Yeast Washing Illustrated

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I just did this today and it worked awesomely. Now I have 4 jars of bell's house strain sitting in my fridge waiting for my two-hearted clone
 
Same here! Same strain even... :D

a7ef25ec.jpg
 
I have about that much yeast in mine too. How many times do you think I'll need to step it up before pitching.

I would probably be doing a pint of water with 1 cup DME for first step. Then a quart maybe or would pint be enough?
 
The yeast at the bottom of those jars is about the same density as a tube of White Labs yeast, so you can kind of judge from that. Depends on what beer I'm going to ferment, but something like a middle of the road pale ale will probably just need a starter, and not need stepped up first.
 
Quick question about using Mr Malty's pitching calculator with some washed yeast using this method, I washed some yeast back at the beginning of May, when entering the values in the calculator do I have to use this date as the "Production Date"?
 
The yeast at the bottom of those jars is about the same density as a tube of White Labs yeast, so you can kind of judge from that. Depends on what beer I'm going to ferment, but something like a middle of the road pale ale will probably just need a starter, and not need stepped up first.

Hmmm, that yeast looks quite familiar :) :mug: Let me know when it's ready. ;)
 
Yep, you are correct. :)

If by some unfortunate series of events you no longer have any, I plan on having some onhand for the foreseeable future, so no worries. :D
 
Are you guys pouring the yeast from the fermenter into your large mason jar, or are you using a syphon??
- thanks!
 
I just poured it into the large jar, leaving behind the stuff that had already settled.
 
Just pour, no syphon, I have only washed yeat once, but due to this sticky thread it has been gravy, and I just used my WLP001 that I got about 5 jars out of, and I made as satrter that I used on an APA that is in the fermenter now. It took off in a few hours (5-6) and went strong for about 5-6 days too. Just follow instructions t the "T" and you will be good to go!
 
is the big jar used to fill the 4 little jars?
Sorry. I just found the answer buried in the 40x pages! Could someone delete this post? It's doesn't help anything...
 
I read the first 20 pages and saw no answer.

I bought a conical fermenter. One of the reasons is I can harvest yeast. Do I wash like in the first post?

Instructions say draw off 8 oz first day and discard, yeast from the second day is best. It shows the yeast in a mason jar with a large stopper and air lock. I bought the large stopper, then read the first half of this thread. IF I knew it was that easy, I would have been doing it already.

David :)

edit: I have only been hanging around here a few weeks and learned a ton.
Former HBD reader back in the 90s.
 
OK, I answered one of my own questions. USE THE BOILED WATER, it kicks out the 02 too keep the yeast in hibernation.

I have to buy any water I use in beer, so Distilled or spring water boiled?

David :)
 
I use "WalMart" (Magnetic Springs) spring water for everything (well...except to mix up StarSan; I use tap water for that).
 
I'm going to make a video of the yeast washing process (inspired by this thread) that might be useful to some people. I have discovered a couple tricks that I like to use that simplify the process just a little... I have a WLP-001 California Ale yeast fermenting a batch of beer right now that I plan to rack off over the weekend (probably Sunday).

1. I boil a gallon of water and put it in a sanitized glass jar in the fridge at least overnight.
2. I rack my beer from primary to secondary fermenter. I generally ferment in a plastic bucket with no drain tap. I rack to a 5 gallon glass carboy for a secondary most of the time.
3. I scoop about half of the trub from the primary into a sanitized bottling bucket with a spigot.
4. I add my gallon of chilled water that has been boiled and swirl it around and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
5. I run about 1/2 gallon out of the bottling bucket spigot back into my gallon jar that has been resanitized during the 5 minute wait.
6. I let that sit for 5-7 minutes to let some more solids settle to the bottom.
7. I slowly pour the suspension into my jars (or leftover White Labs vials) that have been sanitized, cap them, and put them in the refrigerator.

This method doesn't vary significantly from the original poster's method, but employing the bottling bucket makes it a little easier to extract the sample. It also creates another item that has to be cleaned up. I also prefer sanitizing my glass containers with Star San rather than boiling them.

Does anyone think a video of this process would be of any use?
 
I am completely sold on this yeast washing process.

I tried it for the first time a couple weeks ago after my Dunkelweizen (used WLP 300 yeast) finished fermenting. I harvested three pint Mason jars' worth. Each had about .5 to 1" of yeast sediment on the bottom, with a BUNCH wasted off the bottom of the primary I could have (and will) harvest the next time.

I brewed up a Paulaner Hefeweizen this afternoon and used the 3 day old 1.25 liter starter I made with the washed yeast. I pitched at 73 degrees at 6:00pm and now at 11:00 pm the krausen is already forming and the blowoff tube is going. Usually with the WLP 300 vial it took about 24 hours for anything to happen... This is awesome...
 
i only read to page 15.....but is there a way you can do this and avoid having to make a starter each time?
 
also....if you only want to reuse the yeast once, can you just put an airlock on the primary after you rack to the secondary/bottle/or keg? i know yeast should be refridgerated but it stays at 68F for over a month many times for people during primary
 
I'm going to make a video of the yeast washing process (inspired by this thread) that might be useful to some people. I have discovered a couple tricks that I like to use that simplify the process just a little... I have a WLP-001 California Ale yeast fermenting a batch of beer right now that I plan to rack off over the weekend (probably Sunday).

1. I boil a gallon of water and put it in a sanitized glass jar in the fridge at least overnight.
2. I rack my beer from primary to secondary fermenter. I generally ferment in a plastic bucket with no drain tap. I rack to a 5 gallon glass carboy for a secondary most of the time.
3. I scoop about half of the trub from the primary into a sanitized bottling bucket with a spigot.
4. I add my gallon of chilled water that has been boiled and swirl it around and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
5. I run about 1/2 gallon out of the bottling bucket spigot back into my gallon jar that has been resanitized during the 5 minute wait.
6. I let that sit for 5-7 minutes to let some more solids settle to the bottom.
7. I slowly pour the suspension into my jars (or leftover White Labs vials) that have been sanitized, cap them, and put them in the refrigerator.

This method doesn't vary significantly from the original poster's method, but employing the bottling bucket makes it a little easier to extract the sample. It also creates another item that has to be cleaned up. I also prefer sanitizing my glass containers with Star San rather than boiling them.

Does anyone think a video of this process would be of any use?


I'd love to see a video of this. I'm more of a visual learner myself. I've got an APA fermenting right now and would like to harvest the yeast from it this weekend.
 
I will make a video from my next batch then. I washed yeast from my current batch on Sunday and did not have time to do the video. I shortened up the above procedure by one step though. I went straight from the bottling bucket with the spigot to my vials rather than letting a second settle occur. There is enough dead space below the spigot to allow the solids to settle. I filled four empty White Labs vials with my washed California Ale yeast (WLP-001) for future use. My next batch of beer is using a dry yeast (Nottingham) but I will probably save some of that too...
 
Hey All,
I am getting ready to try this for the first time. I have marked up a picture from Truckmans washed yeast in this thread just to make sure of which layer I am going after. I realize this is not in the Carboy but it should be the same!

yeast_001.jpg
 
I have washed many different yeast strains, with great success, but I have a little question: I have one batch, a wyeast 1335 British ale II that the water above the yeast is extremely cloudy/hazy. All of my other batches have been crystal clear with a nice amber color. What is causing that one batch to be cloudy? These jars have all been in the refrigerator for over a month, so everything should have settled. What is that buoyant that it is staying suspended in the water? One other note, this yeast was washed from a fairly high ibu ipa, I tasted the water above the yeast, and it was very bitter. Could it be something from the hops that is making it hazy?

As for the pic above, yes, when that is in a carboy you want that nice little middle layer, but I don't think it would do any harm to get a small amount of trub.
As for calling the top part beer, that is questionable, maybe a light beer.....That should be the water that you add to the carboy to rinse (wash) the yeast.
 
I got this from the bottom of my conical. I drew a little trub off yesterday, so this must be pretty pure yeast. My first time all from reading this thread. Thank you very much.

sorry, its a cell phone pic.
0720091718.jpg

I am going to suck the yeast off the bottom and put it in a boiled jar and boiled then cooled water. I am going to use sanitized foil and the screw on part of the top so it can breathe a little.

Next a stir plate......

Thanks again!
David
 
So I washed some yeast my last batch but never put it in the fridge just completely forgot about it, before dumping it out I thought I would ask.

I'm sure the answer is yes but is refrigeration really needed once washing the yeast? Technically you can have beer sitting in a carboy on a yeast cake for months at room temps, whats the main difference when its washed?
 
I think if it's under beer and had a cover if not an airlock, it's probably fine.

If it's just in water, you'll probably have less luck.
 
This is what I ended up width so far. Putting some boiled and cooled water in with the beer helps the yeast settle out. Then I sucked em out with a sanatized turkey baster and put it in the jar with boiled and cooled water.

Look right?

These are just out of the fridge.

015.jpg

David
 
i dont believe i saw an answer to a question posted in the beginning of this thread.

is it ok to have some head space in the final containers of washed yeast?

thanks

-Zach
 
I ASSume no, if we boil the water to take the 02 out of it, I wouldn't want any in the headspace.

I am harvesting more today. . . I hope.
 
I've read this entire thread. Thank You to those provided input. Very informative.

Quick question. It seems to me that it's a better option to wash and save yeast, rather than pitch onto an old cake. The advantages of washing the yeast is that you get four or five starters, and you've cleaned up the yeast so it's more pristine...

Or not.

I have a Simcoe IPA that's almost ready to keg, and I'm trying to decide if I want to wash and save the Wyeast so that I have four or five clones, or if I want to just pitch onto the current yeast cake.

I'm thinking that I want to wash, and save. Thanks to this thread, I think I can pull this off... (famous last words)

Thanks again.
 
Save 1/2 of the yeast, wash it and put it in 2 jars, re use the rest for your next batch. If its your first time, think of it as practice.

1/2 of slurry from a 5 gallon batch should be plenty for the next 5 gallons. I would aerate or use O2 in the new wort.

David :)
 
Great suggestion Droot.

So I rack off the current IPA into a keg, add some cooled boiled water to the carboy, swirl like crazy and pour out into two gallon sanitized glass containers.

One container goes back into the carboy (?) and the other gets split into sanitized pint mason jars.

Is that what you'd suggest?

The yeast cake is in a carboy right now... Thanks...
 
Before pouring it back in the carboy, I'd let it settle out and then decant off the yeasty liquid. That's the whole "washing" part.
 
FWIW: I used a gallon glass jug that we use to make Sun Tea. The jug has a spigot about 1/2 inch above the bottom of the jug. I poured about a half a gallon of sanitized water into the carboy onto the yeast cake. Gave it a good swirl, and dumped that into the Sun Tea jug. I let that sit for 45 minutes or so. Once everything settled out, it was easy to just decant into the pint jars by using the spigot. The trub was below the spigot, and the yeast poured out with no problems. The beer on top just sank down as the yeast was drawn off.

The yeast is so concentrated that I'm going to just switch to half pint jars. Thanks to all that built this thread.... :mug:
 
I guess I will resurrect this thread because of some recent issues. I have a SS conical & brewed a V2 of a recipe. I kegged my V1 of this beer & noticed a large deposit of "yeast?" at the bottom of the conical that was not coming out during my dumps. I took this deposit & pitched it directly into my V2 beer I was brewing. The fermentation took off but I only got down to a 1.024 FG. I don't think I had the yeast activity that I thought so it didn't fully ferment to my expected 1.012. Also, I have a horrible off taste.

1.) Was what I dumped mostly trub & not yeast?

2.) The yeast I did dump & attempted to wash shows some congealing effects still, has anybody used Whirlock tablets or Irish Moss & successfully harvested yeast?

3.) What are some good ways to get all the trub out prior to getting good yeast? Should I swirl the conical some so everything falls off the sides, or just quit worrying so much & just get over it?
 

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