Brettanomyces dregs in the primary ... what to do?

Apologies if this is well discussed on another thread. I am going to rack to secondary a 5 gallon batch of brett belgian very soon. It spent 4 weeks in the primary and the fermentation is complete.

My question is, what is a good recommendation for the dregs? I dont have a beer ready to pitch onto it but figure there is some room for an experimental batch in the near future. Should I save it or pitch over it? Ideas and thoughts appreciated : )

When you have racked the beer, swirl up the yeast and remaining liquid to make a slurry and pour into 2 sanitized quart mason jars. Store in fridge and vent every few days.

Should keep for a month without any issues. Just use one of the jars to start a new beer.

I would say a strong hoppy brown with most,if not all of the ibus coming in the last 15 mins.

Calder said:

When you have racked the beer, swirl up the yeast and remaining liquid to make a slurry and pour into 2 sanitized quart mason jars. Store in fridge and vent every few days.

Should keep for a month without any issues. Just use one of the jars to start a new beer.

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This is the same as what I would do.

It should last several months.

thanks! I read somewhere that I can keep in a mason jar but I didnt know if it needed and airlock or venting. Any recommendations on the type of beer to pitch it into? Brett can be a little funky so I'd want to know that I was helping a beer and not hurting it .

Is this just brett or a brett/sacc blend? If it's the former, it's best kept at room temp rather than in the fridge.

If you're new to rinsing yeast, check out this thread.

TNGabe said:

Is this just brett or a brett/sacc blend? If it's the former, it's best kept at room temp rather than in the fridge.

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I've never heard that, why is that?

If you're new to rinsing yeast, check out this thread.

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I've never been able to measure any benefit of water washing yeast. It only succeeds in putting 95% of the viable cells down the drain IME.
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/12/yeast-washing-exposed.html

WoodlandBrew said:

I've never heard that, why is that?


I've never been able to measure any benefit of water washing yeast. It only succeeds in putting 95% of the viable cells down the drain IME.
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/12/yeast-washing-exposed.html

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It's cause Chad Yakobsen says so. I don't know why.

Are you trying to say there is just as much non-yeast matter in the clean, white yeast I get after rinsing as in the yeast cake/trub I rack off of? If so, I don't believe that.

WoodlandBrew said:

I've never been able to measure any benefit of water washing yeast. It only succeeds in putting 95% of the viable cells down the drain IME.
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/12/yeast-washing-exposed.html

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Actually, the post you reference here recommends pouring off the liquid. It simply recommends it for a reason different than usually given. It says to do this to reduce bacteria--which is itself a good thing.

cluckk said:

Actually, the post you reference here recommends pouring off the liquid. It simply recommends it for a reason different than usually given. It says to do this to reduce bacteria--which is itself a good thing.

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Yes, that is what I have seen.

The part that I call "water washing" also commonly refereed to as "yeast washing" or "yeast rinsing" that wastes viable yeast is allowing some of it to settle and pouring off the top in a container to save. This is what dumps 95% of the viable cells down the drain.

TNGabe said:

It's cause Chad Yakobsen says so. I don't know why.

Are you trying to say there is just as much non-yeast matter in the clean, white yeast I get after rinsing as in the yeast cake/trub I rack off of? If so, I don't believe that.

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Mostly yes. The post explains it, but in summary: cell counts I have done show that the viability is the same in all layers. Water washing is not successful at separating live from dead cells.

WoodlandBrew said:

Mostly yes. The post explains it, but in summary: cell counts I have done show that the viability is the same in all layers. Water washing is not successful at separating live from dead cells.

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But isn't is successful at removing non-yeast and isn't that the point?

While your mythbusting homebrewing, I saw your amazon sidebar has the 'Joy of Homebrewing'. Maybe you can tackle hot-side aeration next.

TNGabe said:

But isn't is successful at removing non-yeast and isn't that the point?

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I have found that water washing yeast removes fruit partials well, and hop particles fairly well, but it isn't as good at removing protein. At the cost of loosing 95% of the yeast I see it as an overall loss.

What do you see as a benefit to removing the non-yeast material?

While your mythbusting homebrewing, I saw your amazon sidebar has the 'Joy of Homebrewing'. Maybe you can tackle hot-side aeration next.

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Mythbusting homebrew. I never thought of it that way. Hot side aeration would be hard to quantify, but I'll consider it.