Yeast Washing 1st Attempt

I think I'm ready to try doing a yeast washing. I've read about it and have a question. I want to take the yeast from my currently fermenting IPA and use it in a another batch immediately.

Most of what I've read has you placing the yeast in jars under refrigeration. But, I want to use it right away. Do I need to still refrigerate it?

So, if I plan on brewing on Saturday, should I keg the previous batch on Wednesday, save the yeast, put in a large sterilized jar, wait 20-30 mins, pour off the yeast leaving the sediment behind, place in smaller sterile jar(s), wait 20-30 min, pour off yeast and pitch immediately into starter?

Also, I don't have any Mason jars and don't want to buy a case of them (which is all they sell). I have 2L and 1L flasks. Can I use the large flask instead of the large jar and the small flask instead of the smaller jars?

You can use any jar. My recommendation would be to pitch fresh yeast slurry from one batch to the next. Ideally brew and keg the same day.

Actually no real need for the jars at all, I have simply used a large sanitized soup ladle to harvest yeast from an empty fermenter and moved it to a new batch.

wilserbrewer said:

You can use any jar. My recommendation would be to pitch fresh yeast slurry from one batch to the next. Ideally brew and keg the same day.

Actually no real need for the jars at all, I have simply used a large sanitized soup ladle to harvest yeast from an empty fermenter and moved it to a new batch.

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So should I not try to separate the yeast from the trub? Do I still add some water to mix it up?

Don't bother washing the yeast. Just collect that slurry in something sanitized. If your using it right away don't bother refrigerating it, don't even need to put in in containers.
I pour the slurry from carboy to sanitized mason jar, close loosely and refrigerate. After a few days I tighten the jar.

I use as is or make a starter depending on the time between harvest and reuse. There is a great sticky in the yeast section here. It is also an article here.

The prior sticky about washing the yeast was un-stickied as this is no-longer considered best practice.

Very easy, effective and saves some money.

Harvested yeast (unwashed slurry)

devils4ever said:

So should I not try to separate the yeast from the trub?

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No

devils4ever said:

Do I still add some water to mix it up?

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No, leave a little beer behind and swirl it up. (1/2 inch at the bottom is good)

If you're going to pitch within a couple of days, (Unless you have a ton of hop material in the fermenter) I wouldn't waste my time with "washing". Just sanitize a container (any container will really do), transfer the necessary amount of slurry per the Mr. Malty Calculator, cover with some sanitized foil and save it in the fridge. The day of brewing, set the container out when you start brewing to let it come to room temp. Decant the clear beer off the top and pitch.

Heck if you keg and Brew the same day, you could just transfer your wort directly onto the yeast cake in your carboy. Just do your best to keep the carboy sanitary. (Keg while cooling your wort, spray liberally with star San, etc)

Gavin C said:

Don't bother washing the yeast. Just collect that slurry in something sanitized. If your using it right away don't bother refrigerating it, don't even need to put in in containers.
I pour the slurry from carboy to sanitized mason jar, close loosely and refrigerate. After a few days I tighten the jar.

I use as is or make a starter depending on the time between harvest and reuse. There is a great sticky in the yeast section here. It is also an article here.

The prior sticky about washing the yeast was un-stickied as this is no-longer considered best practice.

Very easy, effective and saves some money.

Harvested yeast (unwashed slurry) View attachment 284961

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This my my method too, and works very well

I started to begin washing my yeast. Now I just branch off a bit from my starter each time to keep it on hand. That way I didn't have to wash it or worry about other containers. I keep a flask of my "house culture" on hand so I can grow it up each time and then split off another keeper flask. That's been much easier. If it ever goes bad or smells off I'll dump and restart. But as of right now it still smells amazing. It's a couple saison strains, 2 cultured Brett strains, LAB and dregs from JK, HF and JP. I'm sure it will get off balance one day and I'll have to start over. This technique would be much easier if I were using a single strain I'm sure. Just something you can try with your next starter.

I got sick of all that washing carry-on and now I just put a cup of slurry into a Litre (quart for you fellas) of 1.040 wort and let it do it's stuff for a day or two then pitch. I've pitched stuff kept at room temp under beer after up to 8 days that's fired up a cracker. Mind you if you want to store yeast, now that's a different kettle of fish. Then I wash...and the yeast as well.