Re-using yeast

[BobbyNado9]

Hey everyone,

I am new to this, and I was wondering what the best way to re-use or preserve a culture of yeast is? Any suggestions would be great, thanks!

Cheers

 

[billl]

That really depends on what you are starting with.

If you've for a yeast cake, the easiest way to reuse it is to scoop about 1/4 of it out and add to the next beer. That take a bit of planning in terms of timing.

If you don't have that timing worked out, you can either wash yeast, skim a little from the top, or reserve a bit of the starter. All work very well

 

[BobbyNado9]

Great thank you, I have only been using the liquid yeast (white labs)

 

[Terek]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

This is the best all time thread for washing and preserving yeast. I find this almost as fun as the actual brewing. I now have an extensive library of diff. Types as well as diff. Generations of yeast. Tip: buy some cheep vials on amazon, or better yet, save your white labs vials. There is also a great sticky on freezing it. I find it really not needed. I have used year old yeast samples. Just make a starter. As you normally would.

 

[Terek]

Hear is the freezing link

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/freezing-yeast.html

 

[billl]

If you are really interest in all your options... Chris White (the White in White Labs) wrote a book called "Yeast". About half of it is practical homebrewing info. The other half is a full geekout for the way professional brewers culture yeast over long periods. If you are interested in the science behind it, it is a really interesting read.

 

[BobbyNado9]

Great thank you, I appreciate the help!

 

[Trox]

The best way to keep reusing yeast is by making slants:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/slanting-yeast-133103/

but it is also the labor intensive. Can get the most re-uses out of it per bought vial.

Seoncd best is by washing your yeast/grabbing some from starter. Easier than doing slants, but not as easy as the third method. Won't get as many reuses per vial as with slants.

Third method (and the method I'm using now) is just dump your new batch right onto the yeast cake of the old. Only thing you have to do here is plan out your brew and bottling days to coincide so that right after bottling your last batch you are ready to brew the next. You'll generally only get 5-6 uses out of it before oyu have to worry about mutations throwing your batches off. Biggest advantage you have with this method is you won't need to build a starter except for maybe the first batch.

 

[theck]

Hear is the freezing link

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/freezing-yeast.html

My Hefe yeast got frozen in my garage for a couple week and now I'll be tossing out the 5 gallons I used it in. Tastes horrible. Not sure if that's truly the cause but I wouldn't use frozen yeast again. $6 more I could have had a nice 5 gallons of hefe to drink.

 

[roccobrews]

Additional question.

If your brew day and racking/bottling day don't jive up. Can you keep the yeast cake from previous batch in the fridge until new brew day?

 

[theck]

Additional question.

If your brew day and racking/bottling day don't jive up. Can you keep the yeast cake from previous batch in the fridge until new brew day?

Ya, make sure you sanitize EVERYTHING.

 

[Trox]

Also if you are going to dump it on your yeast cake make sure you keep a layer of beer on top of the yeast; that will do a great job of keeping the yeast safe until you reuse it. Personally I would only let it sit like that for a day or two just to be on the safe side.

 

[brewkinger]

Additional question.

If your brew day and racking/bottling day don't jive up. Can you keep the yeast cake from previous batch in the fridge until new brew day?

Check THIS.

 

[Terek]

Check THIS.

lol i already posted that link