Harvesting Yeast from a carboy

[berheidebrau]

Any good,sanitary techniques? From primary...and anyway to check before risking it on a new batch?

Thanks

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Don't know...this is going to be my next step in the brewing process. Been doing some reading about just using the yeast/trub from the last batch, and mixing with the wort. I'm thinking that I would like to rinse the yeast and store it in mason jars for the next time. Boiling everything beforehand of course. If something goes wrong the main result will be off flavors, so I guess that at some point we're just going to have to try it and risk having a batch of beer that you'll have to mix in your Saturday night festivities just to get rid of it! Good luck!

 

[berheidebrau]

What's your rinsing process?

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Did a google search, although I can't seem to find the article that I read now. I said to boil some water with mason jars in a large pot to sterilize. Then, after racking beer, decant the beer off the top of the trub. Put some sterile water in the carboy and swirl to liquefy. Pour in your mason jars and let sit for (I think) 20 mins. The sediment at this time will be mostly trub, and the yeast should still be suspended. You can then decant this liquid, and what you have left over is mostly yeast. But to be honest I really don't know. I just read another article (yeast washing, from homebrewacademy.com) that just said to swirl your trub after racking put in mason jars, decant the beer in a couple of days, and use this for the MrMalty calculator. At some point, I'm just going to pick one and hope for the best! Good luck!

 

[johnhenryrolf]

Back to your original question, which I always seem to avoid. Look's like alcohol/burning the mouth of the carboy, and boiling jars/lids is going to be the best way to sanitize.

 

[Yooper]

I just do this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=519995

If you spray the mouth of the carboy with sanitizer, it's no more unsanitary than doing it with a bucket.