Questions about racking on to a yeast cake

[ToastedPenguin]

Brewing this Sunday and decided to do an IPA. I have a Pale Ale that I used WY1056 on that I am about to pull of the yeast into my cornies so I can dry hop it and then carb it. Haven't had the chance to brew 2 similar beers back to back like this where the timing worked out and I had the yeast I wanted already in my fermentor.

So my questions are, what is a safe length of time between racking off the Pale Ale and racking the IPA on top of the yeast cake? Should I plan to do it right before I brew, when the wort is cooling, the night before etc.?

Any advice is appreciated.

David

 

[Setesh]

What I do is sanitize a Nalgene by boiling it. I starsan the opening of the Bubbler then rack off the beer. I then swirl the cake (I don't transfer trub so it's just yeast at this point) and then transfer this to the Nalgene. I will leave this in my fermentation chamber so it stays at the temp I want to ferment at until I do my next beer (usually the next day or later that day). Since the Nalgene is graduated I can use that to calculate how much slurry to add. I'll decant as much beer off the top as I can, shake it up, then measure it out into the fermentor.

 

[ColoHox]

Ya, you really dont need the whole cake. But pitching right on top of it wont hurt anything. I have moved the beer and transferred right away and saved the cake overnight then transferred, both with success. Expect a vigorous fermentation.

 

[Calder]

When you have racked your beer, swirl up everything in the fermenter and pour into sanitized containers. I use mason jars. Store in frudge until use.

Use about a quarter of the cake for the next batch. You can straight pitch (no starter) if used with a couple of weeks. You are probably ok storing and repitching after a couple of months, but that should be your decision as to how much risk you are comfortable with.

 

[krackin]

Yup, that's what I do. Sanitize a few mason jars and pour the slurry in. I leave a little beer in it too, not much. I use it for a similar brew.

 

[BigFloyd]

When you have racked your beer, swirl up everything in the fermenter and pour into sanitized containers. I use mason jars. Store in frudge until use.

Use about a quarter of the cake for the next batch. You can straight pitch (no starter) if used with a couple of weeks. You are probably ok storing and repitching after a couple of months, but that should be your decision as to how much risk you are comfortable with.

This ^^^^^^^.

Assuming it's not a high gravity brew, 1/4th of the cake for an ale, 1/2 the cake for a lager is a pretty good rule of thumb.

Use a blow off tube. They sometimes erupt like crazy the second day after pitching.

 

[billl]

For 1 generation of 1056, you'll be fine pitching onto the cake - even if it is a huge overpitch. If you are going to extend this beyond a generation, you'll want to pitch a proper amount - eg 1/4 cake or so. If you were going for a batch that was more yeast centered, overpitching would be more of a concern. Most of the yeast flavor comes from the reproductive phases, so short circuiting that would have negative effects.

 

[Bamsdealer]

I wouldn't be scared to leave the cake overnight in a cool area. Beyond that I would save it in a mason jar so there's little head space. If you want to pitch the proper amount, just get a sanitized spoon and remove all bit a third of the yeast. You can save it in a mason jar for a future brew if you like

 

[ToastedPenguin]

Thanks for all the suggestions/advice.

The IPA I am brewing is targeted at 1.075 vs the 1.056 for the Pale I am pulling off of the yeast. I am sure I will pull some yeast out towards the end of racking so I can make sure I pull a little bit more into some mason jars to save it and reduce what is left in the fermenter.

I will have to guess on how much is left because I ferment in sanke kegs and can't see inside.

 

[Bamsdealer]

As a ballpark I get about a jar and a half of trub and yeast from a an ipa using California ale yeast.

 

[BigFloyd]

I will have to guess on how much is left because I ferment in sanke kegs and can't see inside.

In that case, I'd harvest it all out into jars then chunk about a cup and a half to a pint of fresh slurry into the 1.075 IPA. Better than guessing.

 

[solbes]

Good advice above. You can get 2 or 3 mason jars of yeast for future batches AND pitch an appropriate amount into your 1.075 IPA.

If you just pitch onto successive yeast cakes you have the generation thing going on where the yeast evolves a little bit everytime it reproduces.

I like to take it a step further and fill mason jars 1/2 full with boiling water, place into fridge for 12-24 hours to chill. Then you skim the top of the trub layer and fill the mason jar. Cap, swirl, and let sit for 15 minutes. Pour off the top 1/2 of the jar into your second mason jar with chilled water. That becomes a "washed" jar. It will have less hops and trub, and has the additional benefit of being mostly water, which is easier on the yeast for long term storage than sitting in alcohol.

 

[cjgenever]

I've gone 12 hours with no issue. I run numbers assuming the first beer as an unstirred starter with decreased viability due to time/heat/trub, mix the cake with boiled cool water, pour into a large sanitized container, pitch a proper amount of cake into the wort. I rinse the remaining yeast. You could simply scoop out half the cake and toss it. It is best not to pitch onto a whole cake. That is a huge overpitch.

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