Yeast cake & first batch

[agroff383]

I just racked my very first batch to the secondary Better Bottle. Gross brown ring around the top of the bucket, and the bottom was taken over by this yeast cake! I could almost fill a 2 liter bottle with it! It weighs like 3 pounds I just didn't realize that it would be so much stuff on the bottom.

I drank some and it has a green apple aftertaste, which I guess means it needs to sit longer. I am thinking 2-3 weeks in secondary and then bottle, and let it sit in the bottle for 2 weeks.

I think I did ok sanitizing because that was the only off flavor, green apple, it didn't have any other really strong non-beer flavors.

What do I do with this yeast cake? Keep it to make more yeast or throw it away?

 

[Clonefarmer]

What do I do with this yeast cake? Keep it to make more yeast or throw it away?

Congrats on your first beer. Check out https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/ for what to do with the yeast cake.

 

[agroff383]

Thanks!

What an awesome write up! Providing I can use the same type of yeast for another ale, I wouldn't need to buy more yeast?

How many jars that size go into a 5 gallon batch? Just one?

 

[Clonefarmer]

Thanks!

What an awesome write up! Providing I can use the same type of yeast for another ale, I wouldn't need to buy more yeast?

Correct , you can keep washing the yeast after every batch quite a few times in a row without issues.

How many jars that size go into a 5 gallon batch? Just one?

Only 1 jar is needed. Use each one to create a starter.