Yeast Washing - Help Needed

[rmiranda]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1467174320.173432.jpg

I tried yeast washing for the first time today, but I don't think I'm having success. I added cooled-boiled water to my carboy and tipped the carboy to the side but I didn't see a separation line other than solids and beer.

I shook up the carboy and tried again. This time I put them in sanitized mason jars and put in my fridge. However, I still see no separation.

Above you will see my mason jars. What's going on here?

I did have tons of tribe at the bottom of my carboy. Not sure if that makes a difference.

 

[brewshki]

How long has it been settling? Can we get a picture of the bottom? I've only ever done this for a 2 gallon batch. How many mason jars did you fill?

 

[rmiranda]

Its been settling for an hour and a half. I have 1 gallon in a jar and two mason jars. Again, there was a LOT of trube.

 

[brewshki]

Its been settling for an hour and a half. I have 1 gallon in a jar and two mason jars. Again, there was a LOT of trube.

Stick it in the fridge to speed it up. I'm sure there is yeast in there haha.

 

[kombat]

What kind of beer was this harvested from? Were there a lot of hops? I'm sure a large portion of that slurry is protein and cold break, but I don't see a lot of hop matter. I think you'd be fine to reuse it. Do it soon though, while it's still healthy!

 

[Sadu]

I have had similar problems as the OP trying to wash yeast (so hopefully this doesn't count as thread hijacking). Watched lots of youtube vids which show the process.

Pour 1 gallon boiled/cooled water into the fermenter and gently swirl. Leave 20 mins.
Pour the liquid portion into another sanitised vessel. Leave for 20 mins.
Pour again into another sanitised vessel and put in fridge.
Check back the next day and the vids show a nice half-inch layer of white yeast under brownish transparent water.

This is the part that I don't see - I get the thinnest layer of yeast at the bottom, barely enough to do anything with.

I kinda gave up and now just put the raw trub in the fridge as is. I'd like to get the washing working though if it means the yeast will remain viable for longer.

 

[brewshki]

I have had similar problems as the OP trying to wash yeast (so hopefully this doesn't count as thread hijacking). Watched lots of youtube vids which show the process.

Pour 1 gallon boiled/cooled water into the fermenter and gently swirl. Leave 20 mins.
Pour the liquid portion into another sanitised vessel. Leave for 20 mins.
Pour again into another sanitised vessel and put in fridge.
Check back the next day and the vids show a nice half-inch layer of white yeast under brownish transparent water.

This is the part that I don't see - I get the thinnest layer of yeast at the bottom, barely enough to do anything with.

I kinda gave up and now just put the raw trub in the fridge as is. I'd like to get the washing working though if it means the yeast will remain viable for longer.

I have only ever done it after a hefe fermentation so there was not a whole lot of trub to deal with. I have always heard that you shouldn't do this process with a strong beer or one with lots of hop matter. I do think the guys at Brulosophy did an exbeeriment about it but I can't remember the results.