Thinking of trying this...

[Mismost]

I have a Malbec kit working now and it smells awesome. It should be ready to rack off of the lees in a few days.

I am thinking of racking the Malbec, then doing a simple washing/clean up of the yeast cake. After which, using that washed yeast to start a Juice wine...maybe a mix of concord/apple/pear frozen and liquids.

Part of me says "yeah, no problem" and part of me says "yeast is cheap, don't fool around". All of me says "I got into this to fool around"!

Your thoughts, please?

 

[jc5066]

Wash it!

 

[znelson710]

meh... make a one gallon batch and if it seems to start to turn for the worse, pitch it and move on to something else. I would use cheap ingredients that will still make a decent product so that you aren't wasting money if you have to throw it out but at the same time won't be bad if it works.

I know some bread makers do this and have yeast strains that are very old. they just save some of the bread do for the next batch and let the yeast colonize the fresh dough from the old dough.

 

[Mismost]

meh... make a one gallon batch and if it seems to start to turn for the worse, pitch it and move on to something else. I would use cheap ingredients that will still make a decent product so that you aren't wasting money if you have to throw it out but at the same time won't be bad if it works.

I know some bread makers do this and have yeast strains that are very old. they just save some of the bread do for the next batch and let the yeast colonize the fresh dough from the old dough.

I like this as I am looking at empty 2 1/2 gallon wide mouth Sun tea jug that is just begging for something to be put in it.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

Yeast is too important to be messing around with spent and/or tired yeast, I'd spend the $2.00 and get fresh yeast...hydrate it properly and have a great fermentation, again, a healthy fermentation is so important to the wine making process that I wouldn't goof around with it.
Instead of fooling around with yeast washing, you could start testing different yeasts, most all yeasts will bring out different characteristics in your wine, you might really like one and have the chance of crafting a "signature wine", or a house wine.

 

[madscientist451]

wine yeast is pretty cheap, nothing wrong with re-pitching, the problem with your plan is trying to make wine with cheapo frozen juice. I've tried it and it tastes like crap to me. Everyone has different tastes and with all the combinations of juice and yeast to try perhaps you can make something you like, good luck.

 

[Mismost]

Spent all day Saturday racking all my different batches and it dawned on me...I need two empty carboys when I do that, so I can be cleaning one while one is racking. So I skipped this experiment. Besides, I am running out of space, bottles, money, and time!