I Want To Reuse This Yeast

[scottmd06]

I saved and refrigerated the yeast cakes from my last two batches so I could recycle them for future brews. I'm just not sure how to go about reusing them.. Do I just dump the yeast into my new and aerated batch?

Also, I ended up with about 10oz of yeast from one batch, whereas the other one filled a mason jar... Not sure if the amount of yeast will affect the fermentation of the next batch or not, whichever I decide to use (one is a european ale yeast, other is an american ale yeast).

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Depends upon how long it is in the fridge. If only a few weeks, you can warm it up and use it as is or make a starter. I think I would make a starter if it is more than 3-4 weeks.

I (and many others on hbt) have pitched wort on top of a yeast cake from a batch that has been just packaged as well.

 

[krebs119]

I would check Mr. Malty's yeast site for the pitch rate.

I have just dumped in washed yeast, but I found it took off kind of slow. I plan on making starters going forward for any saved yeast I have. To each their own though...

 

[Golddiggie]

I've had best results when you split the harvest into a few jars, then make a starter for the dose you plan on using. IF you're really good about the harvesting, and you use it close enough to that time frame you COULD get away without a starter. But, I wouldn't recommend doing that. With washed/harvested yeast, you have the time to make a starter for it, and then get fresh yeast if it's no longer viable enough.

Use the Mr. Malty site to determine how much yeast you'll need for your brew, and make a starter to get you there (repitch from slurry tab).

BTW, I would recommend getting the new yeast book if you can. There's a section in it about reusing yeast, with information about doing it at our level. I'm still going through the book, but I've already picked up a LOT of good information from it. IMO, if you're getting serious about home brewing (if you're reusing yeast, you're getting serious) then it should be on your 'must read' list.

 

[scottmd06]

Its been about three months in the fridge. I've never made a "starter" so I'll have to check that out as well. Ive always pitched dry yeast, no starter with no problems.

 

[Nightbiker]

+1 Golddiggie regarding that Yeast book. I'm about a third of the way through it myself. I'm glad I got the book -wish I'd had it before now.
-
3 months in the fridge, yeah I wouldn't pitch without a starter. If everything was kept clean and the temp in the fridge has been relatively stable, you are probably going to be fine with a starter -if the starter fails to take off, well you haven't really lost anything and won't have pitched unviable yeast. I've been re-using yeast for a while, but finally made the jump to starting a frozen yeast bank. When I 'make a deposit' I use a smaller sample (test-tube) for the long-term bank, and a larger sample (100cc) to use as needed. Eventually I'll have a truly dedicated freezer for the brewery, then all deposits to the yeast bank will be 100ml samples (grin).

 

[scottmd06]

I'm probably going to use this american ale yeast. It looks like I have about 8-10oz of it in this bottle. How do I go about making a "starter" from it, do I just bring it to room temp with some DME and dump it into my new batch of brew?

 

[Firebat138]

Yes, I would also like some info on this, we are about to rack to secondary on another IPA, so after we do this, we take the yeast cake and mason jar it? then put in the fridge?

Bring up to room temp and pitch the dme? How much? etc... thanx

 

[Sithdad]

For information about how to make a starter go to Howtobrew.com Read the section on how to make a yeast starter.

As for the yeast cake you're not going to want everything from the bottom of the fermentor, especially from an IPA. Follow the instructions from this link to see how to wash yeast for later use. It's really very easy it just takes some time.

 

[scottmd06]

Well what I have is everything from the bottom of the fermenters from both batches I saved yeast from. A few inches of cake-iness with some yellow fluid on top (which im assuming is a little beer). How much of the "cake" do I need to reuse to ferment a 5 gallon batch?

 

[Shaggyt]

Well what I have is everything from the bottom of the fermenters from both batches I saved yeast from. A few inches of cake-iness with some yellow fluid on top (which im assuming is a little beer). How much of the "cake" do I need to reuse to ferment a 5 gallon batch?

If you're planning on using the yeast again real soon, I'd use it all! I've had amazingly quick turnarounds from grain to glass with full yeast cake usage, added to a starter then pitched the next day...be ready for a vigorous fermentation...blow off tube recommended.

Also, pour off the yellow beer prior to making your starter, then pour off the starter beer prior to pitching into your wort.

 

[JonM]

I'm probably going to use this american ale yeast. It looks like I have about 8-10oz of it in this bottle. How do I go about making a "starter" from it, do I just bring it to room temp with some DME and dump it into my new batch of brew?

Oh, and 8-10 oz is a lot (probably too much for one batch) if it's a thick white cake of yeast. Are you talking 8-10 oz of the thick stuff or 8-10 oz of fluid with a little cake at the bottom?

EDIT: Oops, just read the later post. Check out Mr. Malty online. Usually, you only need a small amount of yeast to get an adequate starter going, assuming the cake-y stuff is all yeast and not yeast and trub.

 

[scottmd06]

Its basically everything that was at the bottom of the primary fermenters after siphoning out the beer. So theres probably trub in there and everything.. What should I do?

Also.. Is it true that with my current batch I could rack the beer out into secondary and rack fresh un-fermented beer right in on top of this yeast to start a primary fermentation with it?

 

[phenry]

Just adding my $.02, I've racked onto a yeast cake, pitched straight washed yeast, and made a starter for washed yeast before pitching. From now on, I'm going with the latter. Unless you're using a much higher OG beer than the one from the yeast cake, you're probably over-pitching, and pitching straight washed yeast took me forever to start fermentation.

 

[scottmd06]

I'm still not getting what I'm supposed to do here =/ can I just siphon out the beer in my primary, then siphon the new unfermented beer right in there on top of the sludgy yeastiness, no additional steps?

 

[JonM]

I'm still not getting what I'm supposed to do here =/ can I just siphon out the beer in my primary, then siphon the new unfermented beer right in there on top of the sludgy yeastiness, no additional steps?

If you want to rack onto the yeast cake, then you've got it. Seems so simple, but that's all there is to it.

It'll start fermenting really, really quickly too - in my experience, hours rather than days. Cheers!

 

[scottmd06]

Ok. But if I want to use the other yeast cakes I've saved and have had in the refrigerator a couple months, I can't just empty one of those yeast cakes into a fermenter and rack unfermented beer onto it and expect fermentation?

 

[Nightbiker]

you could, but you would do well to make a starter to help get the yeast up to speed. Otherwise its not really much different than opening up a vial of yeast and dumping it in. You can do it, and it will work, but you would likely get better, more consistent results with a starter. When I first began brewing, I literally just opened up the pack of dry yeast and dumped it in the fermenter. Took a while for fermentation to get going -but it did work.
Back when I used to make wine, thats really all we did (I'd never even HEARD of a starter until I started brewing -and then didn't even know what it was for a while).

 

[scottmd06]

I always pitch dry used straight from the packet and have fermentation within a couple hours in my experiences. Hm. I guess its different for everyone?

So about how much yeast "cake," dextrose or malt, and water do I need to make a starter for a 5 gallon batch and do I need to bring it to room temp first?

 

[JonM]

Check out Mr. Malty's pitching rate calculator online. It'll tell you how many liters of starter to use.

I usually use 4 oz (by weight) DME to 1 qt water, which is close enough for a 1 liter starter.

 

[BenjaminBier]

I always pitch dry used straight from the packet and have fermentation within a couple hours in my experiences. Hm. I guess its different for everyone?

So about how much yeast "cake," dextrose or malt, and water do I need to make a starter for a 5 gallon batch and do I need to bring it to room temp first?

Hey dude,
First check out the general instructions at the wiki https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Yeast_starter

As for how much to use, generally you can start with about 1.75 oz of dry malt extract to 2 cups of water. That should net you about 450 mil of 1.040 starter. I think 1.75 oz of DME is something like 1 cup.