Yeast Washing Illustrated

[Squirrels]

Thanks for this thread! This will hopefully save me time and money in the future! I harvested three pints of 3724 that I look forward to trading with friends and using for my future saisons.

Next up is to wash Safale-05!

 

[bzwyatt]

And the best part - make better beer!

 

[Hanso]

Thanks for this thread! This will hopefully save me time and money in the future! I harvested three pints of 3724 that I look forward to trading with friends and using for my future saisons.

Next up is to wash Safale-05!

Can I be your friend? I can already picture the yeast sitting in jars just waiting for me!

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

I've been washing and reusing yeast for 2 years now and have it down to a science, I was glad to see BYO publish an article on the same topic finally this month too. I gave up immediately on early posts recommending that you boil the jars and lids first, that's just crazy since a few minute soak in StarSan accomplishes the exact same thing.

If you're gonna store your yeast for several months be sure to wash it first and save only the healthiest cells then calculate a 10% per month die off rate when making your next starter. Like the other brewer posted I've brewed great tasting beer all year using up to 5 generations of yeast washed from the original vial I bought in January.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I've been washing and reusing yeast for 2 years now and have it down to a science, I was glad to see BYO publish an article on the same topic finally this month too. I gave up immediately on early posts recommending that you boil the jars and lids first, that's just crazy since a few minute soak in StarSan accomplishes the exact same thing.

If you're gonna store your yeast for several months be sure to wash it first and save only the healthiest cells then calculate a 10% per month die off rate when making your next starter. Like the other brewer posted I've brewed great tasting beer all year using up to 5 generations of yeast washed from the original vial I bought in January.

Where do you get the water to wash with if you dont boil water? Or are you jus saying there isnt a need to boil the jars and lids? I jus washed and pitched a fourth gen Nottingham into a hard cider. Pitched the slurry from 1 jar 9 days after I washed it without using a starter. Vigourous fermentation! But how do you do any math on any of this to "know" you are pitching a sufficient number of healthy yeast cells?

 

[jflongo]

Where do you get the water to wash with if you dont boil water? Or are you jus saying there isnt a need to boil the jars and lids? I jus washed and pitched a fourth gen Nottingham into a hard cider. Pitched the slurry from 1 jar 9 days after I washed it without using a starter. Vigourous fermentation! But how do you do any math on any of this to "know" you are pitching a sufficient number of healthy yeast cells?

Use MrMalty.com, go to the yeast section, they have a calculator with a slurry tab.

 

[catdaddy66]

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

 

[Brewitt]

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

Yep, inoculate the dregs into a small volume of clean wort and then step up to brewing volume. Make sure to be clean. When you open the bottle, decant beer and then recap the bottle and store cold til you step up. Make sure to save some of your new year by storing cold or freeZing for latter use.

There is a good list of beers with viable yeast (and sours with other bugs) listed on The Mad Fermentationist website (search google). Also some threads on this site.

 

[brewski09]

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

I got Pacman from a dead guy. Pretty much as the last poster laid out. I star San everything and drink the beer on the warm side, then swirl the bottom oz or two to disturb the yeast like a Belgian and dump it into a starter batch (maybe 100mL ish? It's been a while). Cry havoc I buy vials every so often WLP862. Great strain as a house yeast.

 

[MMJfan]

Have an odd question... Some on this board have talked about reaping yeast from commercial beers in the bottle (Conan, Cry Havoc, etc). I am curious as to how this is accomplished? Anyone have a tried and true method? Also, anyone have a list of craft beers and the yeasts that they used? Thanks HBT members!

I found the following link extremely helpful:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/entries/harvesting-yeast-from-commercial-bottles.html

 

[mtnagel]

I got Pacman from a dead guy.

Whaaaaatttttt?

 

[brewski09]

Whaaaaatttttt?

Dead guy ale. Thx for the laugh

 

[Soundreflections]

I have a Noob question, which I hope has not been posted too much, could not find it going to random pages in this thread. After my first batch (Coopers English Bitter kit) I harvested the yeast (Safale S-04), as per the start of this thread (Thin down with pre-boiled, cooled water, let settle, pour liquid & min dregs, repeated about 4 times {started by decanting ALL dregs} keep in fridge in sealed jar). Yesterday I wanted to to batch 2, took yeast out of fridge in the morning, so they can warm to room temp, when I got home from work I made a starter with about 150g DME, total volume about 2l, added some nutrient. Pitched the yeast when the starter was about 41degC, whole thing was about 29degC when the yeast added, started stirplate, at 18:20, put 40W incandescent bulb against the glass hooked up to my temprature controller, light ON at 28 deg, off at 30deg. This morning there is still no sign of life (Krausen, foam, anything) this morning 05:30. Switched everything off when I showered, afterwards there were some tiny foam patches, so decided to let it run through the day. Did I do something wrong? I was expecting more & quicker activity? My LHBS is only open tomorrow again. Any advice (for next time I think) would be great.
Thanks
Peet.

 

[Xtant]

Looks like you have an airlock of some sort? If so, that could be the issue. For a starter, you want an oxygen exchange...

Just something to think about...

 

[Soundreflections]

Thanks - that is just some loose fitting foil. I have a temp probe in there, which looks like a pipe. I have a few times poured the starter / yeast back in to the bottle and shook vigorously to aerate more. There should at least be some oxygen in there, though I need to get an air filter, to put an airline from my small compressor, which should be better.

 

[Xtant]

Couldn't really tell what you had going on there looking at it on my phone.

I will say it looks very mad-scientist-ish...

Aside from that, I don't know what to tell you. I've only washed yeast once. But i have already used some of it and my Blond has finished up nicely.

 

[Soundreflections]

I am wondering if my yeast could have died in the fermentation process, as I am not seeing signs of carbonation either. I will try and find the right thread to post about that though.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Looks like you have an airlock of some sort? If so, that could be the issue. For a starter, you want an oxygen exchange...

Just something to think about...

I havnt heard that before. Thats interesting. Ive always aerated the starter wort before pitching the yeast into it, like I would a batch or wort, then put an airlock (S-type bubbler) on it. Is that not a good way to do it??

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I am wondering if my yeast could have died in the fermentation process, as I am not seeing signs of carbonation either. I will try and find the right thread to post about that though.

Any decrease in gravity??

 

[Soundreflections]

I have to admit guilt - I have been taking temp and activity readings twice a day for fermentation, but never took a reading on the starter. It is now 1008, I will re-read in the morning.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Sounds like its working then! I rarely see much activity in a starter, except some creamy goodness if a stir bar is going. And some bubbling activity. But no real krausen

 

[Soundreflections]

I don't see any bubbles on the surface, the stir bar was stopped most of the day and no foam / krausen. I was trying to get extra oxygen in, hence shaking with yeast pitched. Going to try and rig some sort of air filter & pump air in.

 

[Xtant]

I havnt heard that before. Thats interesting. Ive always aerated the starter wort before pitching the yeast into it, like I would a batch or wort, then put an airlock (S-type bubbler) on it. Is that not a good way to do it??

From what I've read ( mostly in this thread) it's how the yeast work. In the presence of oxygen, they eat and happily multiply. Without oxygen, they eat and produce alcohol, but don't reproduce at the same rate when oxygen is present.

When brewing, you oxygenate the wort to kick start the reproduction. The yeast multiplies, then the oxygen runs out and they start making your alcohol.

Alcohol isn't the goal of a starter. The goal is increasing viable yeast and getting them geared up to produce alcohol once you pitch. That being the goal, an oxygen-rich environment is idea for your starter in order to encourage reproduction.

That's why stir plates are used. They keep the yeast suspended and increase the surface area exposed to oxygen with the vortex...

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

From what I've read ( mostly in this thread) it's how the yeast work. In the presence of oxygen, they eat and happily multiply. Without oxygen, they eat and produce alcohol, but don't reproduce at the same rate when oxygen is present.

When brewing, you oxygenate the wort to kick start the reproduction. The yeast multiplies, then the oxygen runs out and they start making your alcohol.

Alcohol isn't the goal of a starter. The goal is increasing viable yeast and getting them geared up to produce alcohol once you pitch. That being the goal, an oxygen-rich environment is idea for your starter in order to encourage reproduction.

That's why stir plates are used. They keep the yeast suspended and increase the surface area exposed to oxygen with the vortex...

Seems like a reasonable explanation to me. Thanks for the info!

 

[Soundreflections]

I Finaly got to my LHBS today & got some yeast. Asked them, they seemed to think all fine "just do another starter". I added some more DME, ran everything up & had quite a bit of krausen visible, even with stirplate on. My problem obviously was in numbers, not lack of yeast.
I pitched the starter when the wort was ready, then had an interesting thought: Does one pitch the whole starter, or let them settle out and throw the clear fluid away? My idea is to pitch while there is good activity going & they are really ready to tackle the larger wort.

 

[Xtant]

Seems like person preference. I've not read one way or the other. Some pitch it all; others decant, then pitch.

I toss it all in. Seems to me like there are two yeasts in there: those actively attacking the sugars and those that have grown bored and dropped out of the fight until something more exciting comes along. You want both. You want the ones already riled up to kick off your fermentation while their buddies come out of their slumber.

Of course, this is purely my opinion and anecdotal and just goes along with the imaginary bar fight I picture in my head when I pitch...

 

[wyowolf]

I stored some yeast samples back in Jan, tried them out today and no activity Not sure how long they are viable for but they were sealed up pretty tight in the jars. One was a lager yeast, 830 and an Irish Red, dont remember. I see no activity in the IR starter... and maybe a little in the 830, kinda hard to tell.

damn that 830 was some great yeast

there are a few bubbles when i shake the 830 but not many...maybe more time?

I used 2 liters of water...120grs DME

 

[wyowolf]

Before shaking...







After...maybe some life there after 24 hrs

 

[MangoMead]

Awesome thread! With my current living situation I have to get all my yeast brought in from out of the country and this plus the freeze banking will let me become essentially self sustaining with my yeast cultures once I get them here.

At the very least I should only need to have friends bring me new packets every year or 2.

 

[DPBISME]

From what I've read ( mostly in this thread) it's how the yeast work. In the presence of oxygen, they eat and happily multiply. Without oxygen, they eat and produce alcohol, but don't reproduce at the same rate when oxygen is present.

That's why stir plates are used. They keep the yeast suspended and increase the surface area exposed to oxygen with the vortex...

I have never seen the explanation before and now the stirplate makes sense.