Reusing Safale US-05

[elproducto]

I know what you are going to say, it's dry yeast and it's cheap. But I live over 2 hours away from the nearest homebrew supply shop, and they charge an arm and a leg to ship.

Wondering what the viability of resuing Safale US-05?
Has anyone done it with any success?

Or should I just get some liquid yeast, and reuse that?

Thanks in advance.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

S-05 is the same strain as 1056 which people reuse.
I have washed my S-04 at least 3 times and its a champ.
Just because its cheap doesnt mean you need to spend unnecessary money and inconvenience yourself by driving to the brew store. Reuse all you want as long as you use good washing procedures.

 

[elproducto]

Thank You. More money for ingredients

Is there any difference in cell counts with dry, or just reuse the same way?

 

[BuonAnno]

I've washed it up to 4 times without incident. I have noticed that after that fourth time I start to get some off-flavors (band-aid) but that may just be my washing process.

 

[Revvy]

I've washed and jarred us-05 and other dry yeast on numerous occasions, as has biermuncher and a few others on here. You just need to remember that after you've harvested it, you treat it like a liquid, and if you've stored it for awhile, you make a starter for it. Not so much for the need to raise the cell count, but to wake it up and get it going.

 

[Malticulous]

I don't wash it. Just scoop 1/2 or more cup of the slurry and pitch it into another batch. If I have one that's still fermenting strong I can scoop 1/2 cup off the top. US-05 is better on the second pitch.

 

[Revvy]

I don't wash it. Just scoop 1/2 or more cup of the slurry and pitch it into another batch. If I have one that's still fermenting strong I can scoop 1/2 cup off the top. US-05 is better on the second pitch.

Yeah I've done that too. I'll top the jar off with distilled water to store it though. I've not been able to totally fill a jar with it that well, so I figure capping it off with water is a good thing. Never had problems with it.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I recycle yeast slurry storing it in zip lock bags. I figure the inside of the bag sanitary, and just sanitize some scissors, and cut the bag open when pitching. I get a faster start when repitching and the results seem about the same.

 

[Revvy]

I recycle yeast slurry storing it in zip lock bags. I figure the inside of the bag sanitary, and just sanitize some scissors, and cut the bag open when pitching. I get a faster start when repitching and the results seem about the same.

Wow, that's a cool trick!!!!

 

[ErieShores]

Actually, I have US-O5 in an Oktoberfest secondary right now. Is it appropriate to wash from the secondary?

 

[Malticulous]

Repitching from secondary selects cells with the lowest flocculation. Nothing wrong with it other than your changing the makeup of your yeast population. It's probably about like top cropping.

 

[mosquitocontrol]

If only I had thought about the ziplock bag trick I wouldn't need 30+ mason jars taking up half my fridge with washed yeast..... May need to reconsider that. I would think they would leak though. Usually when i fill mine with any kind of sauce it finds its way out of the ziplock and all over the shelves..

 

[samc]

I don't repitch dry yeast and rarely bother with liquid either. Since I brew 10 gallons at a time I don't brew often enough for making it worthwhile to do the whole washing/storing process.

Here's what Fermentis says about repitching - Commercially, not home brewing so much.

Recovering yeast after fermentation and repitching is possible if the cell
count is controlled to give the correct yeast pitching levels. In order to
control them, laboratory equipment will be needed. In the same way and
using the same equipment, bacteria can be removed by acid washing in
carefully controlled conditions. In case of repitching, yeast must not be
stored out of beer for long periods, even at low temperatures, as yeast
glycogen levels will fall causing slow fermentations.
Yeast mutation occurs rapidly in brewing environments, repitching can be
a delicate operation and may cause beer quality problems in terms of
flavour, yeast settling, diacetyl absorption.
Effects of repitching can be seen in as few as 3 to 5 brews especially
concerning diacetyl reabsorption. For ale beers that are generally more
flavoursome diacetyl levels are less critical.


I can tell you from experience that my Sourdough yeast cultures have dramatically morphed and changed over time and I would expect beer yeast to do the same.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

I also reuse US-05 without washing.
I use about 1/2 the slurry for a new fermeter, and I do it up to 5-10 "generations".
You can also reuse the whole slurry and the same fermentor ("dumping on a cake"), but I woudn't do that more then 2 times in a row.

Actually, I have US-O5 in an Oktoberfest secondary right now. Is it appropriate to wash from the secondary?

Some people do that with success, but others say the secondary yeast is not the highest quality.

 

[wilserbrewer]

If only I had thought about the ziplock bag trick ......

Yea works great and easy. Best to use the heavier freezer bags, put the bag into a cup or container folded back over the top to hold it open, use a large ladle to scoop yeast slurry ino the bag using care not to spill any on the sealing strip.
When all I had was cheapie ziplocks, I double bagged. The larger gallon bags are a bit easier, I just eliminate as much air as possible before sealing.

 

[winstonofbeer]

I have washed us-05 for the last 2 years.
I stop at 5th washing... By then i figure, I got my $$$ worth now lets start over.

Sometimes if you have a local brewery near, Stop in and ask them if you could get some yeast. Might get lucky and get a full quart jar of yeast if they are moving beer that day or in the near future.

 

[wstaufe]

I also reuse US-05 without washing.
I use about 1/2 the slurry for a new fermeter, and I do it up to 5-10 "generations".

+1 Works like a charm- I never wash.

Some people do that with success, but others say the secondary yeast is not the highest quality.

Why not just make a starter from the secondary yeast? That should get your cell count up and improve flocculation.

 

[mattd2]

Why not just make a starter from the secondary yeast? That should get your cell count up and improve flocculation.

Not quite, as I understand each yeast cell is slightly different and some will floc more than others based on their genetics (?) so by repitching secondary yeast you are choosing all the yeast that are genetically low floculators and so you will get less floculation from their offspring aswell. Ofcorse someone correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Revvy]

+1 Works like a charm- I never wash.



Why not just make a starter from the secondary yeast? That should get your cell count up and improve flocculation.

Pure genetics...if you are reproducing late flocculting yeast, then the babies will be late flocculating as well.

I hd a wit beer that I pitched bottle harvested Hoegaarden yeast on Dec. 26th, that STILL had a 2" krausen on it three weeks later. I took a grav reading and it had reached terminal gravity, 1.010. So the beer was done, but the krausen still lingered. I finally gently swirled the beer to knock it down, and let it settle for another week before I bottled it. I'm not normally a fan of knocking them down, and usually let it do it naturally.

But some yeasts are low flocculating, and may have a difficult time. I figured since mine was bottle harvested, and I had pitched the starter at high krausen, maybe it was "genetically mutated" with the flocculation "gene" off or something. So I gently swirled it and let it fall.

I brewed another batch with another mason jars worth of that yeast several months later and had the same thing happen.