Bullet
Active Member
I washed this last night. Is this all yeast on the bottom? Can I just pour off the top liquid and condense these into two jars?
Yeast washing question
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I washed this last night. Is this all yeast on the bottom? Can I just pour off the top liquid and condense these into two jars?
This may answer your question
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/
Bullet
Active Member
Those are the instructions I followed but for some reason I was able to get all four of those jars filled plus half of the large container left. I did not want to throw it out if it was good yeast yet. That is why I was wondering if I could decant down to two or three jars.
I believe the yeast are suspended in the liquid and not in the sediment on the bottom. If you get rid of the liquid, you lose the yeast. Though, I am not an expert and have only washed a half dozen yeasts.
The sediment in those jars is the yeast. Throw them in your fridge and use each one to make a starter before your next brew day. If you consolidate three jars into one you'll get one starter instead of three so I'd leave them alone
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above post, and I'd add the combining jars is just one more transfer of your yeast and one more source of contamination. You have very little yeast in those jars. I'd use less rinsing water next time to get more yeast per jar, but that's just my preference.
Bullet
Active Member
Yes. They have been in the fridge since I washed it. So are you saying that I can condense these down into two jars using the same two sterile containers?
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
Don't bother. "Condensed" together or not you'll need to prepare starters before you pitch them, ao you might as well leave them as 5 separate pitches.
+1 you also risk contamination.
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
If space is a concern you could combine them. If you do you would not need all of the yeast for a starter. You can use the slurry tab in mrmalty to determine how much to use for a starter.
If space is not a consideration I would do as previously suggested and save them as separate starter pitches.
If space is not a consideration I would do as previously suggested and save them as separate starter pitches.
:cross:...as I also stated above
Or just pitch 2 with no starter :fro:
Chimbley_Sweep
Member
And don't worry about throwing out good yeast. If you save the three pint jars, you can make three more batches of beer. Then you wash and have 9 starters. Then 27 by 4th generation.
Trust me. You are going to end up throwing out lots of yeast.
Trust me. You are going to end up throwing out lots of yeast.
helmingstay
Active Member
+1 to not worrying, you've now got yeast to spare!
Something to keep in mind: exposure to oxygen will (probably) decrease shelf-life.
You can limit oxygen exposure by always using boiled & cooled water, since boiling drives off most of the 02 (which it looks like you've already done).
You don't want head-space, like you have in the last big jar. I'd say combine that one with another (or just toss it, since you have plenty).
If you transfer, try to limit splashing. I'd say leave the the 2 nice ones untouched, and maybe combine the last 2 large containers into one. Then use that last one first, as it probably had the most oxygen exposure and shortest shelflife.
R.e. contamination -- flaming bottle-lips between transfer is actually quite fun...
* The large bu
Something to keep in mind: exposure to oxygen will (probably) decrease shelf-life.
You can limit oxygen exposure by always using boiled & cooled water, since boiling drives off most of the 02 (which it looks like you've already done).
You don't want head-space, like you have in the last big jar. I'd say combine that one with another (or just toss it, since you have plenty).
If you transfer, try to limit splashing. I'd say leave the the 2 nice ones untouched, and maybe combine the last 2 large containers into one. Then use that last one first, as it probably had the most oxygen exposure and shortest shelflife.
R.e. contamination -- flaming bottle-lips between transfer is actually quite fun...
* The large bu
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
Nah, you have to make a starter with rinsed yeast. Rinsed yeast from the fridge is sluggish at best, and has the potential to ruin the batch by not fully attenuation or throwing out a bunch of off flavors as it struggles to ferment the beer.
crushingblackdoom
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bigbeergeek said:
Never had that problem. Combine them! I think that's what you're asking, right? I combine my harvests into fat doses so I don't need a starter.
Approx 1-200ml doses is perfect for most decent strength/ full bodied beers. Thats about 1/3-1/2 cup, btw. I don't worry about oxygen and blah blah, just be clean & careful. Try burning a candle near your workspace to draw any potential bugs up & away from your precious beer making yeasties. Maybe it's just luck, but I've pitched from harvests 3-4 wks old in the fridge with no problems, bugs, or much lag time. BrewOn!!
Yes you can. Go for it!
Cheers
Jay
Cheers
Jay
helmingstay
Active Member
I kinda love it when "You can't do that!" is met with, "What do you mean, I do that all the time and it works just fine!". It's like science.
Actually, it *is* science
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I kinda love it when "You can't do that!" is met with, "What do you mean, I do that all the time and it works just fine!". It's like science.
Actually, it *is* science
You can directly pitch rinsed yeast and make beer, but it won't be the best beer possible -- especially if the yeast has been stored for more than a couple of weeks. I once tried to use a washed pitch of yeast (no starter) that was 2 months old. It took 4 days to get a krausen on the beer and the resulting pale ale had odd off flavors from the stressed out yeast.
Make starters for your rinsed yeast and make better beer.
This is not entirely accurate. If you take into account the age (viability) and pitch the proper amount of yeast it will be good.
Though it is easier to know how much good yeast you have by making the starter.
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
This is not entirely accurate. If you take into account the age (viability) and pitch the proper amount of yeast it will be good.
Though it is easier to know how much good yeast you have by making the starter.
Viability and pitch don't make up for vitality. Rinsed yeast stored cold in a nutrient depleted state is not ideal for starting a new round of fermentation.
I keep a flat of smaller jam jars in the fridge for each yeast I use. I harvest the yeast the first time with new yeast, wash and split into all the jars. then use a jar to make a starter for the next beer. When I get low I will repeat this process. I have gone four generations without any issue until we moved and my whole collection was accidentally left out and spoiled. :-( I always make a starter first both to ensure the yeast is healthy and to get them reproducing...
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