Reusing yeast from a big beer?

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Bartman

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Fermenting a Belgian Porter using Wyeast Ardennes 3522. OG was 1.091. Can I wash and reuse this yeast or will it be too tired and abused?

That has been one big bad violent ferment!
 
Reusing yeast from big beers is a hot topic. Many say that the yeast will be too tired or that mutation could have occured. Try it yourself with a small beer afterward, so you don't lose a bunch on supplies if the yeast turns out bad. I'd recommend using a starter for the next time and not only pitching from slurry, to "proof" the yeast (and be sure to have some dry stuff handy too, if the starter doesn't take or behaves funky).
 
Looking to do a Belgian Golden Strong ale and figured this would be the right yeast to use again.
 
If by "big beer" you mean high ABV, then you'll probably want to toss it. The yeast from high ABV beers are much more stressed than yeast from lower ABV beers.
 
Sounds like you want to re-use the yeast. If you don't care about the minute chance of mutation (I'm not) then go ahead. Make a starter like usual.
 
I've done some reading on the matter and I'm not convinced that it matters. When breweries make bigger beers they don't throw out the yeast. If you make a starter from the slurry then you should be fine, because you're growing up active new yeast cells in the process.
 
If by "big beer" you mean high ABV, then you'll probably want to toss it. The yeast from high ABV beers are much more stressed than yeast from lower ABV beers.

If you pitched the right amount of yeast the first time around you should'nt worry that it was stressed out.Thats why you need a higher yeast count with higher ABV beers,so you dont stress out the yeast.
 
I'm currently fermenting a 1.103 stout with a 4th generation pitch of Cal Ale.

Before this it was in a 1.077 brew, before that 1.057, and before that 1.066. All three previous brews fermented out at nearly (or just above) 80% attenuation. Maybe I just have teenage yeast that never gets tired?

I say repitch it. If you want, do a starter with it to make sure you have enough healthy new cells. Thats actually what I did with this latest brew. Half gallon starter from some of the yeast slurry and 4 days after brewing it is at nearly 50% attenuation. The only reason I'm not reusing it again is because I want to do some english styles next as well as a lager.
 
Even if I make a starter???

Correct.

Re-using yeast that has been subjected to high ABV previously is something one generally wants to avoid... at least these were my findings when researching yeast harvesting techniques in the past.

However, if you want to give it a shot anyways then go for it. Maybe it'll all work out and the beer will be amazing.

Have fun.
 
"Mutation" is how this yeast got to be the yeast that it is, I would not hesitate one bit to re-use it, numerous times.
 
I read an article about serial repitching in breweries and they repitched the same yeast for A YEAR. Their findings were that there were no significant mutations, no change in the fermentation profiles, and nothing really divergent from the original yeast genome after all that time. This was done with ale yeast pitched 98 times and lager yeast pitched 135 times, which is WAY more than people on here recommend.

I think that the biggest problem is potential infection at the homebrew scale from mishandling the yeast. To be safe, just make a starter each time.
 
I found this on the Wyeast Labs FAQ page today:



Here's the link: http://www.wyeastlab.com/faqs.cfm?website=1#r23

So, believe the guy that sells yeast or the folks here saying they do it regularly? :D In all fairness Chris White measures some pretty small details about yeast health, etc.... Things we will never taste in our beers. Some of those yeast probably flocced out pretty early and were not affected by later conditions that much.
 
+1 on conflict of interest from the yeast companies. The point of making a starter in this case is to allow the healthy yeast to consume the dead ones.
 
+1 on conflict of interest from the yeast companies. The point of making a starter in this case is to allow the healthy yeast to consume the dead ones.

Well, I know I implied conflict of interest, but I did state that he does a lot of testing. Things that on a commercial scale could make a big difference and potentially cost someone big bucks. There is always a best way with many factors taken into consideration. That is the "A Solution" Many of us can make perfectly fine beer at home using less than optimal recommendations and use the "B Solution". I have purchased and read his book and I do not for a moment question the sincerity of his recommendations. Nor do I question the sincerity of those that have said 'I tried it and it worked fine for me'. They just have different standards and objectives.

Isn't one yeast consuming another the basis of autolysis?
 
Isn't one yeast consuming another the basis of autolysis?

au·tol·y·sis
–noun Biochemistry .
the breakdown of plant or animal tissue by the action of enzymes contained in the tissue affected; self-digestion.

Autolysis is the yeast breaking open in your beer, regular growth involves yeast consuming their dead neighbours. Wine fermentations frequently include dead yeast for yeast food.
 
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