jar will be water on top of the remainder of the yeast.
 
Dlou84 said:
One question...he says that when u are ready to use the yeast to decant the water and pitch the yeast. What exactly is meant by that? Doesn't seem necessary.
Click to expand...

To decant the water simply means to pour the water off and leave the yeast slurry behind. This should be done because even though the water was boiled and is 'clean' when you harvested the yeast you want to minimize the amount of unprepared liquid in your beer.

Also when doing this method, it is a good idea to always use a starter. One never can tell what is happening at the microscopic level with the yeast that is harvested and making a starter will at least give you the piece of mind of knowing you have active yeast-beasts willing to work for you.
 
Can I just boil the water and pour the water into mason jars that were sanitized in StarSan as opposed to the sanitizing them in boiling water?
 
hoppypoppy said:
Can I just boil the water and pour the water into mason jars that were sanitized in StarSan as opposed to the sanitizing them in boiling water?
Click to expand...

The jars I use have been stored with a little Starsan solution in them, after previous yeast storage. I give them a quick hot tap water rinse, resanitize with Starsan solution, and fill with yeast.
 
hoppypoppy said:
Can I just boil the water and pour the water into mason jars that were sanitized in StarSan as opposed to the sanitizing them in boiling water?
Click to expand...

It depends on what YOU want to do. If you are okay with sanitizing, then you can skip all the boiling. You are boiling to STERILIZE not SANITIZE. The difference being sterilization kills all micro organisms while sanitization kills most of them. It is up to each person to decide the level of risk they want to take with their beer. Some want the least risk approach, some want the least work approach. Many brewers, myself included, have taken the short cut of using Star San to sanitize and not bother with sterilization. I have never had an infected beer in doing it this way, but who is to say I won't? As a new brewer, most of us over sanitize and sterilize anything that comes in contact with yeast. As you get more experience, you tend to realize you don't have to be that paranoid and start to back off some of your early practices. For instance I started out sanitizing my big stainless steel spoon I used to stir wort with, until one day I realized that **** is boiling and this is a waste of time and StarSan...I also used to boil my yeast jars, but like others on here I now just store Star San in them, then rinse and add yeast. YMMV!
 
well I've searched and searched and I'm positive I've read this before but now I can't find where so I'll just ask and get back to my life....

Once all the sexy yeasts have settled out in their mason jars, is there any benefit to getting the beer off them and covering them in distilled water? I've seen guys doing it but can't remember why. It seems like it would help in the whole washing process by getting any and all flavors from the beer off the yeast and possibly give it a longer shelf life, but then again the distilled water has oxygen in it as I'm not gonna boil it, but then the whole racking and settling and pouring process had to add some oxygen back into the process to begin with so maybe this is a moot point, I'm sure I'm over thinking this...

TLDR: Is there any benefit to storing the washed yeast in distilled water once the yeast is settled?
 
Storing the yeast under distilled water was the thing to do. It has been found that the yeast will store longer under the fermented out beer.
 
Bernie Brewer said:
All that's left to do is label the jars and put them in the fridge. Then when it's time to make a starter, you just pull one out, let it warm to room temp, and decant most of the liquid out of the jar, give the rest a good shake, and pitch it into your starter..


Yeastwashing10.jpg



Hope this helps. Good luck.
Click to expand...

It only takes one of these for your next batch??

Is this what is called slurry?? How many yeast cells are in one of these jars??
 
dokken5 said:
It only takes one of these for your next batch??



Is this what is called slurry?? How many yeast cells are in one of these jars??
Click to expand...


This is not slurry. Slurry is simply collecting the contents left behind after racking your beer. Which works much better and is far easier than washing. Check out Woodland Brew's thread in the yeast section and follow the instructions. Use a yeast calculator to tell you how much to use. I use Brewer's Friend.
 
I just swirl and dump in jars.As far as how long it will last,I have 2 buckets cranking away now from jars Ive had in the fridge for 6 months..Glad I didn't toss em'
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
I just swirl and dump in jars.As far as how long it will last,I have 2 buckets cranking away now from jars Ive had in the fridge for 6 months..Glad I didn't toss em'
Click to expand...


I'm fermenting with 7 month old slurry right as we speak. A little slower to start, but works well nonetheless.
 
David_Trucks said:
I'm fermenting with 7 month old slurry right as we speak. A little slower to start, but works well nonetheless.
Click to expand...

I've successfully made cider with yeast that was in the fridge for more than a year. Took at least a day to perk up again though.

I remember reading about some submarine archeologists that recovered a full barrel of beer from a sunken ship from a couple hundred years ago. Yeast was successfully recovered and used to brew some more beer. Yeast is incredible.

Cheers
 
dokken5 said:
So what kind of yeast count is in one of these jars??
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be able to estimate the yeast count, if you are referring to the jars of saved yeast slurry in post 2493, until the yeast settles out and becomes compact. The jars look like they have very little hop debris. I estimate 2 billion cells per milliliter for slurry without obvious hop debris for my saved slurries.

The yeast in the jar on the right has compacted, but not clear enough in the picture to estimate milliliters.
 
David_Trucks said:
I'm fermenting with 7 month old slurry right as we speak. A little slower to start, but works well nonetheless.
Click to expand...

I've successfully made cider with yeast that was in the fridge for more than a year. Took at least a day to perk up again though.

I remember reading about some submarine archeologists that recovered a full barrel of beer from a sunken ship from a couple hundred years ago. Yeast was successfully recovered and used to brew some more beer. Yeast is incredible.

Cheers
 
David_Trucks said:
I'm fermenting with 7 month old slurry right as we speak. A little slower to start, but works well nonetheless.
Click to expand...

I've successfully made cider with yeast that was in the fridge for more than a year. Took at least a day to perk up again though.

I remember reading about some submarine archeologists that recovered a full barrel of beer from a sunken ship from a couple hundred years ago. Yeast was successfully recovered and used to brew some more beer. Yeast is incredible.

Cheers
 
dokken5 said:
So what kind of yeast count is in one of these jars??
Click to expand...

Have to say I've never figured it out. As long as it works.

Not sure if the cell count is actually that helpful. Presumably it will depend on what part of the growth curve they are at when you collect them. Lots of stationary phase cells probably aren't as useful as a smaller number of mid-log phase.
 
dokken5 said:
Is freezing a possibility?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend it. Formation of ice crystals will disrupt cell membranes and seriously lower viability.

In principle you can if you use a good cryo-protectant. Might want to look up a recipe from a yeast molecular biology lab. They will have frozen stocks. I'll try to remember to ask a friend or two that still work in labs.

Unless you are really restricted for fridge space and have loads of freezer room then I'd just keep them at 4°C/38°F. That should give you at least a year to use them.

As a consequence I haven't bought yeast in years, but then I am a microbiologist :)
 
Do you only add boiled water?
Is it not a good idea adding nutrient, sugar or juice to the jars so the dead stay at the bottom and the live ones start floating about in the water?

Otherwise, I would expect all the yeast to settle at the bottom


Bernie Brewer said:
Then, trying not to disturb the stuff at the bottom, fill up the larger jar that you boiled. If some of the stuff from the bottom gets in, it's not the end of the world.


Yeastwashing8.jpg




Let this jar settle for 20 minutes or so, too. You'll notice some more stuff settling to the bottom again.


Yeastwashing9.jpg



Then, again being careful not to disturb the stuff on the bottom, fill up the small Mason jars. Fill them all the way up.

The four on the left are the ones I did today. the one on the right is one that I did last February. It's just there to show the final product.

All that's left to do is label the jars and put them in the fridge. Then when it's time to make a starter, you just pull one out, let it warm to room temp, and decant most of the liquid out of the jar, give the rest a good shake, and pitch it into your starter..


Yeastwashing10.jpg



Hope this helps. Good luck.
Click to expand...
 
Lauritsen said:
Do you only add boiled water?
Is it not a good idea adding nutrient, sugar or juice to the jars so the dead stay at the bottom and the live ones start floating about in the water?

Otherwise, I would expect all the yeast to settle at the bottom
Click to expand...

You could do that but I honestly don't think you'll get much benefit from it. The yeast aren't going to reawaken a great deal during 2 x 20 minute sedimentation steps. You're then going to put them in the fridge for however long you want. When reusing them I always pour off the supernatant anyway, in which case I'll be throwing out unused nutrient solution.

Feel free to try though. I would be interested to know if you see any noticeable differences.
 
Lauritsen said:
Do you only add boiled water?
Is it not a good idea adding nutrient, sugar or juice to the jars so the dead stay at the bottom and the live ones start floating about in the water?

Otherwise, I would expect all the yeast to settle at the bottom
Click to expand...

You could do that but I honestly don't think you'll get much benefit from it. The yeast aren't going to reawaken a great deal during 2 x 20 minute sedimentation steps. You're then going to put them in the fridge for however long you want. When reusing them I always pour off the supernatant anyway, in which case I'll be throwing out unused nutrient solution.

Feel free to try though. I would be interested to know if you see any noticeable differences.
 
Lauritsen said:
Do you only add boiled water?
Is it not a good idea adding nutrient, sugar or juice to the jars so the dead stay at the bottom and the live ones start floating about in the water?

Otherwise, I would expect all the yeast to settle at the bottom
Click to expand...

You could do that but I honestly don't think you'll get much benefit from it. The yeast aren't going to reawaken a great deal during 2 x 20 minute sedimentation steps. You're then going to put them in the fridge for however long you want. When reusing them I always pour off the supernatant anyway, in which case I'll be throwing out unused nutrient solution.

Feel free to try though. I would be interested to know if you see any noticeable differences.
 
Well, I finally had my first "fail" with re-using yeast. Last fall, I brewed a delicious Czech Pilsner, and collected the yeast in 2 Mason jars during kegging in November. There they sat in my fridge, while I prepared to brew the recipe again as a 10 gallon batch. Christmas came, life got in the way, and I didn't get around to brewing it until last Saturday (January 16). Since each jar contained half the yeast cake, and it had only been a couple of months, and it has worked in the past, I figured I was safe just decanting and pitching the yeast directly. One jar (1/2 the cake) per 5 gallon carboy. I pitched, settled everything away, and waited.

A couple of days later, nothing. I wasn't worried - it's a lager, they take time to get going. A couple more days passed, still no krausen. Finally, by the following Friday (6 days later), there were still no signs of life, so I checked the gravity. It hadn't moved an inch. So I rehydrated two packs of S-23 and pitched them. Within 12 hours, the surface was covered in foam.

I'm hopeful that the beer will still turn out to be drinkable. I don't think there were any off-flavours produced during the week it was just sitting there. The sample tasted fine (just unfermented wort). My sanitation is excellent, and the colder temperature (10 degrees C) should have kept parasites from gaining a foothold, even after so many days. I'll play it out and see what happens, but it was disappointing to see what I had otherwise considered a "tried-and-true" technique fail so completely.
 
I have only done this a couple of times, and each time noticed that my FG doesn't go as low as the previous batch (roughly the same OG). I would guess this is due to the yeast DNA mutating, and become less able to process the sugars. No way around this - just a fact of biology.

Has anyone tried spritzing the yeast with vinegar before adding to a starter, just to make sure nothing else but the yeast survive (bacteria don't like acidic environments, but the yeast are hardy)?
 
I would personally keep vinegar as far away from any of my beer-making equipment & ingredients as possible.
 
Adub71 said:
I have only done this a couple of times, and each time noticed that my FG doesn't go as low as the previous batch (roughly the same OG). I would guess this is due to the yeast DNA mutating, and become less able to process the sugars. No way around this - just a fact of biology.

Has anyone tried spritzing the yeast with vinegar before adding to a starter, just to make sure nothing else but the yeast survive (bacteria don't like acidic environments, but the yeast are hardy)?
Click to expand...

Acid washing yeast (not with vinegar) is done by those who are adept at yeast ranching. I've not done it, but I no longer rinse my yeast at all- I just save the yeast from the fermenter in a jar and don't add water or mess with it.
 
Yooper said:
Acid washing yeast (not with vinegar) is done by those who are adept at yeast ranching. I've not done it, but I no longer rinse my yeast at all- I just save the yeast from the fermenter in a jar and don't add water or mess with it.
Click to expand...

I like the KISS method, I may just go back to that. Thanks!
 
Adub71 said:
I like the KISS method, I may just go back to that. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nothing better than pulling fresh yeast off the bottom of a conical. I pitched my latest pale ale (5 gallon batch) with ~400mL (a bit of an overpitch but the yeast was free so I figured why not) of fresh Wyeast 1056 and it had a huge krausen within 2 hours of pitching. It was AWESOME to see yeast going to work so fast :ban:
 

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