Easiest Way to Collect Yeast from Keg Cake?

[Clint Yeastwood]

I moved a stout to a serving keg, and now I have a big ol' yeast cake. The transfer was closed, so the yeast hasn't been exposed to anything.

What is the easiest way to grab some of this yeast and save it for later?

It's at the bottom of a Torpedo keg right now. Similar to a Corny, but with a much bigger opening.

 

[IslandLizard]

Is this the entire yeast cake from fermentation?
Or the yeast that was still suspended after fermentation had finished?
Or after cold crashing?

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

It's the entire yeast cake from fermentation. I don't want to save all of it, though.

 

[day_trippr]

If it isn't fluid enough to swirl to get the yeast unstuck from the bottom and suspended in a slurry, add some beer, swirl it up, and fill a/(some) mason jar(s)...

Cheers!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I see people on the web saying you have to boil everything you use, but they're also swirling water and yeast around in open buckets while breathing into them and presumably shedding skin cells as well.

 

[day_trippr]

lol - I'm not sure that dead skin cells have infectious capabilities, but thanks for the imagery

Bottom line: there is "Nuke the odds with fire!" and there is "We've never had any problem doing it this way"...

Cheers!

 

[fluketamer]

i worked in an infectious disease laboratory for many years with sterile hoods asceptic technique and full PPE gear.

our homebreweries are far from sterile environments but thats not the point or necessary. i think a good addage is try to keep everything to a minimum as much possible. this way when we pitch a good healthy amount of yeast it should rapidly out compete any other bad bugs we dont want in our beer. i doubt our worts are sterile before pitching . they definitely are not. point being - dont sweat the skin cells (or hair , or flies, or a gerbil etc ) in there nothing will happen.

pretty sure there was a post here not too long ago about how much dog hair is acceptable in your beer.

 

[IslandLizard]

There's no simple way to separate the trub (mostly on the bottom) from the good yeast at this point.

In a sanitary way add enough beer and/or "sterile" water to make the slurry fluid enough so you can swirl it up to homogenize, then dispense into your jars.

The yeast should be fine for reuse as is, as long as it's not from a high gravity (1.070-1.080+) beer.

 

[mashdar]

Sanitation effects how many batches you can safely get. Oscar the grouch can probably get 2 or 3. Howie Mandel can probably get 10. Bender can get 100, but he cheats by brewing within a sealed autoclave.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

The yeast should be fine for reuse as is, as long as it's not from a high gravity (1.070-1.080+) beer.

Um...what if it just happened to be from an imperial stout?

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

i worked in an infectious disease laboratory for many years with sterile hoods asceptic technique and full PPE gear.

our homebreweries are far from sterile environments but thats not the point or necessary. i think a good addage is try to keep everything to a minimum as much possible. this way when we pitch a good healthy amount of yeast it should rapidly out compete any other bad bugs we dont want in our beer. i doubt our worts are sterile before pitching . they definitely are not. point being - dont sweat the skin cells (or hair , or flies, or a gerbil etc ) in there nothing will happen.

pretty sure there was a post here not too long ago about how much dog hair is acceptable in your beer.

I'm not worried about it, but I question boiling jars when everything else involved is barely sanitized. It's like wearing one mitten in a blizzard.

 

[IslandLizard]

Um...what if it just happened to be from an imperial stout?

From Wyeast Labs (link):

• Previous Fermentation: Always harvest from a low gravity and low hopped beer. High gravity and/or highly hopped beers can stress the yeast and have detrimental effects on future fermentations. Do not harvest yeast from beers with alcohol contents greater than 6.5% ABV.

That's the base guideline, there can be some leeway, depending on conditions.

I have successfully repitched yeast from 7.0% and 7.5% ABV beers, into similar gravity beers, without much or any issues. But they are from large (re-)pitches already, into well-oxygenated worts.

Now a yeast cake from a 9-11% ABV beer can be a whole different story... Stress, mutations, etc.

 

[hiphoppotamuss]

Um...what if it just happened to be from an imperial stout?

Totally anecdotal but I repitched yeast from a 1.090 Barleywine into a 1.060 IPA and there were no issues with the 2nd fermentation. The IPA was absolutely delicious. I think yeast are pretty adaptable little buggers and are capable of handling more than we give them credit for.

 

[sibelman]

one mitten in a blizzard

There's a range of risk between rigorous microbiology lab technique and careless indifference. I'd take easy steps that reduce risk. Boiling seems somewhat harder than cleaning and sanitizing like we do with fermenters. Of course, the boiled or sanitized jar will be lightly exposed to some undesirable stuff in its journey to being filled and closed. Common sense suggests that yeast be handled with care, but without pointlessly extreme measures.

Of course, this doesn't mean you should just grab a jar from the kitchen cabinet and take zero precautions. Everything should be "barely sanitized" at least.

 

[IslandLizard]

You could do a (small) test batch using your harvested yeast and see how well it fares.

BTW, are you using a floating dip tube in that keg? If there's a mesh filter on it, it may get clogged when trying to transfer the yeast/trub slurry through it. You may need to use a regular (long) dip tube. Then there's still a chance of the poppet clogging, all depending on the composition of the trub.

 

[mac_1103]

You could do a (small) test batch using your harvested yeast and see how well it fares.

And call it a starter if it does fare well.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I was going to sanitize the outside of the keg, remove the lid, and pour. There is not much liquid in it, so the dip tube would suck CO2.

It looks like the lesson here is that if you want to harvest yeast from a big beer, you should make a huge starter and store part of it.

 

[sibelman]

the dip tube would suck CO2.

Yes, or you could add liquid to the still-closed fermenter, swirl, and then (probably) extract the result through the (standard long) dip tube. With enough liquid, this might even work through a floating dip tube with screen(s).

But this could be more complicated than simply pouring it into a nice, clean jar with a nice, clean funnel. Still, maybe not so much: put on that second mitten before you go out there in this blizzard!

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

This yeast is headed for the septic tank, but I'll be ready next time. Thanks, all.

 

[mac_1103]

Yeast is great for septic systems.

 

[IslandLizard]

This yeast is headed for the septic tank, but I'll be ready next time. Thanks, all.

In the name of science...

 

[odie]

OP lacks sufficient information to give a good recommendation...

What is the keg configuration? Standard dip tube or Floating?

What is the condition of the wort? Was it very clean and clear? filtered or strained in some manner? Or the whole trubby kettle dumped in?

I have 3 different methods to suggest that depends on these answers first.

 

[AmarikinBrew]

i worked in an infectious disease laboratory for many years with sterile hoods asceptic technique and full PPE gear.

our homebreweries are far from sterile environments but thats not the point or necessary. i think a good addage is try to keep everything to a minimum as much possible. this way when we pitch a good healthy amount of yeast it should rapidly out compete any other bad bugs we dont want in our beer. i doubt our worts are sterile before pitching . they definitely are not. point being - dont sweat the skin cells (or hair , or flies, or a gerbil etc ) in there nothing will happen.

pretty sure there was a post here not too long ago about how much dog hair is acceptable in your beer.

Is THAT why they call it "hair of the dog"?