Yeast washing, where is the line?

[akaryrye]

This is the trub from a hefeweizen I just bottled. I want to decant to smaller jars to seal up and store long term, but I am not quite sure where the yeast ends and the junk begins. By the way, i dumped the entire trub into this jar and it has sat in the refrigerator for about 24 hours.:

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I have washed yeast twice now and haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I have two 32 oz wide mouth Ball jars, and four 16 oz wide mouths. I basically follow the yeast washing instructions on the wiki and I end up with a nice white layer of flocculated yeast on the bottom of my pint jars. The first time I washed, I could see the green/greyish trub on the very bottom under the yeast. I think this last washing I did is much cleaner. Plus the first wash was with spaghetti jars, and of course it was the first time. The yeast washing wiki seems to work very well.

Check this out: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Yeast_washing

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

What size is that jar?

I don't think you've actually *washed* the yeast, just collected it in a jar.
It's all trub mixed with yeast -- there's no clear demarcation.
Yet, the bottom half will have more trub than yeast, so I'd keep the top half.

 

[akaryrye]

Ya i need to get a few smaller jars. My plan was basically to get another large jar like the first and a bunch of 8 oz jars. Whenever I am done with a batch, I would simply dump all the trub and last bits of beer I don't want into the jar like what I did. After a few days in the fridge, I would pour out some of the beer on top and decant the yeast into the second jar to mix and from there, fill the jars evenly and top with boiled and cooled water. I figure I would get a more compact wash this way.

Anyway, I was just trying to figure out where the yeast ends and the trub begins, but i have a hard time knowing just where that line is.

 

[Yooper]

The trub and the yeast are mixed together, that's why you don't see a clear demarkation. If you wash the yeast, you'll have "clean" yeast, and no trub. If you just save trub, it'll stay mixed up together.

 

[akaryrye]

What size is that jar?

I don't think you've actually *washed* the yeast, just collected it in a jar.
It's all trub mixed with yeast -- there's no clear demarcation.
Yet, the bottom half will have more trub than yeast, so I'd keep the top half.

Nope have not washed it yet. That is a 1.5 L Jar and I dumped the trub in there because I dont have the smaller jars I would need.

 

[akaryrye]

So when I wash it, should I just give it a swirl and let it resettle for a short while, transfer to another jar, leaving the protein of course, and repeat if necessary?

 

[HairyDogBrewing]

There's a stickied thread on yeast washing.

I add a quart of distilled water to the primary and swirl until it's all mixed.
Pour into a large jar, wait 15 minutes.
Pour off a quart of the liquid into another jar, wait 15 minutes.
Divide the liquid between 4 half-pint jars and refrigerate.
Each small jar will have a tablespoon or so of pure, dormant yeast.

 

[derekm]

I would not bother with hefe yeast it will not last very long, I have been advised by senior club members that a couple weeks tops with that particular yeast. I don't know why but I believe it is the same reason they should be consumed quicker as well.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I'd keep the top two thirds for the next stage. Make sure you keep all the water/beer. Having plenty of water to suspend the good yeast is what makes this work.