Yeast Harvest process question

[alby44]

I'm planning on making an Allagash clone using WLP410 (seasonal release) this week. So I was curious how you perpetuate the use of certain yeast strains...is there any benefit to doing making a larger starter (say 2l) and decanting off 500ml into a smaller mason jar.....or, just wait until primary is complete and yeast 'wash' from there.

Do some make a larger starter for future use of use strains?

 

[CA_Mouse]

I always make a 2 liter starter and decant off what I don't need for my 5 gallon batch. I decant them into sterilized ball or mason jars (depends on where you are from as to what you call them) seal them up and put them in the fridge to cold crash. Next time I need that yeast, I'll make up another 2 liter starter and add the previous yeast to it and start all over again. I found this is vastly easier than washing/rinsing yeast from my fermenter (at least until I get a conical). Less chance of an infection or having a slurry of stressed yeast.

 

[alby44]

I always make a 2 liter starter and decant off what I don't need for my 5 gallon batch. I decant them into sterilized ball or mason jars (depends on where you are from as to what you call them) seal them up and put them in the fridge to cold crash. Next time I need that yeast, I'll make up another 2 liter starter and add the previous yeast to it and start all over again. I found this is vastly easier than washing/rinsing yeast from my fermenter (at least until I get a conical). Less chance of an infection or having a slurry of stressed yeast.

Thanks, exactly what I was thinking!

 

[natasatan]

I always make a 2 liter starter and decant off what I don't need for my 5 gallon batch. I decant them into sterilized ball or mason jars (depends on where you are from as to what you call them) seal them up and put them in the fridge to cold crash. Next time I need that yeast, I'll make up another 2 liter starter and add the previous yeast to it and start all over again. I found this is vastly easier than washing/rinsing yeast from my fermenter (at least until I get a conical). Less chance of an infection or having a slurry of stressed yeast.

EXACTLY! what i do.

 

[robertus]

I always make a 2 liter starter and decant off what I don't need for my 5 gallon batch.

Did this with my last batch about 6 weeks ago. Easy as pie. Going to use the same process with that yeast for the next batch (hopefully sometime in the next couple of weeks).

 

[alby44]

Quick follow up question so I have my process down....So I made my 2l starter last night (using a pickle jar) and have it resting with intermittent shaking. SG for my batch is roughly 1.048-51, so thinking I would need a 1L starter to get things going for my 5G batch.

Using this process, how many mason jars would you normally fill? Would like to give this a shot, but also do not want to under pitch (pretty sure I won't).

I was thinking maybe 2-3 sterilized jars and that would leave enough to pitch for my batch this week....thoughts? Oh, and best to do this prior to pitching too?

 

[CA_Mouse]

Quick follow up question so I have my process down....So I made my 2l starter last night (using a pickle jar) and have it resting with intermittent shaking. SG for my batch is roughly 1.048-51, so thinking I would need a 1L starter to get things going for my 5G batch.

Using this process, how many mason jars would you normally fill? Would like to give this a shot, but also do not want to under pitch (pretty sure I won't).

I was thinking maybe 2-3 sterilized jars and that would leave enough to pitch for my batch this week....thoughts? Oh, and best to do this prior to pitching too?

I would split the remaining liter in two. I currently have 3 jars of Belgian yeast from last year's vial in my fridge (and I've brewed the same Belgian Golden Rye 5 times). Eventually AI'll retire the yeast and start a new vial.....

 

[alby44]

I would split the remaining liter in two. I currently have 3 jars of Belgian yeast from last year's vial in my fridge (and I've brewed the same Belgian Golden Rye 5 times). Eventually AI'll retire the yeast and start a new vial.....

One more question for my sanity...do you cold crash the 2l starter and split on brew day (seems right), or is it better to shake and split prior to cold crashing the night or day before brewing? Probably overthinking it, but want to be sure I'm not losing any yeast along the way.

 

[broadbill]

One more question for my sanity...do you cold crash the 2l starter and split on brew day (seems right), or is it better to shake and split prior to cold crashing the night or day before brewing? Probably overthinking it, but want to be sure I'm not losing any yeast along the way.

in order to split after cold crash you will need to resuspend the yeat to get the split, which defeats the purpose of the cold crash. In my process the purpose of the cold crash is to decant off the spent wort (now technically beer) so it doesn't get pitched into the fresh wort.

Split than cold crash the individual splits.

 

[CA_Mouse]

in order to split after cold crash you will need to resuspend the yeat to get the split, which defeats the purpose of the cold crash. In my process the purpose of the cold crash is to decant off the spent wort (now technically beer) so it doesn't get pitched into the fresh wort.

Split than cold crash the individual splits.

This is exactly how I do it. I pull my 2 liter starter off the stir plate and immediately pull what I do not need for my brew and cold crash both. I will decant most of the spent wort of what is being saved and transfer that to my ball jar for storage and decant the other just prior to pitching.