Conical fermenters and washing/saving yeast

I'd like to buy a conical fermenter soon. One thing I've been excited about is the ability and ease of saving yeast from batch to batch. Anybody want to describe their methods here?

Specifically I'm curious about if you drain the entire yeast/trub clump and then wash yeast like the rest of us do (add water, swirl, let settle, collect suspended yeast) or do you try and differentiate between the different layers of yeast and trub (as in, drain off the bottom layer of trub, collect and save the middle layer of yeast, drain off the stuff on top)?

Thanks!

I do the first dump 2 days in this is the trub not much yeast throw that away . 2 days later I do another I usually toss this also . I then let it sit on the cake for a couple of weeks and keep what comes out its usually all nice yeast

Are you just opening the valve on a really slow flow and then stopping the second you see wort/beer coming out?

On the second day I draw out 8 ounces and dump it. On the 4th or 6th day If its ALL yeast, I open it up for more. I have got two cups yeast in one dump. Like springer, its every 2 days. I have a fridge full (a years worth) of washed yeast so now I toss it

Its the balls!




I think that is all yeast. I dumped the trub already. After it sits, the foam dissolves into the same stuff on the bottom and beer. I don't think it needs much washing.

I have used washed yeast twice. So far its great.

kanzimonson said:

Specifically I'm curious about if you drain the entire yeast/trub clump and then wash yeast like the rest of us do (add water, swirl, let settle, collect suspended yeast) or do you try and differentiate between the different layers of yeast and trub (as in, drain off the bottom layer of trub, collect and save the middle layer of yeast, drain off the stuff on top)?

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Definitely the latter. It takes some practice to recognize good yeast, and every strain is different. I used three strains in my last professional gig - WLP051, WLP550 and WLP820 - and each was different to judge when drawing yeast from the cone. So you'll have your work cut out for you.

Are you just opening the valve on a really slow flow and then stopping the second you see wort/beer coming out?

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That's the way I've always done it. With ball valves that can be problematic, especially if the trub layer is thick. It's certainly simpler to do with a butterfly valve. But yeah. Don't forget to remove the airlock before cracking the valve! It won't do to suck sanitizer back into the tank.

Cheers!

Bob