re-used yeast for the first time

[Chia]

last night i racked to the secondary to dry hop, and then swirled the remaining liquid and yeast into a thick goo and dumped it into a clean pint jar. after brewing and cooling, i dumped the liquid off the top of the jar and that left about half yeast. i used that yeast to start my brew! hope this works out, but have a pack of dry yeast to be on the safe side.....what do you more experienced fellers think? did i do this correctly?

 

[birvine]

I have tried exactly what you did and to this point, right or wrong, it has worked fine.

B

 

[Theis]

You'll be surprised how quick the next batch starts with that healthy yeast.

 

[Surly]

And it is always a good idea to have a packet of spare yeast in your refrigerator as backup if needed.

 

[Psych]

Sounds right to me, I've done it a few times now and never a problem, even after 3-4 weeks in the fridge. Great way to save some money on yeast, and/or to inject a a slightly different taste from the slurry.

 

[bottlebomber]

I've done this after having it in the fridge for months...

 

[Malric]

I've done that with wlp007. The longest that I've let it go is about 3 months, but I made a starter with it. No problems so far.

 

[DevilDog2000]

I've done this many, many times. I usually make a starter with some of the harvested yeast as that insures (in my mind) that I have viable, active yeast for the new batch of beer. For long term (more than a couple months?) storage there are some who say you should wash the yeast. I have never done that. In fact, I usually harvest from the secondary which is supposedly not as good as the yeast from the primary. But, like I say, I use a starter. BTW, I even poured pitching temperature wort into a primary from which I had just racked a previous batch to the secondary. Essentially "pitched" the wort onto the yeast. That worked great! Have a blow off tube handy if you ever try that!

 

[Chia]

popped the top just to check on it, has a head on it so something is working!!

 

[enohcs]

Check out this harvest video. Sounds like you did it just fine.

 

[Daver77]

Matt great video, how long do you suppose that can be kept in the fridge for?

 

[enohcs]

Matt great video, how long do you suppose that can be kept in the fridge for?

Thanks. Going on 3 months and still no issues. Just make a starter to wake everyone up about 2 days prior to brewing.

 

[passedpawn]

Check out this harvest video. Sounds like you did it just fine.

Hate to be the stickler for details, but those jars are not sterile. 250F is needed for that. Calling them sanitized might be better. I believe botulism spores survive 212.

Great video, and very useful.

 

[enohcs]

Hate to be the stickler for details, but those jars are not sterile. 250F is needed for that. Calling them sanitized might be better. I believe botulism spores survive 212.

Great video, and very useful.

I think the botulism gives my beers that extra bit of something that makes them memorable.

 

[Daver77]

Hate to be the stickler for details, but those jars are not sterile. 250F is needed for that. Calling them sanitized might be better. I believe botulism spores survive 212.

Great video, and very useful.

Sanitize it good enough isn't it?

 

[passedpawn]

Sanitize it good enough isn't it?

Yea sure. If you are just going to sanitize, starsan would probably be just as good and a little easier IMO. That's what I do anyway.

For that matter, I would not add water to the slurry as the video suggests. I'd just leave a bit of beer in there, just enough to keep it runny. In fact, that is what I just did this morning ("backed up" my yeast from one that I just bottled). I pour from the carboy right into my sanitized plastic jars.

 

[Germelli1]

Yea sure. If you are just going to sanitize, starsan would probably be just as good and a little easier IMO. That's what I do anyway.

For that matter, I would not add water to the slurry as the video suggests. I'd just leave a bit of beer in there, just enough to keep it runny. In fact, that is what I just did this morning ("backed up" my yeast from one that I just bottled). I pour from the carboy right into my sanitized plastic jars.

I have a question for you! I always boiled the water that I use to harvest yeast to drive oxygen out. Am I safe to assume the beer in the fermenter has been deoxygenated by the reproductive phase of the yeast, and is thus a great, oxygen free storage medium for the yeast?

 

[passedpawn]

I have a question for you! I always boiled the water that I use to harvest yeast to drive oxygen out. Am I safe to assume the beer in the fermenter has been deoxygenated by the reproductive phase of the yeast, and is thus a great, oxygen free storage medium for the yeast?

I think you'd be safe saying that. It's likely to pick up some O2 on the way to your storage jar, but it's worked great for me for a while. If you want to truly "wash" the yeast (which I suggest, tho I don't) you'll need to do much more, including using acid to kill bacteria. Me, I always use the simplest approach to everything brew-related.

 

[enohcs]

I would not add water to the slurry as the video suggests. I'd just leave a bit of beer in there, just enough to keep it runny

the water is for the washig process. If you just pour the slurry right into your jar, you've still got dead cells, break material, maybe some hops still.

 

[NWMushroom]

I am getting into reusing yeast from the yeast cake lately, too. My only concern would be pitching too much yeast - are you just using ALL the cake regardless of the OG of the next brew?