I'm about to bottle a lager that I have in my carboy. After I finish bottling, I plan to take an ale from my primary and rack it to the same carboy. Do I need to wash and sanitize the carboy? Or can I just syphon onto the yeast cake that's already there. Perhaps I should rinse out the old cake first? I'll have 2 kinds if yeast in there. Is this an issue?
2 beers, 1 carboy
- Thread starter Jacktar
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gratefuldisc
Well-Known Member
edit- missed the part about going from primary...
+1
annasdadhockey
Well-Known Member
I dont see why you would rack from primary on top of another cake. That doesnt make much sense. Wash and sanatize, then rack.
amen
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
+1 on that...
Even though you can rack a fresh wort onto a yeast cake just vacated by another batch, I wouldn't rack a brew from primary to another vessel that wasn't clean and sanitized. Of course, you can also easily leave an ale in primary for the duration, NOT racking into another vessel at all. Well, at least not until it's time to bottle it up...
IF you're looking to use your only fermenter for another batch, then get more fermenters to use. Personally, I'm using kegs to ferment in. I have four 1/6 kegs that I've successfully fermented 5 gallon batches inside of. I also have a pony keg that I'll be cleaning up over the long weekend so that I can use it for batches too. I also have two 25L kegs on order, that should be arriving next week (were supposed to arrive today, but didn't happen... NOT happy with the vendor & manufacturer there... Two different companies). I also have other assorted sized glass and PET carboys that I could use, IF all my stainless ones were to suddenly become full and I'm looking to brew another batch before any are vacated. Once I have the other two kegs, I don't expect that to happen very often, if at all... I also have a standing request for 1/4 kegs from someone I know that gets them... So I should be good with SS fermenters for the foreseeable future.
lots of people do this. there is no reason why it would be a problem unless an freshly emptied carboy is automatically contaminated. reusing yeast is essentially the same thing, washing the yeast is not the same as sanitizing it.
Shoegaze99
Well-Known Member
The way I'm reading it, he's not racking fresh wort onto the cake, he's pulling his ale from his primary and racking on top of a second yeast cake. Essentially moving it to secondary, but on top of an existing yeast cake. I'm unclear on why someone would want to do that.
Clann
Well-Known Member
I dont think I would mix lager yeast and ale yeast unless your experimenting.
Golddiggie
Well-Known Member
IMO, unless there's something about the other yeast that he REALLY wants, it's a very bad idea...
While I'm not about to squash someone's desire to experiment, I would suggest doing it either with a small batch, or with a brew you don't mind losing.
But, If you care enough about the batch to even ask about doing this, then I would take the few extra minutes to clean the carboy and sanitize it before racking. OR just leave the ale where it is and not even worry one lick.
I'm not experimenting really, just wondering what would happen if. At first I was thinking of saving time, but then I became curious about using lager and ale yeasts in one brew and how that might change things. Sounds like I should clean the carboy before I rack.
I usually rack because I haven't set up my bucket with an airlock so I figure the carboy is probably the most sterile environment.
I usually rack because I haven't set up my bucket with an airlock so I figure the carboy is probably the most sterile environment.
devils4ever
Well-Known Member
It's too much work to risk anything happening. I would clean and re-sanitize.
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