Yeast washing issue

[Davst]

Hi, I just washed my yeast for the first time and the main difference I'm seeing compared to yourube videos and stuff is that i get some of the trub with me over to the storage.

I am carefull not to let the trub come there but the trub seems to be more easy flowing than the yeast and when pouring is kinda sets itself in a layer above the yeast and i get a small river of it following the yeast into the new container.

I do wash away alot of it thats left but some tends to run over hte yeast.

1. Any suggestions for how i can better transfer the yeast only?

2. Do you think that i need to wash the yeast again or is a small ammount of trub acceptable for storage?

 

[Piratwolf]

I wouldn't worry about the trub if it's just a little bit. I often just jar my slurry without washing it if I'm going to pitch it soon, and that has caused no problems with fermentation or off flavors.

 

[Davst]

Thanks for the reply =)


Just for discussions sake.. anyone have any tips on how to achieve a smoother pourover so the trub wont flow over the yeast into the storage vessel?

 

[pabloj13]

Thanks for the reply =)


Just for discussions sake.. anyone have any tips on how to achieve a smoother pourover so the trub wont flow over the yeast into the storage vessel?

I think some people rest the jar/carboy on an angle after shaking so that the pouring is smoother. It always seems like most of the mixing occurs as you tip the jar from vertical to pouring position. I agree with piratwolf though. A small amount of trub isn't going to hurt you at all. Just think of all the people that (over)pitch right onto the yeast cake from a previous batch!

 

[smalliewader]

I've found that if you pour your 2nd wash into a glass beer pitcher, it works much better.

Put your water in the carboy or bucket and mix, let settle 15-20 minutes. Pour the cloudy water on top into a glass pitcher and let it settle 15-20 more minutes (cover with sanitized foil). When you pour from the pitcher to jars, it pours much better. Since switching to this method I am getting nearly pure, thick yeast layers in my jars with little to no trub at all. The pitcher pours without disturbing the trub that has settled at the bottom.

 

[Piratwolf]

I've found that if you pour your 2nd wash into a glass beer pitcher, it works much better.... The pitcher pours without disturbing the trub that has settled at the bottom.

This is a GREAT idea! I mostly stopped washing b/c it wasn't worth the time/effort when I ended up w/ lots o' trub in my washed samples. This seems like the missing piece. Thanks, smalliewader!

 

[pabloj13]

This is a GREAT idea! I mostly stopped washing b/c it wasn't worth the time/effort when I ended up w/ lots o' trub in my washed samples. This seems like the missing piece. Thanks, smalliewader!

Even with the trub it's still worth your time. Getting the yeast into the boiled/cooled water helps them go dormant so they will store better and longer. But that along with the beer pitcher trick should be great!

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Even with the trub it's still worth your time. Getting the yeast into the boiled/cooled water helps them go dormant so they will store better and longer. But that along with the beer pitcher trick should be great!

i'm with you, man. washing can be a PITA, but it's worth it. mainly from a $ standpoint, any way you choose to reuse yeast is a great plan. what i've taken to doing with the new yeasts i've used recently is make a 1L starter from the pack, cold crash, decant, jar 2/3s of the slurry, and use the other 1/3 to make my brewing starter. that way the yeast i'm jarring is as clean as it gets. it works great, and if i stay on top of it, i can get many a brew out of one pack of yeast. :rockin:

 

[solavirtus]

I've learned a few things that have drastically improve the quality of my washed yeast, so maybe they'll help you too.

1. before washing: less trub into the fermenter has made a big difference for me. after chilling, I whirlpool and let trub settle on the opposite side of the valve on my boil kettle for about 20 minutes. Getting much clearer wort into the fermenter has helped a lot. It makes the cake after primary fermentation a lot higher proportion yeast compared to other trub, so I'm starting with something that's easier to wash.

2. in the initial wash (adding water to yeast cake in fermenter): tilt the vessel toward the direction you'll be pouring. this way pouring stirs up settled trub a lot less. Pouring slowly is also really important.

3. going from wash vessel into storage jars: I use a short auto-siphon. I normally pour slowly from fermenter into a 1 gal glass jug, let settle for 20 min or so, then use a short auto-siphon to get the slurry into mason jars from the 1 gal jug. Not pouring here has really improved the final product. I can siphon off the top of the 1 gal jug all the way through, never stirring anything up or pulling anything at all from the bottom. Normally I do 3-4 qts. of wash water added and then I end up leaving about a half to a full quart of trub in that 1 gal jug.

That's just my experience, of course YMMV.

 

[smalliewader]

Left is what I was getting before using a pitcher, right is using the pitcher.

 

[wolverinebrewer]

The auto siphon is the key to clean washed yeast and I never tip and pour from jars.
Usually when I wash, I plan on filling 8 pint jars. That's 128 ounces (1 gal.). So I only boil about 140 ounces and let cool. You can boil the pint jars in this or just soak in sanitizer. After the 140 ounces are cooled, I dump into the just-bottled yeast cake. The reason I only use slightly more water than needed to fill the jars is I want the highest concentration of yeast cells in each jar. I don't want to leave a bunch of cells suspended in unused water.
After the water is dumped in, I shake the bucket for a good 10 sec. until the cake is all broken up and into suspension. I leave it for 30 minutes. Now I use my sanitized auto siphon and only stick the black tip below the surface and then pump away keeping the tip just below the surface as the liquid goes lower. I move the outlet hose from jar to jar as they are filled. Wipe the rims with star san and put on boiled lids and rings. You're done. Here is what it looks like. There is about 80-100 ml. of thick yeast in each jar.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=47368&stc=1&d=1328897767

 

[Ibrewaletx]

Great tips on here. I just washed (really, rinsed) yeast for the first time last night. It looks like I have trub as well as yeast in mine.
I will give a beer pitcher a whirl next go around.


Jerry

 

[suprchunk]

There is about 80-100 ml. of thick yeast in each jar.

Good tip, but that doesn't look like 20% of the volume of the jar worth of yeast. Closer to 40mL to 50mL worth of yeast and other stuff.

 

[Davst]

Great tips.. I did use a pitcher, but my experience of pouring from this ptcher was that I got good and thick yeast into the cans but at the center of the slow moving thick yeast was a small "river" of darker brown trub going with it. I should try the auto siphon thing. How long do you leave the yeast in the pitcher before you do this? I imagine that the yeast gets too thick for the siphon after a while.

Tilting the whole fermenter is something that I'll be doing next time as well.. very smart and easy tip =)

 

[chuckstout]

On the jamil show he said take it in a large jar with water seal, shake like hell to break the yeast from the trub, then let it sit then decant.

 

[redm18]

What is downside to have some turb in the jar?

 

[Esmitee]

Thanks for the reply =)


Just for discussions sake.. anyone have any tips on how to achieve a smoother pour over so the trub wont flow over the yeast into the storage vessel?

The siphon is a good way, If ya have a small one and a helper. I don't, soooo

Try this Way. If your using a carboy, add your water, shake it up well, and then LAY the CARBOY on It's SIDE carefully. and make sure it don't go a rolling lol. After the crap has settled down, S L O W L Y pour the liquid into your next large vessel.

In my case. I let the carboy neck hang over the sink.
I put My large glass vessel in the sink, and just SLOWLY tip the carboy (Without Standing it UP) to drain out the liquid. If you pour it slow, You can watch the trub coming up to the neck, and not let it get out.

It's easy without the auto siphon.

Try it, Hope it helps !

 

[solavirtus]

I should try the auto siphon thing. How long do you leave the yeast in the pitcher before you do this? I imagine that the yeast gets too thick for the siphon after a while.

I usually let it settle for 20-30 minutes. I haven't had any problems with yeast getting too thick using 1 gallon of wash water and yeast from a 5 gallon batch.

 

[Davst]

Thanks for all the great tips. I was letting the yeast settle too long.. thus it got thicker than the trub under. =)