Reusing Yeast Question

[TheDarkSide]

Ok...first, don't laugh about the container.

I made a Pale Ale, racked it to secondary so I could dry hop it as I'm planning to reuse this yeast. So this picture is taken 1 1/2 days after putting it in the fridge. I have 3 layers...bottom layer which I assume is yeast, middle layer = beer, and the top layer which is about 1/2 - 1 inch of foamy stuff.

My question is now, when I go to use this in my next beer ( Green Flash West Coast IPA clone ), I assume I pour off the top 2 layers and pitch the bottom layer, but doesn't the bottom layer have hop trub and how will that affect my new beer?

[SmellyFingers]

*snicker*

When you are ready to brew, go ahead and take it out of the fridge so it can begin to warm up. When it is time to pitch, swirl the crap out of it and wait a few seconds and you will see the trub settle out and (most) of the viable yeast will still stay in suspension. Just pour the milky suspended yeast into the wort and you should be good to go. There are more complicated ways to separate the yeast and washing them squeaky clean but since it is an IPA, I would not worry about it.


Moooooooooooo!!!!

[Luthierzan]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[beltbuckle]

That's similar to what I do, I decant it while it's cold since it's harder to do after it warms up, then pour in some sterile water and let it warm up, the stir it up and pitch the stuff on top.

[krizwit]

I will rinse yeast half the time. GO to the brew strong pod cast.

Here are the basic steps:

Pour the whole yeast cake into a container
Let it sit overnight in a fridge
Pour off the beer on top
Add sanitized water - mix it up.
Let it sit for 30min or so and then pour the clean yeast/water into another sanitized jar
You will see the trub and brown stuff on the bottom of the initial jar.
Let the clean yeast/water sit in a fridge overnight and then decant the water before reusing the yeast
Let the yeast warm up to your pitching temp.

[SmellyFingers]

I will rinse yeast half the time. GO to the brew strong pod cast.

Here are the basic steps:

Pour the whole yeast cake into a container
Let it sit overnight in a fridge
Pour off the beer on top
Add sanitized water - mix it up.
Let it sit for 30min or so and then pour the clean yeast/water into another sanitized jar
You will see the trub and brown stuff on the bottom of the initial jar.
Let the clean yeast/water sit in a fridge overnight and then decant the water before reusing the yeast
Let the yeast warm up to your pitching temp.

Please don't confuse sanitized water with "water with star san in it". That might be obvious to some of us but it might not be to others. I would hate to see an entire yeast cake destroyed.

[TheDarkSide]

Please don't confuse sanitized water with "water with star san in it". That might be obvious to some of us but it might not be to others. I would hate to see an entire yeast cake destroyed.

Yeah...I took this to mean boiled and cooled water. Would distilled water be sanitary enough for this process? Also, this has been in the fridge for 1 week and it looks like I can't brew this weekend. Will it be ok for another week in there?

[Weenie Boy]

Please don't confuse sanitized water with "water with star san in it". That might be obvious to some of us but it might not be to others. I would hate to see an entire yeast cake destroyed.

Yeah...I took this to mean boiled and cooled water. Would distilled water be sanitary enough for this process? Also, this has been in the fridge for 1 week and it looks like I can't brew this weekend. Will it be ok for another week in there?

Distilled water will be fine as long as you are using a fresh container that has not previously been opened. As far as it being good for another week depends on how sanitary you were in your initial transfer. I would keep it as cold as possible w/o freezing it, say 35 degrees.

Weenie Boy