Harvesting Yeast From Blow Off Vessel

[Radobrewer]

I poured a brew onto a yeast cake and it had a crazy fermentation and finished at 1.006 rather quickly. I see a lot of beautiful yeast in my blow off vessel from the krausen in the primary fermenter. Unfortunately it is sitting in sanitizer, which renders it useless for re-purposing. In the future can I sanitize the jug, fill it with *pre-boiled water* and cover the top of the blow off vessel with foil where the tube enters the jug in order to harvest/re-use the yeast? I suppose I would then decant the yeast solution and pour it directly into a new batch within the next couple of weeks without having to wash the yeast (with the aid of a yeast calculator).

 

[photobru]

I think distilled water kills yeast, so maybe just boil whatever water you'd use for brewing 15 min and try that. This does seem risky though for a little extra yeast. I mean you've already got the whole yeast cake and if you need more you can just split it further and make stepped starters.

That yeast does look amazing though...

 

[Radobrewer]

That fact that there's no trub in there and that I could potentially just toss the blow off vessel in the fridge instead of harvesting from the cake without washing is what appeals to me.

 

[RM-MN]

I'd try it! Boiling water for just a few seconds will pasteurize it and drive off most of the oxygen. Wrap the top of the blow off vessel with something like saran wrap and include wrapping it up the tube too to keep bacteria at bay until the fermentation starts and again when it completes. I personally might put a little DME in the jar you will put the yeast into and then not cap it too tight so the yeast will eat some of it and produce CO2 to aid in the storage. I'd probably leave it at room temp for a few hours to let the yeast start eating the DME, then refrigerate. What have you to lose? The use of the jar and a little refrigerator space. You might make a starter from some of it before your next brew day to verify its survival and that you didn't get a bacterial infection or a mold.

 

[Radobrewer]

Yeah, but I would need to allow the CO2 to escape, so I probably need to affix a topper that would accommodate a blow off tube as well as an airlock (like a carboy blow off hood).

 

[user 141939]

Wait! I have the answer to this. I'm gonna do it someday I swear.

http://byo.com/hops/item/351-build-a-burton-union-system-projects

 

[Radobrewer]

Yep, that would do it! I like the recirculation function of blown out wort back to the fermenter as well.

 

[broadbill]

This is basically the idea behind top-cropping only you are relying on the yeast to be pushed down the blow off tube first. If you are comfortable with the sanitation of the tube, container etc., and you get consistent blow off I think it will be good.

That yeast has to be in better shape that the stuff sitting at the bottom of a fermenter for 2 weeks, with hop gunk and the rest.

 

[aeviaanah]

Put a blow off in the blow off and so on

 

[aeviaanah]

Put a blow off in the blow off and so on

 

[user 141939]

I was thinking it might be good for my belgians which tend to have monstrous krausens.

 

[Radobrewer]

I threw a litlle DME in some pre-boilded water in the blow-off container to get the mood right.

 

[hottpeper13]

I don't have a camera so I'll try to describe my blow off collection apparatus. First get a 1/2 gal. mason jar and a matching plastic lid. I use the antibacterial 1/2" silicone hose. This hose when put in boiling water will be pliable enough to fit on the bung with a hole. Drill a hole in the plastic lid so the hose has to be squeezed in. Then sanitize all and put the cap on loose, it's amazing how much yeast you can collect. I have about 3/4" in the jar from a wlp410 wit from 3 days ago. If you need to see bubbles in an air lock just drill the holes off center and use one of those shouldered grommets for the air lock.

 

[user 141939]

I threw a litlle DME in some pre-boilded water in the blow-off container to get the mood right.

Holy crap. How big is that container? You had a lot of blowoff.