1st timer attempted to "wash" my yeast

[spgreene]

All, as the title suggest, after my last bottling day, I attempted to wash my yeast following the tutorial I found on this very forum.

I'm not sure I was successful. Please see the picture below. I'm looking for input to if you all think I can pitch either of these and have another successful saison.

Brewing again on Saturday, should I just buy some more yeast?

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441148451.711098.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441148502.257663.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1441148522.787733.jpg

 

[lilbova3]

That looks pretty good, nice job for a first time.

If you're going to repitch the slurry of yeast in less than 2 weeks you shouldn't have to worry about making a starter, which it sounds like you are going to do less than two weeks.

Guessing how much yeast you have and how much to pitch is where it gets a little tough. Use this website for help:
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

Make sure you click on "Repitching from Slurry Tab"

 

[Gavin C]

In future. Don't wash, just harvest slurry, Quick, easy effective.

Check out this great thread

The same cannot be said of yeast rinsing/washing on a homebrew level.

Slurry

 

[TriggerHappy]

When in doubt make a starter

 

[spgreene]

Alright. So information I left out. My last brew day was in May, so that's when the yeast went into the fridge.

Is that too long for it to hibernate?

 

[Gavin C]

Alright. So information I left out. My last brew day was in May, so that's when the yeast went into the fridge.

Is that too long for it to hibernate?

No

But I'm not sure how much yeast you've got there. Is it just the amount in the second picture?

If so it's gonna take alot of steps to build a useful starter from the minimal volume.


What type of yeast. If it was dry yeast there is really no cost benefit to reusing it after this amout of time.

The other jar only partially filled, I'd be reluctant to use that.

Washed Yeast should look more like this

 

[henchman24]

You should be fine if you make a starter. Personally, I would step it up a time or two before pitching. Depending on the strain, it might be better to just buy new yeast.

I'm also in the just harvest the slurry group especially if I'm going to reuse the yeast in a short time frame and I'd never use a partially filled jar.

 

[spgreene]

So I should be concerned about the air space in the jar with an actual decent quantity of slurry?

 

[henchman24]

So I should be concerned about the air space in the jar with an actual decent quantity of slurry?

Depends... I don't use slurry that had headspace for a couple reasons. First, there is a higher chance of contamination, especially if it was washed (not as much alcohol, hops, and higher ph to ward off the baddies). Second, more oxygen is theoretically available which doesn't encourage the yeast to sleep. So basically, the yeast can be more stressed and contaminated. I'm sure there are people more knowledgeable than me that can chime in more.

Knowing my processes in the past, I've probably done it a time or two when I first started reusing yeast, but now I just avoid the potential issues before they start. Out of a normal beer I get a few pint jars full of slurry, and if there is any extra that won't fill a jar... I just dump it. Those few pint jars will supply me with plenty of yeast. I almost always do a starter to wake them up as well... the only time I don't is when I reuse the yeast within a week or so.

What yeast strain was this?