How long does a yeast cake stay fresh and good?

[velorider11]

I'm going to brew a Delirium Tremens extract clone tomorrow night and I'm going to rack the wort right onto a yeast cake from a beer I've got in primary right now. If I bottle that beer tonight, will the yeast cake still be good by tomorrow night or would it be better to wait and bottle tomorrow night right before I brew and rack onto the yeast cake right after I rack the beer that's in the fermenter now into the bottling bucket? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Revvy]

Leave about an inch of beer on top of the yeast cake and you'll be fine. It protects the cake from infection and oxidation. Or I gues you could just flood the fermenter with co2 if you keg.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Fresh yeast will easily last a week likely more. Rather than pitch on the entire yeast cake, I like to save about a third, roughly a quart of slurry in a zip lock bag and pitch that into a new brew. Keeping it clean and sanitary is key.

 

[CS223]

I racked a beer off my fermentation corney to a serving keg and left the empty keg in the keezer. Two weeks later I pitched an ale on the cake and it took off without an issue. Mind you, prior to pitching I didn't open keg and it had CO2 pressure until I was ready to pitch.

 

[imperialipa]

Racking directly to a yeast old yeast cake is certainly convienent and will give you beer. But if you are concerned with making the best quality beer possible I would counel against it.

I have done it several times in the past in a pinch (mostly due to laziness on my part) but the final product is neither consistent in flavor nor the best it can be.

But you are at that point seriously over pitching. Not to mention mixing in old dead trub (dead yeast and decaying plant material) into your new beer.

I would recommend instead washing the yeast prior to pitching.