yeast cake
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You can dump new wort directly on to the yeast cake. It works really well. So well in fact that you may want to hook up a blow off tube.
Clonefarmer
Well-Known Member
Quite a few people do this. Just be sure not to put lighter tasting/color beers on cakes from strong/dark batches.
An alternative is to wash the yeast and use that.
An alternative is to wash the yeast and use that.
llazy_llama
Well-Known Member
Just keep in mind that the trub will have some residual flavors from the last beer. The general rule is to always go the same or darker, never lighter. For example, if you're using a yeast cake from a porter, it'll be fine on another porter or a stout, but you wouldn't want to toss in a cream ale or pale ale.
If you're starting out with a cream or a kolsch, then the sky's the limit.
If you're starting out with a cream or a kolsch, then the sky's the limit.
llazy_llama
Well-Known Member
Is it OK to wash the yeast from a Porter and use the washed yeast on a Pale Ale?
llazy_llama
Well-Known Member
Sure, assuming you know what flavor profiles to expect from the yeast in question, and they'll work okay with your Pale Ale. Washing the yeast is about as close as we can get to starting over with a new vial/packet of a particular strain without just buying a new one.
This is WLP001 - I used it for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone, then washed the yeast and used it for a S.N. Porter clone which has been in primary now for two weeks. WLP001 was one of AHS' recommended yeasts for both of these beers. I've got a huge yeast cake from that Porter, which I'd really hate to waste, so I'm glad I'll be able to reuse that by washing it (after another week or two). My next brew will be a lighter beer than the Porter, and also a few weeks away, otherwise I'd probably just toss the next one right on the yeast cake from the Porter.
