Idea for grabbing yeast from primary

Let me know if this is a horrible idea. But I brewed up a blonde with WL002 last weekend and I am thinking of doing a new batch this weekend. The blonde will be mostly done fermenting, but I want to let sit sit for at least another 7 days.

Is there any reason I could not syphon off some of the yeast cake from the blonde and make a starter for the new beer?

 

I don't think the little bit you would be taking for a starter
would be a problem.

The yeast on the bottom are probably napping anyway.

 

Isn't that what a starter is for? To wake them up and get them ready to eat more?

While I have not done what you mention (taking yeast from the primary), I would have to assume that it would work. The only problem that I see is ensuring that you get enough yeast. Of course you could always grab a little and then step it up in a starter two or three times in order to have an adequate number to pitch.

 

There is a great tutorial here on yeast washing. I would find this preferable to do, because you can end up with 4 or more yeast cultures that you can label and make multiple starters for.

Right now if I have a more expensive or harder to get strain of yeast in a primary, and I want to use it for another beer, I will wash it and end up with 4-6 1/2 pint mason jars of yeast that I can then save and use for other brews whenever I want.

What you are saying would work, assuming you got suspended yeast to siphon (which I don't see why they wouldn't if you were low enough in the cake), and would give you millions of viable cells, if you wash it, as given in the instructions you are just more likely to be able to cull your product into mostly yeast (getting away from some of that trub), and have more for future batches, I would recommend looking into that.

 

I think Jazz was saying that to emphasis that it wouldn't hurt anything.

While you could do what you are thinking of I think there is a simpler solution to your problem that won't require stepping up a starter a few times.

You are already fermenting a batch in one fermentor and you want to brew another this weekend before the first is done implying that you have second fermentor. Why don't you just rack your current beer into the second fermentor and let it sit there for however long you want and then you have access to plenty of yeast which you can either pitch on top of, wash, or slant?

 

Good point host. I have tried not to rack my beers unless dry hopping/fruiting. But, this is perhaps the best solution.

I figured if I could pump a liter or two of trub and yeast from the cake that I could wash it and leave the week old beer alone to rest.