Washing yeast from primary after gelatin?

[Grantman1]

Disclaimer: I've looked around all over the web and can't seem to find a clear answer...

I'd like to start clearing my beers a bit more, so I'm planning on using gelatin.

At the same time, I'm working on chipping away at costs, so I'd like to wash and reuse my yeast.

I'd like to avoid secondary if at all possible.


Is it possible to have my cake and eat it too?? Using gelatin in primary after fermentation, while still being able to wash and save my yeast?

 

[hercher]

Quick question: do you bottle or keg? I don't use a secondary, but do like to cold crash my beer in the primary for a couple days. Then I'll transfer to a keg, and use gelatin. To be sure, I have had to discard as much as two pints when I put the keg on tap, but it seems to work pretty well.

 

[brewguyver]

The "yeast" book recommends top cropping (pulling from 1-2" below surface) during high krausen. That way you'd get super healthy yeast and you'd have it before the gelatin goes in.

 

[Grantman1]

I currently only bottle and don't use secondary. I'd love to be able to cold crash but don't have the extra fridge hooked up yet.

Brewguyver- top cropping is also out of the question for me since I ferment in glass carboys.

So far it's sounding like I've got to make another leap into one of these areas to get clearer beer. Irish moss isn't enough for me on it's own.

 

[hercher]

I think you probably can wash the gelatin out. There is a very good thread on yeast washing that is about a gazillion posts long -- have you searched through that?

 

[brewguyver]

Brewguyver- top cropping is also out of the question for me since I ferment in glass carboys.

It's actually not too hard in glass carboys, but you'd need about $15 in equipment - a carboy hood, a shortened racking cane, and one of those $4 in-line sanitary air filters. It's almost the same as the picture below, but instead of racking off the beer, you want to just skim the top (hence the shortened racking cane).

To get the yeast/wort out, all you have to do is blow into the filter or *carefully* push a tiny bit of CO2 in through the filter. The pressure will push the yeast through your racking cane and into your yeast container.

Two last things - don't get the filter wet - they clog up, and never put a high level of pressure into a glass tank - very dangerous.

 

[Grantman1]

Pretty interesting, I'm gonna look into that more. Thanks for the info.

 

[paraordnance]

It's actually not too hard in glass carboys, but you'd need about $15 in equipment - a carboy hood, a shortened racking cane, and one of those $4 in-line sanitary air filters. It's almost the same as the picture below, but instead of racking off the beer, you want to just skim the top (hence the shortened racking cane).

To get the yeast/wort out, all you have to do is blow into the filter or *carefully* push a tiny bit of CO2 in through the filter. The pressure will push the yeast through your racking cane and into your yeast container.

Two last things - don't get the filter wet - they clog up, and never put a high level of pressure into a glass tank - very dangerous.
View attachment 71592

wow, thanks a lot for idea! :rockin: I been wondering for ages how to top crop yeast from carboy, and I already have siphon with carboy hood and in-line filter but never thought of it this way