Saved Yeast from a Batch

[upperNY01brewer]

Ok so this is the first time that I actually saved the yeast from a batch that was completed rather than pouring it down the drain. Figure with the price of liquid yeast I might as well attempt to reuse it. What is the next step with it ? Ive stored it in a sanitized bottle and have it in the fridge. It is a Wyeast American Ale strain and am looking to use it in my next Pale Ale batch in the next week or so.

 

[obie_fl]

Everything you need to know about Yeast washing.

 

[Airborneguy]

I use hop bags, so my trub is basically just yeast. That being the case, I just sanitize a mason jar and scoop as much as I can into it, then store it in my fridge. When it's time to re-use the yeast, I pour some into a starter and save the rest. I do not re-use yeast from the second generation batches. Once the mason jar is empty (about 4 more batches), I start again. This has worked great for me. I find that the second use starts vigorously and ferments out very fast. I love this method.

Since I'm not washing, I don't save yeast from any batches with spices or special ingredients. When its time to fill a new mason jar, I make a fairly simple batch of beer so that the saved yeast will be nice and clean.

 

[NorthRiverS]

Has anyone ever poured a new batch of wort right on top of a yeast cake from an empty primary bucket that you just bottled? Seems like a good way to re-use yeast. Not sure of the negatives to this. Just wondering. Thanks.

NRS

 

[joetothemo]

Has anyone ever poured a new batch of wort right on top of a yeast cake from an empty primary bucket that you just bottled? Seems like a good way to re-use yeast. Not sure of the negatives to this. Just wondering. Thanks.

NRS

Lots of people do this.

The Cons are:

• Risk of overpitching
• Unnecessary trub being thrown into your new wort

The Pros are:

• Less work

 

[brewit2it]

Has anyone ever poured a new batch of wort right on top of a yeast cake from an empty primary bucket that you just bottled? Seems like a good way to re-use yeast. Not sure of the negatives to this. Just wondering. Thanks.

NRS

I've never done it in a bucket but I did it in my carboy and it came out great. There are discussions on how over-pitching can give off flavors in some types of brews. My experience was making a Kolsch with Notty then pouring pale ale wort on top of the cake and the batch came out really tasty. Temp control is probably even more important if you do this because fermentation will take off fast and may go at too quick of a pace if you don't keep temps in the 60's.

 

[Airborneguy]

I've done it and agree with everything posted above. I don't do it anymore because of the over-pitching risk.

I prefer to re-use by making another starter because it gives me active, healthy yeast of the appropriate amount for a new batch.

Remember that when you pitch onto a yeast cake, you are pitching onto yeast that has already been through a full-fermentation and is likely stressed and tired. Because there is so much yeast already, fermentation will likely be finished before they multiply enough to have new, fresh yeast making your latest batch. I prefer to have fresh yeast for each batch, so I make a starter when re-using yeast.

 

[joetothemo]

I prefer to re-use by making another starter because it gives me active, healthy yeast of the appropriate amount for a new batch.

+1

 

[mummasan]

Remember that results vary! Twice I did the lazy thing and pitched new wort on a yeast cake (didn't even clean the primary) and the results were bad tasting beer - it was beer but it tasted bad. Rather than doing that, I now harvest yeast, reuse it within seven days and just pitch on new wort. Harvesting yeast sounds complicated but it's just scooping or pouring yeast into a sanitized mason jar then putting it in the fridge.

The best thing you can do is search HBT, go to Mr. Malty and discover what the best practices are.

 

[upperNY01brewer]

I've done it and agree with everything posted above. I don't do it anymore because of the over-pitching risk.

I prefer to re-use by making another starter because it gives me active, healthy yeast of the appropriate amount for a new batch.

Remember that when you pitch onto a yeast cake, you are pitching onto yeast that has already been through a full-fermentation and is likely stressed and tired. Because there is so much yeast already, fermentation will likely be finished before they multiply enough to have new, fresh yeast making your latest batch. I prefer to have fresh yeast for each batch, so I make a starter when re-using yeast.

How much of the harvested yeast should be added to a starter ? Im assuming not all that was recovered and stored. The yeast I harvested was a double pitched American Alee that I used on a very high octane brew so I have recovered quite abit.

 

[Airborneguy]

If high octane means high alcohol, I would avoid saving that yeast. Yeast that has been through a high alcohol ferment will be "tired" and spent, with subsequent generations possibly throwing off different flavors than you intend.

When I fill a mason jar, I usually use about 1/4 each time I make a starter.

 

[upperNY01brewer]

If high octane means high alcohol, I would avoid saving that yeast. Yeast that has been through a high alcohol ferment will be "tired" and spent, with subsequent generations possibly throwing off different flavors than you intend.

When I fill a mason jar, I usually use about 1/4 each time I make a starter.

Do you think even with me double pitching the yeast that it will still be to "tired" and spent to reuse ? The recipe didnt call for double pitching the yeast, rather it called for a yeast starter but being that I was impatient and didnt want to wait on a starter I ran it across Mr. Malty and a double pitch seemed OK. Is there a way to see if you have healthy enough yeast to reuse other than putting it into a wort and seeing if you get fermentation ?

 

[Airborneguy]

Personally, I wouldn't. No matter how much you pitch, the yeast still lived in that high alcohol environment for a period of time.

I don't know any other way to check for viable yeast other than to make a starter. You can always make a small starter then ramp it up if it looks good.

BTW, I'm not saying it won't work, I just prefer not to reuse yeast from high gravity beers.

 

[upperNY01brewer]

Personally, I wouldn't. No matter how much you pitch, the yeast still lived in that high alcohol environment for a period of time.

I don't know any other way to check for viable yeast other than to make a starter. You can always make a small starter then ramp it up if it looks good.

BTW, I'm not saying it won't work, I just prefer not to reuse yeast from high gravity beers.

Thank you for the advice, it makes sense...

 

[Airborneguy]

No problem, good brewing!

 

[Daddio]

I saved my last Wyeast American Ale yeast cake about 3 weeks ago (refrigerated around 45d) and won't be needing that type for another 3-4 weeks, what do you guys think is the shelf life for the harvested trub? Also, is it about 1/4 of the amount harvested from a 5 gallon batch that I would use on a subsequent batch (via starter)?

 

[davel57]

Funny how there are so many ways of doing things. I normally save 100 ml from my starter and use that for the next starter (pour off most of the liquid first). My understanding is that there is less mutation than when collecting from the bottom of the fermenter.

 

[mcoakley]

I am a lucky one. The brewer from our local brew pub will give me yeast if available directly from their fermenters and I have always had perfect success without using a starter. I usually have takeoff within hours then it ferments great and never had a bad batch from that.

 

[koerd85]

Funny how there are so many ways of doing things. I normally save 100 ml from my starter and use that for the next starter (pour off most of the liquid first). My understanding is that there is less mutation than when collecting from the bottom of the fermenter.

i think if you freeze the yeast it will keep it more pure. i just finished my first batch and saved the cake from the first rack. it went into a
small container that was totally sterilized with hot water and was kept at room temp. there is a contamination of some
sort i havent been able to look at with my microscope. so i wouldent risk it in the fridge and go straight for the freezer.

it would seem good as a rule of thumb to get as much yeast as you started with. i dont think it matters if you go bottom or top because there all bottom fermenting strains. each individual
yeast cell is a
mutant of the next but by a small margin so inconcievable small, by a few expressions of a gene or two, that to inclide it in a time frame of brewing beer makes no sense whatsoever.-Daniel biomedical scientist

 

[Airborneguy]

i think if you freeze the yeast it will keep it more pure. I just finished my first batch and saved the cake from the first rack. It went into a
small container that was totally sterilized with hot water and was kept at room temp. There is a contamination of some
sort i havent been able to look at with my microscope. So i wouldent risk it in the fridge and go straight for the freezer.

It would seem good as a rule of thumb to get as much yeast as you started with. I dont think it matters if you go bottom or top because there all bottom fermenting strains. Each individual
yeast cell is a
mutant of the next but by a small margin so inconcievable small, by a few expressions of a gene or two, that to inclide it in a time frame of brewing beer makes no sense whatsoever.-daniel biomedical scientist

wha-wha-what?

 

[koerd85]

wha-wha-what?

nvm i gotta learn how to use this iphone app i keep quoting the wrong things. sry bout dat