How many batches can i use this for?

[RUNningonbrew]

I washed my yeast today and came out with these three jars, my question is how many batches will these yield? And how long are they good for in the fridge? Any help would be great, thanks!

 

[sketerbuck]

What method did you use? The one on the right in the picture looks like it has more yeast and less trub.

 

[bottlebomber]

It looks like they might be pretty heavy on the trub, but I would think you could pitch one for a 1.050 gravity beer, and 2 of them for a higher gravity beer. As far as how long they last, months. Easily 6 months but anything past that and you want to wake them up with a starter the day before you use them.

 

[Gear101]

I washed a munck the other day, too. You have more than enough yeast to make two or three 5 gallons in each jar. Would be my guess.

just always use a starter

 

[Begin2Brew]

View attachment 42071

I washed my yeast today and came out with these three jars, my question is how many batches will these yield? And how long are they good for in the fridge? Any help would be great, thanks!

Not 100% sure how big the jags are but they look like pint jars. If so I would say at least 2-3 batches per jar if you use a starter. I have heard others keeping them longer in the fridge but I have kept them for 3 months without issue.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

The picture isn't very good , they are mostly all yeast, I rinsed out primary with sterile water then poured it into a large mason jar and let that sit for 30 minutes then poured it into each of these smaller mason jars, that picture is from sitting in fridge all day, I plan on making a starter anyway for next batch will either be a red rye or ipa, it's California ale yeast

 

[Calder]

As a rule of thumb, I figure the cake/slurry from one beer has sufficient yeast to brew 4 beers of a similar starting gravity.

During normal fermentation, yeast will grow to about 6X the amount of yeast that is normally recommended for pitching. This will be close even if you over or under pitched originally. I assume some have died due to the time and the head of pressure on it, so I just use 4.

If I use it within a month, I straight pitch and make no correction for yeast viability; always seems fine to me (and before someone mentions Mr. Malty; I think the yeast viability numbers in that calculator are simply wrong for slurry).

After a month I would use a starter just to make sure the yeast is fine, and to increase the cells for pitching. I have used washed yeast up to about 6 months after harvesting (though rarely go that long).

 

[RUNningonbrew]

Can you reuse the yeast that you harvested?

 

[Yooper]

Can you reuse the yeast that you harvested?

Sure. I've only done it about three generations, but you could do each jar at least 5 generations- so you could go on and on starting with one vial of yeast.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

Do I need to make a starter to pitch this yeast? Also if I make a starter does it need to be on a stir plate? I don't have one, but trying to make one out of spare computer parts

 

[pabloj13]

Do I need to make a starter to pitch this yeast? Also if I make a starter does it need to be on a stir plate? I don't have one, but trying to make one out of spare computer parts

When are you planning on pitching it? It can't hurt.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

I am going to brew this weekend probably

 

[beerrepository]

The nice thing about making a starter is it provides some insurance that your yeast is good and ready to use. If it can't take off in a starter, then throwing it at 5 gallons will be a fools errand. You also can use less harvested yeast, grow it in the starter, and have a good amount to pitch. Also, you can smell your starter to know if you got more than you bargained for as far as nasties go.

I used one of my halfpint jars that had maybe 3mm of yeast on the bottom, made a starter, bumped it up, pitched it, started in hours.

 

[pabloj13]

The nice thing about making a starter is it provides some insurance that your yeast is good and ready to use. If it can't take off in a starter, then throwing it at 5 gallons will be a fools errand. You also can use less harvested yeast, grow it in the starter, and have a good amount to pitch. Also, you can smell your starter to know if you got more than you bargained for as far as nasties go.

I used one of my halfpint jars that had maybe 3mm of yeast on the bottom, made a starter, bumped it up, pitched it, started in hours.

Totally. Plus it's fun, good practice and cheap. What's a cup of DME cost anyway? A stir plate is great because it increases your yield, but even a regular starter with intermittent shaking is still an improvement.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

So I have a growler to make a starter in, do I need a air lock or can I just cover in foil and just stir it up every once and awhile?

 

[pabloj13]

So I have a growler to make a starter in, do I need a air lock or can I just cover in foil and just stir it up every once and awhile?

I think it's actually better to just cover with foil to allow air exchange. Yeasties need oxygen while reproducing.

 

[RUNningonbrew]

Anyone ever harvest yeast from the secondary?

 

[bottlebomber]

Anyone ever harvest yeast from the secondary?

It's not considered good practice because the yeast that were still suspended when the beer was transfered are possibly lower quality than the ones that finished their job and flocked out.