Reusing yeast cake from a sour beer

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29thfloor

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I recently got my first sour beer going using the Wyeast Lambic Blend. In the past I've washed yeast and reused it and I'm wondering if I can do that with this one. Does it make sense to trying washing yeast that has other bugs in it or should I just pitch another beer right on the yeast cake?
 
I just pitch right back onto it. over time that cake will become invaluable
 
Pitch right back on it. I've also used the dregs from that blend that came out of a bottle to innoculate a new batch. Took a little while to take off but it formed a pellicle after a few weeks.
 
yeah, pitch right on it or maybe a mild wash to get some of the crap out of the mix, but probably doesn't matter. i also used that lambic blend and after transferring it to secondary, scooped a tupperware worth of the dregs from the primary and saved it for a month. i added it to a brew in a 3 gallon carboy and then left town for the weekend (leaving plenty of headspace). i came back and it had completely blown the airlock out (which was laying a couple feet away). that stuff is ravenous.
 
Any particular styles this blend is well suited for? I'm thinking of doing a brown ale or a saison next and pitching onto this yeast cake.
 
Lambic Blend is more of a barnyard/horsey/earthy and less sour than Roseleare, which is more of a complex sourness with an earthy background note.

That being said, I only use Lambic Blend for my lambics. What's so wrong with another one of those? ;)
 
agreed, you could blend young and old

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. Just need to brew another within the month and I'll have the perfect amount for a gueuze blended with 2 year, 1 year and 6 month old lambics. :rockin:
 
That being said, I only use Lambic Blend for my lambics. What's so wrong with another one of those? ;)

Good point :)

Maybe I'll do another lambic on this one, and then a brown ale with Roselare.

I'm also thinking of doing an all Brett Strawberry Blonde using some organic strawberries donated from a friend's garden.

I see more carboys are in my immediate future...
 
Good point :)

Maybe I'll do another lambic on this one, and then a brown ale with Roselare.

I'm also thinking of doing an all Brett Strawberry Blonde using some organic strawberries donated from a friend's garden.

I see more carboys are in my immediate future...



I would use brett bruxelles for this
 
Just racked the Kriek onto 6 lbs of cherry puree and then pitched a blonde ale onto the yeast cake. I'll check back in a year or so with an update :)
 
OK so it's only been 48 hours. I'm still not seeing any activity whatsoever and I'm wondering if it was a mistake to just rack onto the lambic blend yeast cake without swirling it up to get everything in suspension. Should there be enough viable yeast after 3 months to start fermenting a new batch of wort? Should I shake it up to try and get the yeast going again? Or is there just a longer lag time when pitching onto a 3+ month old yeast cake?
 
OK so it's only been 48 hours. I'm still not seeing any activity whatsoever and I'm wondering if it was a mistake to just rack onto the lambic blend yeast cake without swirling it up to get everything in suspension. Should there be enough viable yeast after 3 months to start fermenting a new batch of wort? Should I shake it up to try and get the yeast going again? Or is there just a longer lag time when pitching onto a 3+ month old yeast cake?

let it go, it will take off.
 
OK so it's only been 48 hours. I'm still not seeing any activity whatsoever and I'm wondering if it was a mistake to just rack onto the lambic blend yeast cake without swirling it up to get everything in suspension. Should there be enough viable yeast after 3 months to start fermenting a new batch of wort? Should I shake it up to try and get the yeast going again? Or is there just a longer lag time when pitching onto a 3+ month old yeast cake?

I have no doubt you'll be posting next week about how you shouldn't have worried. ;) It'll take off. :mug:
 
bump to bring back to life!

how long do you think you can save an un-washed sour yeast cake in the fridge, before using again? i've had one sitting for almost 6 months, just dont know if i can reuse this, or if i should pitch a new sach, and then add some fresh dregs to secondary instead.

thanks!!
 
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