yeast harvesting--WTH am I doing wrong?

[jack13]

Below is a picture of 4 quart-sized mason jars of what I harvested from the bottom of my fermenter (a 5.5 gal batch of Vienna lager using Wyeast Bavarian lager yeast).

From everything I've read and seen, the white is the yeast. However, the jars in the picture contain everything from the bottom (except the last bit from the very bottom, which was dark and clumpy) .

But I'd estimate there's less than 100ml of white stuff. So is the white stuff really the only thing in there that's yeast? If so, where did all the yeast go? I did a nice big starter, so probably pitched 300ml of yeast. Shouldn't I now have at least double that? Is it possible some of the yeast is stained? (note: originally, all the white stuff you see was indeed on top--stuff got sloshed around in there from me moving the jars)

My method was this: Poured about 3/4 gallon of water into the fermenter (after racking to secondary for 7 week lagering), shook vigorously until all the yeast/trub was suspended, turned fermenter sideways. Waited 15 minutes, poured carefully into jars.

 

[addled_mind]

Harvested yeast isn't always white - usually more of a cream color but I've had it dark like peanut butter if the beer was darker. That being said, all four jars are full of yeast cake.

Now some of that yeast died during fermentation but if it was a healthy fermentation, the vast majority of it can be pitched into your next beer. If you choose to store it for a while, be sure to make a starter to wake it up.

 

[jack13]

Harvested yeast isn't always white - usually more of a cream color but I've had it dark like peanut butter if the beer was darker. That being said, all four jars are full of yeast cake.

Now some of that yeast died during fermentation but if it was a healthy fermentation, the vast majority of it can be pitched into your next beer. If you choose to store it for a while, be sure to make a starter to wake it up.

Well, that is obviously the answer I was hoping for!! So some of the yeast stays white and some gets darkened by the beer? This means I've tossed a lot of yeast over the years (well, year). Oh, well!

 

[catdaddy66]

What you have done is called yeast washing. Taking the yeast from the trub in your fermenter is a great way to do it, and you have good, viable yeast in the darker solids as well.

Yeast harvesting is when you overbuild a starter and save a portion for use later. This is a cleaner and less stressed product because they haven't yet been in a high alcohol environment for a long time unlike the washed yeast from your primary.

It's all good though...

 

[flars]

You have mostly water in jars from adding water to the fermentor. I swirl up the remaining contents of the fermentor after racking to the bottling bucket. I only fill two pint canning jars now rather than quart jars. Yeast stored under the remaining beer stores longer and healthier than under water.

The jars with only a small amount of yeast is the yeast harvested from starter over builds.

 

[jack13]

You have mostly water in jars from adding water to the fermentor. I swirl up the remaining contents of the fermentor after racking to the bottling bucket. I only fill two pint canning jars now rather than quart jars. Yeast stored under the remaining beer stores longer and healthier than under water.

The jars with only a small amount of yeast is the yeast harvested from starter over builds.

I did not add any water this time, just left a bit of beer after racking as you suggested. That was much easier, and it was more clear what was yeast and what wasn't (it also helped that the beer was very light this time).

Thanks!

 

[ericbw]

Also if you have a lot of hops, it gets sludgy and green/brown. It varies with different batches.

 

[ericbw]

I just tried to get an example from the fridge, but mine are all darker beers with dark colored yeast.

I just decant the jar, swirl, then make a starter with it. I keep my yeast a long time sometimes - I skipped a year of brewing with the Belgian strain I used (bottle harvested), but it still works after a year, with a starter.