Yeast Washing Questions

[Sonnyjim]

Hey guys, I did a bunch of searches on yeast washing and I think it's about time I get into this as it will save a LOT of money and from the links to HomeBrewingWiki it looks quite simple.

Now questions.....

When you wash yeast do you have to use it for the same type of brew? For example if I am making a dark ale, can I use that strain for a light ale?

Secondly, in my 'trub' there is usually leftover hops if I am dry hopping. I also don't have a fancy system so I don't filter 100% everything before it goes into the primary. This means there will be leftover hops in the yeast wash. Is this alright?

Lastly, is there enough yeast in the jars after washing to ferment an entire 5gallon batch of beer without adding anything else?

Thanks for all the help, I'm looking forward to getting this going after this batch.

 

[unionrdr]

Check out the vids on home brewer tv,he has a real good one on yeast washing. And yeah,those conical fermenters make it way easier. but yeah,ale yeast for ales,lager yeast for lagers,generally.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

When you wash yeast do you have to use it for the same type of brew? For example if I am making a dark ale, can I use that strain for a light ale?

Use it for whatever you like. Whatever style that particular yeast will work well for

Secondly, in my 'trub' there is usually leftover hops if I am dry hopping. I also don't have a fancy system so I don't filter 100% everything before it goes into the primary. This means there will be leftover hops in the yeast wash. Is this alright?

That is what washing does. It gets rid of all the other stuff. If you washed correctly, there will be nothing but yeast and water left over.

Lastly, is there enough yeast in the jars after washing to ferment an entire 5gallon batch of beer without adding anything else?

No. You will need to make a starter.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

bernie Brewer covered it well. I will add that if you are washing from a carboy, after adding in your boiled and cooled water and shaking everything up really well, lay the carboy on it's side to do the settling out. It makes it WAY WAY easier to pour off the top layer without disturbing the settled out gunk. You get WAY cleaner yeast I find.

 

[DannPM]

No. You will need to make a starter.

It depends IMO ) No offense!) . Using Mr. Malty's Pitching Rate Calc I found my from last batch that I had enough yeast harvested to do a 1.070 SG brew; although making a starter to get them active from dormancy would be preferable IMO as well.

 

[unionrdr]

Me three,I'm sold on starters. I'm already finding that faster,more vigorous ferments,(little lag time)along with natural spring water,make for a cleaner,crisper brew. Man! What a difference! And since I so successfully started some near dead Cooper's dry yeast,& it's working so well,I think I'll try washing it. Speaking of that,I can't find a place to get those plastic conicals I've seen used on youtube?...

 

[Bernie Brewer]

I will add that if you are washing from a carboy, after adding in your boiled and cooled water and shaking everything up really well, lay the carboy on it's side to do the settling out. It makes it WAY WAY easier to pour off the top layer without disturbing the settled out gunk. You get WAY cleaner yeast I find.

Good call. I keep forgetting about that little trick. That is what happens when you get old, I guess...........

 

[Sonnyjim]

Thanks guys, this is all great information. I think I'm going to give it a go the next brew and see how it goes. I'll do a lighter grain bill so if I do mess it up then it's not a huge loss. Live and learn. :rockin:

 

[Hockeyhunter99]

bernie Brewer covered it well. I will add that if you are washing from a carboy, after adding in your boiled and cooled water and shaking everything up really well, lay the carboy on it's side to do the settling out. It makes it WAY WAY easier to pour off the top layer without disturbing the settled out gunk. You get WAY cleaner yeast I find.

never thought of that. great idea

 

[wolverinebrewer]

never thought of that. great idea

Even easier? Add the water, shake, wait 20 minutes, auto-siphon it right into pint jars. Keep the siphon barely submerged and follow it down. No disturbance and no trub.

 

[iron_city_ap]

No. You will need to make a starter.

I've only harvested yeast once so far, but I ended up with 2 jars full. I'm guessing there is more than enough yeast in there for a batch. I'm still going to use starters though. I want to make sure the yeast is good and active before I pitch into the wort.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

I've only harvested yeast once so far, but I ended up with 2 jars full. I'm guessing there is more than enough yeast in there for a batch. I'm still going to use starters though. I want to make sure the yeast is good and active before I pitch into the wort.

If you got that much yeast than you probably ended up with a lot of trub too. If you are worried about transferring flavors than you will probably need to wash again. Otherwise its fine, you could probably get away with just pitching straight from the jar if it's been sitting less than a month.

 

[unionrdr]

Again,I must say watch the yeast collecting/washing video on home brewer tv. He shows & explains it all. The stuff at the bottom is actually layered. The trub (dookey) is at the very bottom. The yeast is above that. Now I know why they want conical fermenters. I've seen them made out of plastic with nice metal frames high enough where you don't have to crouch on the floor. You pull the lever at the bottom,holding a cheap plastic pitcher under the tap valve,& these milky brown turds come out. I swear,it looks like the thing is takin a big,tortured dump in your pitcher. Kinda funny to watch.

 

[Sonnyjim]

Now without starting a new thread to add to all of this......

Can I take some wort straight from the actual AG batch, boil it, cool it, pitch a bit of homemade Yeast Wash in there, leave it overnight to do it's 'thing' and continue on with the rest of the batch as usual? Then cool the batch down as usual, stick it in the fermenter and put the stopper on overnight, then pitch the starter with the yeast the next morning?

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

I am big on self sufficiency and using the least ammount of 'modern' materials possible but still getting a good batch. This would also save money on DME even though it's not that expensive, I just like the idea of the way people used to do it.

 

[iron_city_ap]

If you got that much yeast than you probably ended up with a lot of trub too. If you are worried about transferring flavors than you will probably need to wash again. Otherwise its fine, you could probably get away with just pitching straight from the jar if it's been sitting less than a month.

Not much trub that I can see. This has been sitting for about 2 weeks now. In the picture of the 2 jars, the one on the right is frozen.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

Now without starting a new thread to add to all of this......

Can I take some wort straight from the actual AG batch, boil it, cool it, pitch a bit of homemade Yeast Wash in there, leave it overnight to do it's 'thing' and continue on with the rest of the batch as usual? Then cool the batch down as usual, stick it in the fermenter and put the stopper on overnight, then pitch the starter with the yeast the next morning?

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

I am big on self sufficiency and using the least ammount of 'modern' materials possible but still getting a good batch. This would also save money on DME even though it's not that expensive, I just like the idea of the way people used to do it.

Yes, you can. What I do for a lot of batches is even less involved. I let the wort sit in my bottling bucket overnight, pull off 1/2 gallon for a yeast starter. Let the yeast go to work on that overnight. Add the yeast to the bottling bucket at high kraeuzen, then transfer the whole thing to the fermenter.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

Not much trub that I can see. This has been sitting for about 2 weeks now. In the picture of the 2 jars, the one on the right is frozen.

I don't know man, that's what it looks like when I take the whole cake off the bottom of the fermenter. Which I do, because washing the yeast is often more work than I care to do. What do I know? I'm sure your beer turns out fine regardless.

 

[iron_city_ap]

Yes, you can. What I do for a lot of batches is even less involved. I let the wort sit in my bottling bucket overnight, pull off 1/2 gallon for a yeast starter. Let the yeast go to work on that overnight. Add the yeast to the bottling bucket at high kraeuzen, then transfer the whole thing to the fermenter.

I'm sure there is an added risk for things to go bad, but that's a really, really sweet idea. I'm going to brew a batch either Thursday or Friday. I think I'll give this a shot.

 

[Pivovar_Koucky]

I'm sure there is an added risk for things to go bad, but that's a really, really sweet idea. I'm going to brew a batch either Thursday or Friday. I think I'll give this a shot.

Well it's been working fine so far, maybe not a great idea during the summer. I got the idea from Noonan's New Lager Brewing. It was talking about using a resting tank to get all of the trub and other assorted junk out and I was like:
"Hmmm, I'll bet that bottling bucket would be a halfway decent resting tank." Now my yeast cakes are a lot thinner (which I interpret to mean that there is a higher % of yeast).

 

[Sonnyjim]

Yes, you can. What I do for a lot of batches is even less involved. I let the wort sit in my bottling bucket overnight, pull off 1/2 gallon for a yeast starter. Let the yeast go to work on that overnight. Add the yeast to the bottling bucket at high kraeuzen, then transfer the whole thing to the fermenter.

Yes, I think I will give this a go for the next time. Thanks for the help, this site is a great resource.