Should I reuse 1.072 OG yeast?

[Dogphish]

Here's the scenario. I pitched 1 vial of WLP001 liquid californial ale yeast into 5 gallons of hoppy IPA at 70 degrees. After 12 hours the bucket lid was bulging at 68 degrees, after 24 hours there is steady bubbling at 64 degrees and falling.

1. Can I reuse the yeast on a 1.080 OG black IPA if it tastes good? I plan to repitch a cup of slurry 12 to 24 hours after it is harvested.

2. Should I refrigerate it during that 12 to 24 hours?

3. As long as I have the right yeast count, it would not require any kind of starter or other special care, would it (other that sterilization)? Just harvest and pitch?

 

[chefmike]

just harvest and pitch. I would refrigerate if it is 24 hours, though it would likely be fine just covering it with saran wrap.

mr malty is your friend.

I do this all the time. Plan a new batch for the day I transfer from primary to keg. Scoop out 4 to 8 oz of yeast and pitch in the new wort.

 

[buckeyebrewer]

I would rack the new beer on the entire yeast cake from the previous batch...1.080 will need a good amount of yeast. Your 1 vial probably turned into 3 vials as it fermented the first beer.

 

[Dogphish]

racking onto the cake from first batch would be much easier. i was only going to do 1 cup because i read that you should never reuse the whole yeast cake (overpitching).

anyone else think i should just reuse the yeast cake? 1.072 is not too high for reuse?

 

[phatuna]

I've never pulled out a cup or two. I always rack new beer onto old cake.

 

[HoppedIPA]

Hmm so if i had a new beer ready the day i rack into secondary I can just rack or siphon out of my brew kettle and reuse the same yeast? will it be any slower or need to add more yeast to it? This would be a fantastic way to save money!

 

[chefmike]

Yes, you can use the yeast again. It is full of living friends ready to consume sugar and do its job.

The use of mrmalty.com can help you determine the volume of sludge you need to use.

And while you could siphon into the same fermenter (even unto an entire yeast cake, which is often 2 to 3 times the amount you need...) GOOD practice dictates that you harvest the yeast in a sanitary manner (sanitized measuring cup) and place it in a clean and sanitized fermenter, thus starting the new batch as clean as possible.

Search threads on yeast washing as well.

I do not often wash. I will use a autosiphon to pump yeast into a sanitized vessel (grolsch bottles) and seal them. They live in my fridge for later use. I generally buy wheat yeast once a year or so.

And yes, it is possible to do many horrible things (like siphon one batch after another unto a yeast cake 6 times in a row) and still be successful. But I do not do that anymore. I run each batch in a clean fermenter, though yeast will still go through 2 to 5 batches in succession.

Some disagree with my practice. But it works for me!