Washing yeast

[jdecker1978]

My brew buddy and I recently started washing our yeast. He went first, washing an imperial barbarian, and giving me one of the splits. I then brewed with this, which went great, and washed and now will be returning his jar to him full of 3rd gen yeast. I also brewed a batch using safale-05 dry yeast, and washed. My dry (which was my first washing experience) turned into two pint jars with an inch or so of yeast in the bottom. The barbarian is different. I ended up with a quart jar 3/4 of the way full of yeast, and a pint jar almost all the way full. Its had some time to settle and there is maybe a half inch of wort on top of the yeast.
Two questions here-
Is this normal? Im shocked by the different quantities, even though the dry was my first time and I may have been less efficient.
Second question-I am returning his jar full of yeast. If he uses this does he pitch an entire quart jar into one batch? As I said its 3/4 full of yeast with maybe an inch at most of wort on top. Seems like a lot.
Thoughts?
I attached a photo. The left two jars are barbarian 3rd gen, and the right are s-05 2nd gen. I apologize, whenever I post photos to forums the come out sideways.

 

[jdecker1978]

Oh my wash technique-add about a liter of sanitized water to carboy and mix. Dump that into 1/2 gallon jar and let sit. The dry I decanted then split. The barbarian I decanted and added another quart of sanitized water, shook, then let sit. I decanted and poured into jars.

 

[wallybangbang]

First off I just posted a help me for the sideways pics, it frustrates me immensely .... But back to the yeast. Someone correct me if I'm wrong but what is in the jar is not all yeast but yeast and trub. The yeast is whiter than the trub and you can see the color difference as the yeast is lighter and settles on top of the trub. Not to say there is not yeast all the way through but a large concentration is on top. There is a great yeast washing sticky in the yeast forum that got me started a few months ago. I've had great results so far and have 8 or 9 different yeasts in the fridge. What you have is normal if you don't let the trub settle out before you harvest (especially the left pics). Read the washing yeast sticky and you will understand. As for the second question yes you can pitch the whole thing, I usually make a starter with mine. When you wash in the future though you will want to get rid of some of the trub.

 

[wallybangbang]

Sorry not a sticky but I think it's in the Wiki maybe. Any way here is the thread. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=41768

 

[jdecker1978]

Thanks! Looks like my mistake was not letting it settle in the carboy before dumping it. Every youtube video says to do it a different way! Any way to settle out the trub now that its split??

 

[wallybangbang]

In the thread link I posted he pours it into a large mason jar, lets that settle than slowly pours the top layer off into smaller jars. That has worked well for me. Honestly I don't even let it separate in the carboy. Ive also read that a lot of people don't even use water and just leave an inch or so of beer in the bottom of the carboy and use that. Just like you said everyone has a little different way of washing. You could try to warm and shake those jars up then pour the top layer of into smaller jars. The ones on the right would probably make a good starter though, not a whole lot of trub. The left ones I would try to separate.

 

[jdecker1978]

I guess I was under the impression the top layer was beer.....Theyve settled a lot more and look the same as the right jars but the lower section is twice as tall. Every video Ive watched shows them decanting that top layer.