Reusing Yeast for Different Styles

[LastChanceBrewing]

I have a milk stout in primary that I'm going to put in secondary tonight. I want to try to reuse the yeast for the first time. I was originally just going to follow the instructions here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=41768

but I would also like to brew an IPA tonight so I'm wondering what the procedure would be if I want to immediately reuse the yeast. Should I just rack to secondary and dump my cooled IPA wort in the fermenter? Or should I go through the steps of washing it since it's going from a milk stout to an IPA?

Thanks!

EDIT: It's S-05 if that makes a difference.

 

[Yooper]

I have a milk stout in primary that I'm going to put in secondary tonight. I want to try to reuse the yeast for the first time. I was originally just going to follow the instructions here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=41768

but I would also like to brew an IPA tonight so I'm wondering what the procedure would be if I want to immediately reuse the yeast. Should I just rack to secondary and dump my cooled IPA wort in the fermenter? Or should I go through the steps of washing it since it's going from a milk stout to an IPA?

Thanks!

EDIT: It's S-05 if that makes a difference.

I wouldn't even bother rinsing the yeast. Just sanitize a container like a mason jar, and save most of it in the jar (or two) and use 1/2 cup for todays brew. Don't use the whole cake- it's a massive overpitch. You have enough yeast in the bottom of the fermenter for about 4 5 gallon batches.

I NEVER was yeast, and instead just do this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=519995

 

[1977Brewer]

+1 to yooper here, except I use 500 ml of fresh slurry. It's probably an over pitch, but it's not a massive one.

 

[nygel74]

So if I read that post correctly, I can simply leave enough beer to swirl around and make a slurry of the trub and yeast at the bottom of my fermenter, put it in a sterilized mason jar, cap and refer it? Then just pull it out a day or so ahead of brew day, and pitch like a quarter of it into my new wort and let it ride?

 

[LastChanceBrewing]

That is awesome and so much easier! Thanks Yooper. I'm going to try it right now!

 

[Yooper]

So if I read that post correctly, I can simply leave enough beer to swirl around and make a slurry of the trub and yeast at the bottom of my fermenter, put it in a sterilized mason jar, cap and refer it? Then just pull it out a day or so ahead of brew day, and pitch like a quarter of it into my new wort and let it ride?

Yes, and no.

Pour it in two or three or four jars, and use one of them on brewday. You don't want to open and pour and store and repeat.

Use this yeast pitching calculator: http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html

For your batch size, say, 5 gallons of 1.050 wort, for most yeast that is one month old and saved this way, you'll need about 183 ml (that's about 3/4 or 1/2 pint jar). So use smaller containers if you make smaller batches, and don't put all the yeast in one jar.

 

[LastChanceBrewing]

Is it necessary to fill the jars all the way up for any reason? I have a ridiculous number of quart jars, but no pint jars. I ended up filling two quart jars about 3/4 of the way full, but now I'm wondering if I should combine to make one full one and dump the other one.

 

[Oginme]

I do a partial rinse. I can water in quart jars and save them on one of my brewing shelves. When I have siphoned the beer out of the carboy, I open and add in one jar of water, resealing the jar immediately. I shake and mix well and allow the carboy to sit for between 20 and 30 minutes, then decant the water/beer/yeast(/and some trub) back into the quart jar and then into my beer fridge it goes. I get a dilute beer/water mixture over a nice cake of (mostly) yeast.

Depending upon the volume of yeast and the clarity of the water/yeast mixture (and how much I may need to repitch) I will fill the quart jar 2/3, 3/4 or to the top.

 

[henchman24]

If I'm saving yeast after a batch, I just do what Yooper linked to. Washing yeast is mostly busy work without much benefit (and more possible issues with infections). If you make starters on down the line another way to save some yeast is to just make some extra and pour off some of the starter to store.