Repitching Yeast After 2.5 Month Lagering

So, I've been lagering a doppelbock for 10 weeks now. I believe it is ready to be bottled, but I've read that it's good to repitch some yeast into it to make sure the bottles get carbonated.

I saved some of the yeast when I racked to secondary before lagering. Will I be able to use this? And if so, how do I calculate what I need?

I wouldn't use it if it's been sitting for 10 weeks. That's not to say you can't....I'm sure it'll work. I just prefer fresh yeast and don't trust things that have been sitting for that long.

Just pick up a packet of dry yeast and sprinkle half of it into the bottom of your bottling bucket before you rack. It'll be plenty to carb your beers.

Washed yeast won't last more than a few weeks in the fridge? I thought it was viable, at least to make starters, for at least a year....

I haven't re-used my washed yeast yet, so I could be totally wrong there.

Does it not matter what kind of yeast you use to carbonate at bottling? The bock yeast I bought was a liquid vial and cost about $10 bucks, so I'd rather not get another one just to bottle. Does it matter if it's a lager or ale yeast at this point?

rtr said:

Washed yeast won't last more than a few weeks in the fridge? I thought it was viable, at least to make starters, for at least a year....

I haven't re-used my washed yeast yet, so I could be totally wrong there.

Does it not matter what kind of yeast you use to carbonate at bottling? The bock yeast I bought was a liquid vial and cost about $10 bucks, so I'd rather not get another one just to bottle. Does it matter if it's a lager or ale yeast at this point?

Click to expand...

I've never used washed yeast for repitching at bottling, but I'm assuming it can be done. I've just always used about 1/3 package of dry nottingham, added to the (cooled) priming solution in the bottling bucket, and then racked the lager into that.

Using ale yeast for bottle carbinating is fine. You can keep the beer at room temperature to carb up, and the little bit of fermentation that happens with the priming sugar doesn't cause any flavors to be noticeable.

Yeasts are funny critters. We see so many varieties, because they all work differently based on the wort they are given and the temp fermented at. Having said that, REMEMBER you are using priming sugar ONLY to carb. All the wort has turned into flat beer. ANY yeast will eat the small amount of primer and produce Co2 without affecting the flavor of the beer. Just do not dump a boatload of yeast in there. Nobody likes yeasty beer. Just relax and pitch a little of any yeast and they will do their job fine.

To find out if your saved yeast cake is still good, pitch a little into a small jar with some priming sugar. If it starts to bubble within a few hours, your yeast is still good.

rtr said:

So, I've been lagering a doppelbock for 10 weeks now. I believe it is ready to be bottled, but I've read that it's good to repitch some yeast into it to make sure the bottles get carbonated.

I saved some of the yeast when I racked to secondary before lagering. Will I be able to use this? And if so, how do I calculate what I need?

Click to expand...

So, which way did you go with the bottling yeast? How'd the Doppelbock turn out? I just racked mine to secondary this past weekend, and also washed yeast at that time to hopefully use at bottling. Of course, I have months to go before I bottle, but I'd be interested in how it went. Thanks!

Hrm...this is where notes come in handy, huh? A bit too crazy a year for that...

We did add the saved bock yeast. I have the distinct memory of making a small starter for the yeast as was suggested to test viability, and then dumping just the yeast into the bottom of the bottling bucket...but then, maybe we just put it straight in?

Either way, the DB turned out phenomenal. This was our first Partial Mash and our first lager, and our only our second home brew (yeah...we knew just enough to not know to attempt the DB) so we figured we'd screwed it up on 5 different occasions. But we didn't. It tastes remarkably like the Andechser I remember so fondly from my days in southern Germany.

Good luck with the lagering...I think we left ours in the fridge at 34 degrees for 3 months, if I recall. I followed the guidelines in John Palmer's book, plus a little extra 'cause we got busy. It came out...well, a lot better than the Koelsch we just did. Oh well.

Enjoy it!

Thanks for the info--congrats on the DB! I'm using the Northern Brewer kit for mine, and the instructions say 4 months lagering. So I have lots of time to wait! I'm really looking forward to it.