Washed yeast did not work....

[StoutNoDoubt]

Soooo, I decided I would try to wash the yeast cake from my secondary fermenter and use it for my next batch of beer. I heard that you have to make a starter when using washed yeast but I didn't. I used a california ale yeast. I boiled my Texas bock wort and then cooled it down, I had my washed yeast sitting out to room temperature and after my wort chilled I tossed in the washed yeast and woke up excited to see if this little money saving technique worked or not, sadly it did not. There wasn't a single sign of yeast activity in my ale pail. Soooo my question to anyone is what did I do wrong and is this pretty typical to have a washed yeast not work or is it because I didn't use a starter? I ended up buying new yeast to save my beer.....

 

[Heavywalker]

Sounds like you didn't make a starter, as a result you under pitched your yeast, this caused a long lag time and fermentation didn't start in the time frame that you are used to.

Did you pitch the new yeast? If so you will never know but the original yeast was mostly likely viable it was just struggling to get going due be being under pitched.

If you still have some of the washed yeast try making a starter with that for the next batch to see if it gets going, if it does then you know what your problem was for this batch.

 

[dukeredhair]

Try saving larger volumes of washed yeast and use it sooner rather than later. I've never had a problem with washed yeast and it has saved me tons of money.

 

[Nike_Eayrs]

I ended up trying the whole yeast washing thing and actually ruined two batches of beer (wild yeast). Since I have been using a system explained on this site. I just build a bigger starter than needed, pitch 2/3's of it and save the rest of it for my next starter and so on. I brew a lot of pales, and IPA's so I don't need a wide variety of yeast strains. This has saved me a ton of money though!

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

Thanks for the replies. Any opinions on dry yeast? It's significantly cheaper than liquid but I noticed there tends to be ester issues using dry yeasts.....

 

[stevo4361]

I haven't heard nor experienced ester issues with dry yeast

 

[LLBeanJ]

No opinion on dry yeast, since I've don't/never used it, but one observation from your failed yeast washing experiment: you harvested from secondary. While there definitely should be yeast in suspension, it's not much for washing purposes. Next time, assuming you give it another go, harvest your yeast from primary and you should have better results.

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

That's good to know! Thanks! I think next time I will harvest from primary and make a starter from it. Thanks for confirming my suspicions

 

[forstmeister]

That's good to know! Thanks! I think next time I will harvest from primary and make a starter from it. Thanks for confirming my suspicions

Always harvest from primary. Record harvest date and store it in the back of the fridge. A few days before brew day build your starter using www.mrmalty.com or www.yeastcalc.com to determine your starter size. It's a lot easier than you think to build a starter and it really helps.

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

Always harvest from primary. Record harvest date and store it in the back of the fridge. A few days before brew day build your starter using www.mrmalty.com or www.yeastcalc.com to determine your starter size. It's a lot easier than you think to build a starter and it really helps.

Thanks! I ordered a stir plate and flask with some DME for the next batch I make. I heard starters really help the flavor of the brew.

 

[NcBrewer35]

Also what was the ending ABV of the beer you had fermented with the yeast?

If it was a high gravity beer it is possible the ABV got so high most of the yeast were killed. It will certainly start eventually but like others have posted you will be under pitching.

General rule of thumb when washing/reusing yeast is to plan your beers in order of ABV. Brew your lowest ABV beer first and end with your highest.

 

[Cyclman]

All good advice. If you're getting estery flavors from dry yeast, it may be process. Are you hydrating it first, thoroughly aerating, and fermenting it at the low end of the recommended yeast temp range?

Lots of very experienced brewers use dry yeasts, especially for clean styles like California Ales.

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

I'm using a washed yeast tonight from my primary to make a starter for a west coast ipa. It was actually easier to harvest than from secondary as well thanks for all the tips!

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

Quick question, I made a starter last night and placed it on my stir plate. This morning it had a nice krausen formed up in my flask. By 1:00 pm, it had all settled. Does this mean my yeast may have started dying already? Or is it that all the sugars were done fermenting? Thanks for the info. I ended up putting it in the fridge for a bit and then put it back out at room temp and noticed it getting foamy after it was warm enough and the stir plate helped but I pitched it anyhow and just not sure of it since this is my second attempt at reusing yeast and making a starter....

 

[LLBeanJ]

It just means the yeast have consumed all the sugars and that reproductive activity has slowed/stopped. Perfectly normal. The little buggers are happy and healthy and ready to go to town on your fresh wort.

 

[eastoak]

Soooo, I decided I would try to wash the yeast cake from my secondary fermenter and use it for my next batch of beer. I heard that you have to make a starter when using washed yeast but I didn't. I used a california ale yeast. I boiled my Texas bock wort and then cooled it down, I had my washed yeast sitting out to room temperature and after my wort chilled I tossed in the washed yeast and woke up excited to see if this little money saving technique worked or not, sadly it did not. There wasn't a single sign of yeast activity in my ale pail. Soooo my question to anyone is what did I do wrong and is this pretty typical to have a washed yeast not work or is it because I didn't use a starter? I ended up buying new yeast to save my beer.....

the one thing i did not see here was how much yeast did you pitch and how long you waited before deciding the yeast was dead? it's just as easy (maybe easier?) and effective to not wash the yeast. i just pour some of the yeast cake into a sanitized jar and it keeps in the fridge for months although i usually use it within the same month i stored it. you don't have to make a starter with saved yeast unless you only saved a tiny bit or it's really old.

 

[eastoak]

Thanks for the replies. Any opinions on dry yeast? It's significantly cheaper than liquid but I noticed there tends to be ester issues using dry yeasts.....

i've used dry yeast for 90% of my beer, won second place in the world beer cup last yr with an APA i fermented with US-05. you could have ester issues with any yeast wet or dry. my local brewery gives me liters of yeast slurry so that's the easiest of all; no starters, no rehydrating and virtually no lag time.

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

It just means the yeast have consumed all the sugars and that reproductive activity has slowed/stopped. Perfectly normal. The little buggers are happy and healthy and ready to go to town on your fresh wort.

Thanks for the info. The airlock kicked on earlier this afternoon so I know there are some happy hungry yeasts going to work