Yeast Cakes

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fluteguy53

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Hey all,

I keep hearing about yeast cakes...I assume you do something with the dregs on the bottom of the primary and that they can be used somehow....could someone elaborate? I seem to always have alot and I'm thrifty (my wife calls it cheap) and I hate to waste anything. :)
 
Re-using yeast cakes can definitely save you a little $.

What I do is if I am making back to back beers that are similar and using the same yeast strain I brew my first batch, let it ferment, and then at my next brew day, I transfer my brew to secondary and clean the inside of the bucket with a sanitizer towel. After you transfer, there should really only be the cake, and the krausen ring. Everything in between is pretty clean. Just clean the ring, and transfer my second brew on top of the cake. Beer will take off in a matter of hours.
 
similar question. I'm planning on pitching a stout on top of the cake of an irish red, however when the irish red fermented it went pretty crazy and left lots of krausen junk on the upper parts of the carboy, should i try to clean this somehow or just not worry about it? If i take a carboy brush to it then it will all just fall onto the cake.
 
tandpbrewing said:
similar question. I'm planning on pitching a stout on top of the cake of an irish red, however when the irish red fermented it went pretty crazy and left lots of krausen junk on the upper parts of the carboy, should i try to clean this somehow or just not worry about it? If i take a carboy brush to it then it will all just fall onto the cake.
Click to expand...

By putting the carboy brush in here, you'll add a component of risk in regards to sanitation. That junk shouldn't really hurt your beer, so I'd say leave it.
 
Get a couple apple juice bottles and sanitize. Fill one half way with boiled/cooled water.

Pour the water into the carboy/fermenter and swirl that muck around, then poutr back into the applejuice bottle.

Shake it a bit more to suspend the yeast and then let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Pour off all but the last 1/8 inch (or so) into another empty apple juice bottle. Clean the first bottle out and repeat the process one more time.

What you'll end up with will look something like this:

YeastHarvesting.JPG

The one onthe right was in the fridge for a couple of days.
The one on the left was on the self for a day.
The one in the middle I'd just finished harvesting.

You'll get a lot more yeast than you need so split them up into 2-3 beer bottles, top off with sterilized water and cap and refrigerate.
 
Biermuncher,
that is something I am going to be doing in the next week or two. I have a stupid question that I am pretty sure I already know the answer to. In those pictures is the stuff on the bottom yeast, or gunk? The reason I ask is from what I have read, when washing/seperating yeast, the gunk falls to the bottom, and the yeast will float to the top...is that accurate?

Also, I have read that yeast will keep like that for a month. Is that really it? Or do you think that can be stretched out a little?
 
cubbies said:
Biermuncher,
that is something I am going to be doing in the next week or two. I have a stupid question that I am pretty sure I already know the answer to. In those pictures is the stuff on the bottom yeast, or gunk? The reason I ask is from what I have read, when washing/seperating yeast, the gunk falls to the bottom, and the yeast will float to the top...is that accurate?

Also, I have read that yeast will keep like that for a month. Is that really it? Or do you think that can be stretched out a little?
Click to expand...
Almost exclusively yeast.

The point of shaking and then letting it sit, is that the junk you don’t want will settle pretty quickly and yeast can hang in suspension for quite some time.

I just pulled a bottle of Irish Ale yeast out of the fridge from the beginning of April and I have 100% confidence that it’s just fine.
 
Thanks for this advice. Wyeast XL packs cost $30 here so I'm definately going to use these methods to get better value out of them.
 
BierMuncher said:
Get a couple apple juice bottles and sanitize. Fill one half way with boiled/cooled water.

Pour the water into the carboy/fermenter and swirl that muck around, then poutr back into the applejuice bottle.

Shake it a bit more to suspend the yeast and then let it sit for about 15 minutes.

Pour off all but the last 1/8 inch (or so) into another empty apple juice bottle. Clean the first bottle out and repeat the process one more time.

What you'll end up with will look something like this:

View attachment 1982

The one onthe right was in the fridge for a couple of days.
The one on the left was on the self for a day.
The one in the middle I'd just finished harvesting.

You'll get a lot more yeast than you need so split them up into 2-3 beer bottles, top off with sterilized water and cap and refrigerate.
Click to expand...

So, do I use the whole bottle and what do I have to do before I add it to the wort?

Thanks by the way!
 
fluteguy53 said:
So, do I use the whole bottle and what do I have to do before I add it to the wort?

Thanks by the way!
Click to expand...
Nope. That whole bottle is enough to do 3 batches. I usually divvy it up into thirds, bottle two of the thirds in beer bottles (topped off with sterile water) and then hold the last third out for my next batch (which I do within a week or so).
 
homebrewer_99 said:
Where do you live? Mars??? :confused: :D
Click to expand...

Sometimes, but mostly in New Zealand.

I just effectively halfed the cost of it though by dumping another batch of wort on top. The krausen just about shot out the airlock and it fermented in 3 days:D
 
Quick question: How long will the yeast cake keep without beer on it?

I brewed Saturday and used the cake from my previous batch. It is bubbling like crazy, glad I used a blow-off! My plan is to rack it to secondary after a week. I would like to try using the cake again but I won't be brewing the next batch right away.

How long can I this cake keep this cake and how should I store it?
 
Muss said:
Sometimes, but mostly in New Zealand.

I just effectively halfed the cost of it though by dumping another batch of wort on top. The krausen just about shot out the airlock and it fermented in 3 days:D
Click to expand...


You send us "Flight of the Conchords", and we send you $30 smack packs. Hardly seems fair!

And neither of us is likely to have the America's cup any time soon! :mad:
 

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