First yeast harvest from a bottle of La Trappe Tripel with pictures

[RobMT]

Interested in brewing a tripel sometime so I figured I may as well try and get some authentic yeast for the brew. Here's my attempt (which appears successful) at harvesting yeast from the bottle dregs. Used a half cup of DME for 2 quarts of water and followed standard sanitation procedures. These photos were taken ~36 hours after pitching dregs.

Enough talk, here are the pictures:

Here's a small yeast cluster bubbling away

You can very faintly see the thin layer of creamy white yeast settling on top of the trub

And another slightly more blurry picture but it seems to show the colour difference a bit better

Here's the whole set up renting some space on my pint glass shelf

 

[jonmohno]

Nice . I had a question do you shake it to aerate it or is that why the foil is used. Ive read to shake but how and seems like a mess to do. I plan on making a starter from washed yeast for a 2 gallon batch with around an ounce of dme and a 20-24 oz of water,this sound ok? Or is any amount better than nothing?

 

[RobMT]

You'll have to wait for some of the more experienced members to answer your question about the starter volumes.

As for aerating, I used the swirl it often and try not to spill it method. Obviously, less than ideal but since I'm lacking a stir plate right now I'm limited with my options. The tin foil is just used to create a barrier so gas exchange can occur (if I've read information regarding this correctly).

 

[sgoehner]

Ok, here is my question, I harvested some yeast from a batch that I made a while ago that I want to use again, Thames Valley strain. I started with 10g of DME in 100mL of water and let that ferment, once done I decanted, mixed, and added it to 100g of DME boiled in 1L of water. It is done fermenting now and there is are definitely two layers on the bottom of my 1 gallon jug. I am trying to figure out what to do next, I want to save the yeast but am not going to be using it soon, so do I decant the "beer" off the two layers on the bottom and add water to wash and then put in smaller containers?

 

[RobMT]

Ok, here is my question, I harvested some yeast from a batch that I made a while ago that I want to use again, Thames Valley strain. I started with 10g of DME in 100mL of water and let that ferment, once done I decanted, mixed, and added it to 100g of DME boiled in 1L of water. It is done fermenting now and there is are definitely two layers on the bottom of my 1 gallon jug. I am trying to figure out what to do next, I want to save the yeast but am not going to be using it soon, so do I decant the "beer" off the two layers on the bottom and add water to wash and then put in smaller containers?

That's what I will do once this is done.

 

[Brulosopher]

Ok, here is my question, I harvested some yeast from a batch that I made a while ago that I want to use again, Thames Valley strain. I started with 10g of DME in 100mL of water and let that ferment, once done I decanted, mixed, and added it to 100g of DME boiled in 1L of water. It is done fermenting now and there is are definitely two layers on the bottom of my 1 gallon jug. I am trying to figure out what to do next, I want to save the yeast but am not going to be using it soon, so do I decant the "beer" off the two layers on the bottom and add water to wash and then put in smaller containers?

Boil some water WITH small mason jars, let them cool. Decant all but a few oz of beer off the yeast. Make sure your jars are about 75% full of the cooled de-oxygenated water. Shake the yeast into suspension then pour equal amounts into the jars, letting the clear water spill over, cap and store in fridge! Easy as pie

 

[sgoehner]

Thanks for the advice, will be doing that tomorrow.

 

[DannPM]

Good choice. Please update when you taste as I'd like to know if they bottle with the primary strain (I think they do but I haven't read anything on La Trappe in particular.)

 

[jonmohno]

do you dump most of that or what?

 

[RobMT]

Yeah, and I'll step it up one or two times and then separate into jars using the yeast washing methods outlined in the sticky. All you want is that white layer on top of the trub (which is 3 or 4 times as thick now by the way). Should give me plenty of opportunity to try out some tripel recipes.