yeast slurry

what is a yeast slurry?

 

Yeast slurry typically means what is left at the bottom of your fermenter after fermentation. It is comprised of a large amount of yeast but also hop particles, proteins, and some other materials. Basically any form of yeast suspended in liquid or wort could be referred to as a slurry. It's usually used in the context of taking yeast from a previous fermentation and pitching it into a new batch of beer.

 

How does one go about saving the yeast slurry to reuse?

 

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

the above sticky is a good guide.
Good luck!

 

The yeast washing process is probably the best way to go...but i only ever use the slurry as it is.......I simply save it in a sterilised container then seal it and store in a fridge.......it will last months...even years...

When you are ready to brew again.....take the slurry and just tip it into your newly cooled, aerated wort.....THATS ALL THERE IS TO IT!..lazy but simple..and it works every time....

You may want to test the viability of the slurry a few days before you brew to ensure its ok...just take a spoonful of it..add to a clean bottle and add some cooled wort to it and seal with a cotton wool ball...you should see signs of fermentation within a few hrs...this shows its ok and still active..

I know this probably isnt the best way of doing things and you will be tipping lots of dead yeast cells and other trub material in your new beer but trust me i have done it this way for the last 5 years using the same slurry each time to ferment my preferred strong ales and IPA's...

My original yeast was harvested from a bottle of chimay blue and a bottle of duvel....i never have a stuck fermentation and never have any off tastes or other issues.....i have just brewed an Imperial American IPA...OG was 1.096 and the FG was 1.020...thats around 10% Abv depending how you calculate it...and it already tastes amazing!

Yeast washing is ok if you want all that hassle...but until i experience issues using basic slurry then i wont be messing about with all that unnecessary stuff!

 

Dave this sounds like a different (and useful) way of pitching on to a yeast cake? How many times have "re-used" the same yeast? Sounds to me like you have not bought yeast for the last 5 years?!

Going back to the OP's original question and the descriptions of yeast slurry given. Please take a look at this document www.northernbrewer.com/.../AdvancedBottleConditioning.pdf

At the table at the bottom of page two it says use 15ml of dry yeast slurry. You need to read the paragraph before the table too. In that context, is the slurry what will simply be the mixture you have prepared? I.e. re-hydrated yeast?