Using Recently Washed Yeast

[yournotpeter]

I've got a fermenter full of an IIPA and I'd like to wash and resuse the yeast (WLP001) for a porter I want to brew this weekend. I've never used washed yeast so soon after washing (normally it'll sit in mason jars for 3-4 weeks before making a starter with it and reusing). Considering that I'm going to use it probably within 24 hours of washing, do you think I still need a starter? I'm sure I have plenty of yeast, but I'm not sure if I should still make a starter to "wake them up"...although, they will only have been "sleeping" for less than 24 hours.

Thoughts? Or other strategies I could use to reuse? I certainly don't want to rack the porter onto a very hoppy IIPA. Agreed?

 

[DrinkNoH2O]

Personally I'd just calculate how much slurry you need on Mr. Malty, then after you rack off your IIPA just use a sterilized measuring cup and try and scape that much off the top layer of the cake and pitch.

I doubt there will be that much hop residue in the top layer of the cake, should mostly be down at the bottom.

After all that, you can still wash/store the remaining yeast for future brews like normal.

 

[Calder]

I would just take a quarter of the cake (keep in mason jar until needed), and straight pitch. I wouldn't bother with washing or a starter. I do this for yeast up to a months old. After that I'll make a starter. Never had a problem.

 

[TyTanium]

What was your IIPA OG? Generally it's not recommended to reuse yeast from a high OG beer. Same for going from a bitter/hoppy beer to a lower-bitterness beer...you generally want to go the other way.

But, yeast is expensive and I'm sure it'll work just fine. If I were in your shoes I'd probably do the same. No starter...fresh slurry is great. But I'd definitely try to separate from the trub...especially if you didn't filter out your IIPA kettle hops before going into the fermenter. A quick wash would go a long way, IMO.

 

[Gilbey]

I wash yeast, and I have had good success pitching direct within a few weeks of washing without a starter. Why not just wash as normal, get your 3 jars, and pitch one direct this weekend? Then you won't even have to think about hops in the trub.

Alan

 

[BMacD]

Glad I seen this thread. I just washed yeast for the first time today from a friends "Brewhouse Stout" kit. It was a WYeast 1028 London Ale. I washed it and made up 3 small mason jars (250ml). They haven't completely settled out yet, but I expect to have about 90-100mL of yeast. I plan on doing a dark style beer this weekend and just plan on pitching as is, seeing how it will be less then a week.

Even tho I washed the yeast, each jar has what looks like a bit of trub (prob less then 5mL) that shouldn't cause any problem tho right?

 

[DrinkNoH2O]

no, that little amount of trub won't hurt a thing.

 

[jwalker1140]

This is my approach. If I'd be reusing within 1 week, I'd just harvest and direct pitch ~1 cup of unwashed slurry for a 5 gal., average OG batch. The exception is if I'd be harvesting from a batch that may have flavors or stuff that I didn't want to carry over into the new batch (e.g., bits of coriander or orange peel from a wit). In which case, I'd probably wash the yeast.

With the washed yeast, I'd check the slurry calculator on Mr. Malty to see if I had enough. If so, and if used within 1 week, I'd direct pitch. If I didn't have enough, I'd make a starter to grow cells.

For any yeast that I wouldn't reuse within 1 week, I'd always wash and always make a starter. Some may consider my 1-week threshold to be too conservative, but it works for me.