Yeast Cake

[duskb]

I ran a search on this and didn't find the exact situation so I'm posting. Forgive me if this is been covered recently.

After kegging I typically wash the yeast cake and store it in a Mason Jar but tonight I decided to harvest the entire yeast cake for the first time, since I'm brewing the exact same brew within a month (Sierra Nev style Pale Ale). I sanitized a tupperware bowl and poured the cake in there and moved it to the fridge.

The questions are:

1. How much more tricky is re-using a cake over washing the yeast?
2. Do I need to build a big starter or just pour the entire cake into a fresh batch of wort?
3. How long will a yeast cake survive and be useful under the above conditions until I use it?
4. Is it safe to use the same cake on the same style of beer?

Thoughts?

 

[rico567]

I've never used a yeast cake this way...although I did just directly throw a batch of wort right into a fermentation bucket I'd just emptied.

Today's batch, a barleywine, I'm using washed yeast I took from a previous batch that uses the same strain. The yeast ended up in three pint mason jars, and I'm using two in this barleywine.....

 

[NHBeerDude]

Since you are making the same exact beer using the yeast cake will work fine. It should be good in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. I wouldn't wait much longer than that. You should be fine without a starter but you could make one if you wanted. Just let your yeast get to room temperature before pitching.

 

[duskb]

Since you are making the same exact beer using the yeast cake will work fine. It should be good in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. I wouldn't wait much longer than that. You should be fine without a starter but you could make one if you wanted. Just let your yeast get to room temperature before pitching.

Thanks for answering. It sounds like this might be perfect as I'll be brewing it inside of 3 weeks.

Thanks!