57 replies to this topic

[neddles]

I keep thinking I'm going to save and reuse some yeast and I forget about it until I'm racking. About a month ago I racked a Grisette with 3522 to a keg and then thought of saving the yeast. I quickly sanitized a 1/2 gallon ball jar swirled the carboy and poured almost the entire cake (trub and all) into it  and immediately put it in the fridge where it has been sitting at 33F ever since.

 

So question #1 is... I know this is probably not the ideal way to save/reuse yeast but is my yeast worth keeping at this point and what do I do with it next?

 

I did this to myself again today when I racked my Gumballhead (hoppy american wheat) over to the keg (which tastes amazing btw) I realized I never considered saving the yeast.

 

and question #2... I left the entire cake in the carboy when I finished 10 minutes ago and sanitized the rim and stopper and sealed it back up, what do I do now if I want to save some of this for future use? (FWIW It was WY1450)

[SchwanzBrewer]

1. After a month it's probably not worth reusing. If you had the tools you could wash it and check it for viability (I WISH!!!).

 

2. I'd get it out of the carboy and wash it.

 

Also, if you make starters, consider make it slightly larger and saving some of the starter to make another for your next brew. It's much easier to do and you don't have to wash the yeast. I decant the starter wort when possible and just add some boiled/chilled water to it for storage.

[HVB]

Also, if you make starters, consider make it slightly larger and saving some of the starter to make another for your next brew. It's much easier to do and you don't have to wash the yeast. I decant the starter wort when possible and just add some boiled/chilled water to it for storage.

 

I started to do this a while ago and find it a easy way to make sure I have some yeast ready for next time.

[positiveContact]

I started to do this a while ago and find it a easy way to make sure I have some yeast ready for next time.

 

same here.

[Big Nake]

I decided that I'm too squeamish (and probably lazy) to actually save the yeast and reuse it later.  But I still wanted to get more than one batch per blob of yeast so now I just plan to move the current beer from primary on the same day I want to make another beer with that yeast.  I rack the beer, pour off 600-800ml of slurry into a clean and sanitary flask, put some sanitized foil on it and pop it in the fridge where it may sit for 45-60 minutes while the brewday progresses to the point where I'm ready to pitch.  The only downside is that if that original batch was bad for some reason (infection, etc.), you need to have some dry yeast handy just in case.  But I find this is a much better way to reuse yeast without wondering if the yeast is viable, without making a starter and all of that.  Cheers.

[neddles]

1. After a month it's probably not worth reusing. If you had the tools you could wash it and check it for viability (I WISH!!!).

 

2. I'd get it out of the carboy and wash it.

 

Also, if you make starters, consider make it slightly larger and saving some of the starter to make another for your next brew. It's much easier to do and you don't have to wash the yeast. I decant the starter wort when possible and just add some boiled/chilled water to it for storage.

1. I do make starters for every batch. I'm dense, you would junk the 3522 in the ball jar or you would make a large starter for it put some starter aside for future use and then do.... what with the yeast? Leave it where it is until I need to pitch it in the starter?

 

2. So washing it is ideal? I really need to reread that section of the Zainasheff/White "Yeast" but that's not going to happen today. With 2 small boy and 2 large dogs running around here I consider myself lucky enough just to have racked this w/out a crisis. How long will it keep in the carboy? Is there a simple first step I should take today?

[denny]

I haven't found washing to make enough difference to make it worth the effort.

[Big Nake]

I haven't found washing to make enough difference to make it worth the effort.

Agreed.  I was doing that for awhile but saw no benefit to it.  Maybe I was doing it wrong but nothing was different... beer no better or worse with washing.

Edited by KenLenard, 20 August 2013 - 11:34 AM.

[neddles]

I haven't found washing to make enough difference to make it worth the effort.

 

 

Agreed.  I was doing that for awhile but saw no benefit to it.  Maybe I was doing it wrong but nothing was different... beer no better or worse with washing.

 

Ok so if I don't wash (and I dont have your kind of timing with successive brews, Ken) then what should I do?

[Big Nake]

I thought that many brewers saved the yeast in a clean and sanitized container, placed it in the fridge with some sort of timetable.  If you use it within a month (I'm making this up and someone else should correct me if I'm wrong), you can use it with no starter.  Maybe that timeline was a week.  If you save it for longer than that, make a starter and be acutely aware of any off-flavors or aromas when working with it.  Use some nutrient and O2 when reviving it and it should be okay to use as long as sanitary practices were used.  I just don't care for that approach because some amount of time would go by and I would have 20 different strains of yeast in my fridge with no possible way to use them or know if they were okay to use.

[SchwanzBrewer]

I don't recommend reusing a yeast cake unless you can estimate the cell count somewhat by knowing the volume of yeast in the cake. The calculators are for starters and certain controlled conditions like stir plate and wort gravity is known, not full fermentations, so unless you can count cells I'd worry about over or under pitching. Then again I had a big time yeast pitching off flavor problem recently so I'm anal about knowing how much I'm pitching (I'm working on getting equipment to count cells - because I want to!)

Edited by SchwanzBrewer, 20 August 2013 - 12:06 PM.

[positiveContact]

now that I make 10 gallon batches I'm not as worried about always buying fresh yeast.  if i can get two 10 gallon batches out of a smack pack that's good enough for me.

[MtnBrewer]

now that I make 10 gallon batches I'm not as worried about always buying fresh yeast.  if i can get two 10 gallon batches out of a smack pack that's good enough for me.

That's kinda where I'm at. I used to do 3-5 batches off of a single vial or smackpack of yeast when I made 5 gallon batches. Now I'll do two. Same amount of beer just less variety.My process was about what Ken proposed. I save the yeast in a mason jar and reuse within 2-3 weeks. A month is pushing it.

[neddles]

My process was about what Ken proposed. I save the yeast in a mason jar and reuse within 2-3 weeks. A month is pushing it.

So are you saving the trub and all? Or do you somehow separate it? How do you account for trub volume when repitching?

[MtnBrewer]

So are you saving the trub and all? Or do you somehow separate it? How do you account for trub volume when repitching?

Yes, no washing or rinsing. I don't; I pitch the whole thing.

[neddles]

Yes, no washing or rinsing. I don't; I pitch the whole thing.

Somehow I doubt you are pitching the entire cake, how do you gauge how much yeast you are pitching and how do you measure that out?

Edited by ettels4, 20 August 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[MtnBrewer]

Somehow I doubt you are pitching the entire cake, how do you gauge how much yeast you are pitching and how do you measure that out?

I pitch the whole mason jar, not the whole cake.

[neddles]

I pitch the whole mason jar, not the whole cake.

So is your thinking here is that you really don't know how much you are pitching, you just know that it is enough without being a huge cake? Do you do this mostly with "clean" yeast such as 1056/001,1272,1450 etc. or do you find you get predictable results with belgian or english stains as well?

Edited by ettels4, 20 August 2013 - 01:54 PM.

[MtnBrewer]

I reuse all kinds of yeast. Lager, Belgian, English, pretty much everything.

[neddles]

I reuse all kinds of yeast. Lager, Belgian, English, pretty much everything.

I know we have had this discussion but I take it you haven't found pitch rates to significantly alter the flavor profiles?