Reused yeast for the first time...not much happening

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Glaurung30

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I had a american brown ale that I just bottled and I had an IPA kit so I figure I would save myself a little money and reuse the yeast since both kits call for the same yeast. So yesterday I bottle the brown ale and I scooped out enough of the cake to fill a 12 ounce jar.. I pitched the entire jar into the IPA. It's been alittle over 12 hours since then and there is no activity in the air lock and I opened the bucket and there doesn't seem to be much going on. I'm thinking I maybe need to repitch but I won't be able to get any yeast until tomorrow.
 
I had a american brown ale that I just bottled and I had an IPA kit so I figure I would save myself a little money and reuse the yeast since both kits call for the same yeast. So yesterday I bottle the brown ale and I scooped out enough of the cake to fill a 12 ounce jar.. I pitched the entire jar into the IPA. It's been alittle over 12 hours since then and there is no activity in the air lock and I opened the bucket and there doesn't seem to be much going on. I'm thinking I maybe need to repitch but I won't be able to get any yeast until tomorrow.

PATIENCE... it will be fine. The yeast just need to wake back up. when it starts be prepared for an explosive fermnt.
 
Yep! Worry in a few days if nothing has happened. The yeast cells have been in a big coma!
 
It's always good to make a starter, especially if you waited until bottling time to harvest the yeast. Just give it time, it'll take off.
 
We have bubbles!

So would making a starter off the yeast cake be a good idea next time?

I wouldn't think so unless you're going to wash it. The problem most recognized with pitching on a whole existing cake is too many cells for the amount of fermentables rather than not enough. Of course, the OG of the new wort is a consideration.

It might be a good idea to have a blow-off tube handy. Lots of folks report a slow start followed by a very vigorous fermentation when pitching most or all of a yeast cake like that.

I plan on doing one next Saturday, a milk choc stout atop a yeast cake from an ESB I have going right now. I'll probably remove about 1/2 the yeast cake from the bucket after I rack the ESB off and toss the stout wort (expected OG of 1.056) atop what's left in the bucket.
 
We have bubbles!

So would making a starter off the yeast cake be a good idea next time?

I am kind of going to say the opposite to to Big Floyd and say that using a starter on yeast that has fallen dormant is a good idea. The reason I say this is because it is a great way to tell if the yeast is viable and to decide if you are going to use it. Not a crucial thing being that you could also get signs from the previous fermentation.

If however you are using the yeast just at the end of the first fermentation the yeast most likely is still kicking so you may not need to wake them up.

In reality it all comes down to preference and their is no wrong or right way.
 
It might be a good idea to have a blow-off tube handy. Lots of folks report a slow start followed by a very vigorous fermentation when pitching most or all of a yeast cake like that.

Wow this was definitely the case. I didn't read your advice until this morning unfortunately. Last night I had bubbles about every 3 seconds. This morning I woke up at 5am to get ready for work and I kept hearing a hissing noise so I followed it to my closet where my beer was. Sure enough there was foam coming out of the top of the air lock. I pulled the air lock off and got a load of krausen all over myself haha. Thankfully I had some tubing left over from bottling and it fit perfectly into the grommet. I have never had a beer this active. It's very exciting! haha
 
Wow this was definitely the case. I didn't read your advice until this morning unfortunately. Last night I had bubbles about every 3 seconds. This morning I woke up at 5am to get ready for work and I kept hearing a hissing noise so I followed it to my closet where my beer was. Sure enough there was foam coming out of the top of the air lock. I pulled the air lock off and got a load of krausen all over myself haha. Thankfully I had some tubing left over from bottling and it fit perfectly into the grommet. I have never had a beer this active. It's very exciting! haha

;)
 
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