Just add fermenting wort instead of yeast?

[Bayern1987]

I'm about to brew another hefe tomorrow... however I don't have yeast ready to pitch... I usually harvest the yeast from a previous batch and keep it refrigerated then pitch that for the next one...

At the moment I have another hefe which is about a week into fermentation... could I potentially just take a pint out of this and pitch it into the fermenter for the new hefe? Surely the yeast would find their feet, multiply in no time and take on the good or task of turning the new wort into a classical Hefeweizen

 

[TheMadKing]

I'm about to brew another hefe tomorrow... however I don't have yeast ready to pitch... I usually harvest the yeast from a previous batch and keep it refrigerated then pitch that for the next one...

At the moment I have another hefe which is about a week into fermentation... could I potentially just take a pint out of this and pitch it into the fermenter for the new hefe? Surely the yeast would find their feet, multiply in no time and take on the good or task of turning the new wort into a classical Hefeweizen

That's called Krausening and it will work well

 

[Bayern1987]

That's called Krausening and it will work well

Good reply King

I am familiar with krausening and know a lot about German beer... how to use that for priming etc...

Just what about taking a pint from one 5 gallon batch 10 days in (may have missed the boat with skimming as with a hefe most has already been fermented) and throwing that into a fresh 5 gallon batch of wort...

Would it work my good friend?

 

[TheMadKing]

Good reply King

I am familiar with krausening and know a lot about German beer... how to use that for priming etc...

Just what about taking a pint from one 5 gallon batch 10 days in (may have missed the boat with skimming as with a hefe most has already been fermented) and throwing that into a fresh 5 gallon batch of wort...

Would it work my good friend?

Many people believe that Krausening requires skimming and it does not, that is top cropping and is a similar technique, but preferentially selects for non-flocculant yeast. Krausening is simply using actively fermenting wort from one beer for some purpose in another beer, it can be used to kick off fermentation, priming, or cleaning up fermentation byproducts after primary fermentation.

If you are pulling from a hefe that's 10 days into fermentation already, you are well past high Krausen, but given than hefe yeasts are generally powdery, there should still be enough yeast in suspension to kick off fermentation in the new batch. You might be underpitching a bit which will accentuate the banana flavor though.

 

[Vale71]

What you're trying to do is more like a backward "Drauflassen" where a batch is transferred on top of an already pitched batch to increase the brewhouse capacity without increasing the number of (smaller) fermenters. Unfortunately it won't work the way you intend to do it as there won't be enough yeast in the small portion of fermenting wort (especially after such a long time has elapsed) to inoculate a whole batch, so that severe underpitching will result.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, that would be extreme underpitching and with the wrong part of the yeast population. I'd transfer that Hefe into a pre-purged keg (as if it were a secondary) to condition out. Then use part of the yeast cake (~1/6) and most of the remaining beer for your new batch. Underpitch a bit for more estery character.

 

[Bayern1987]

It makes sense... thanks I'll give it a try... really love banana and underpitched my last batch however I done it too much that it nearly ruined the taste of the beer... need to play it safe more in the future... I will try making a starter or just transfer and use the yeast cake

 

[IslandLizard]

It makes sense... thanks I'll give it a try... really love banana and underpitched my last batch however I done it too much that it nearly ruined the taste of the beer... need to play it safe more in the future... I will try making a starter or just transfer and use the yeast cake

Without disturbing you current fermentation too much, or transferring it, you could rack/siphon some of the yeast cake from the bottom of your current fermenter into a growler or directly into your new fermenter, then rack your new batch right on top of that.

If you want to use the current yeast, there's no need for making a starter. There's plenty of it. For most banana flavor you want to underpitch and stress that yeast some and ferment lowish. But oxygenate/aerate well, they do need to multiply.