Yeast reuse

[Mastoras007]

Hello.
I try today my first attempt yeast harvest.
The last photo is the last jar i have now after 4-5 hours in refrigerator.
As you can see i have 2 different cakes, probably one yeast and one trub.
My question is wen time comes what i must do, use all the jar with liquid or throw the most of the liquid and use just the cake?
I use distilled water but not boiled, (don't ask) is safe to reuse?
I made all the progress just to learn I'm not 100% sure i will use it

 

[Mastoras007]

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

That looks pretty good! It doesn't matter too much whether you toss the liquid on top of the yeast/trub cake. I don't reuse yeast post-fermentation but, my rule of thumb for yeast starters is that if the starter is smaller (say 1-2 liters) I'll add everything into the fermenter. However, if the starter is larger (say 3-4 liters) then I'll cold-crash the starter and then decant off most of the liquid. I do it this way for two reasons: One is that 4 liters of a yeast starter will leave me with no head space in my fermenter and the other is that I fear 4 Liters will dilute the intended flavor of my beer.

 

[Minbari]

I think this is something i would put off. Once you get 3-4 good batches, with no infections, that turned out really well. Then i would try yeast harvesting. Just my opinion

 

[Donoroto]

Hello.
I try today my first attempt yeast harvest.
The last photo is the last jar i have now after 4-5 hours in refrigerator.
As you can see i have 2 different cakes, probably one yeast and one trub.
My question is wen time comes what i must do, use all the jar with liquid or throw the most of the liquid and use just the cake?
I use distilled water but not boiled, (don't ask) is safe to reuse?
I made all the progress just to learn I'm not 100% sure i will use it

I recommend pouring off most of the liquid, then swirl the remaining and pitch that. I think the liquid will flavor the beer, and not in a good way.

When using 'liquid' yeast (like this) you must be sure to add oxygen to the cooled wort. The yeast requires it. Dry yeast has it already.

An easy way to add oxygen to liquid is to 'splash' or shake the liquid. Or run air (from a pump) to bubble through the wort for 2-4 minutes.

 

[Ward Chillington]

I use distilled water but not boiled, (don't ask) is safe to reuse?

Please explain this ...what did you use the distilled water for? Sterilizing the jars or to "wash" the yeast to get it like you showed in that last picture?

What I do is to just slosh the carboy around to stir up the cake after I have bottled and dump about a quart off into a sterilized mason jar, put on the lid, also sterilized, and not right then off to the fridge it goes.

All that "washing" and "rinsing" you see on the internet is just another opportunity to pick up a bug you don't want IMHO!

And liked mentioned, yeah, pour off the old beer before you pitch the yeast slurry.

 

[west1m]

I use the method @Ward Chillington describs if I save yeast. I do pour off the liquid before use.

 

[Mastoras007]

I think this is something i would put off. Once you get 3-4 good batches, with no infections, that turned out really well. Then i would try yeast harvesting. Just my opinion

probably i wil throw it, i just want to make the prosses 2-3 times to try it.
But wen i'm sure i will reuse it

 

[Mastoras007]

Please explain this ...what did you use the distilled water for? Sterilizing the jars or to "wash" the yeast to get it like you showed in that last picture?

What I do is to just slosh the carboy around to stir up the cake after I have bottled and dump about a quart off into a sterilized mason jar, put on the lid, also sterilized, and not right then off to the fridge it goes.

All that "washing" and "rinsing" you see on the internet is just another opportunity to pick up a bug you don't want IMHO!

And liked mentioned, yeah, pour off the old beer before you pitch the yeast slurry.

i use distiled water to ''wash''.
jars was boiled,
i'm thinking on my next batch to use this yeast on a small batch just to test it, 2-3 liters

 

[Zambi]

i use distiled water to ''wash''.
jars was boiled,
i'm thinking on my next batch to use this yeast on a small batch just to test it, 2-3 liters

Go for it.
We already know you are not a quitter

But yeah, couple conventional beers without infection first

 

[Donoroto]

probably i wil throw it, i just want to make the prosses 2-3 times to try it.
But wen i'm sure i will reuse it

Before throwing the yeast away, try that simple apple cider we discussed. Just use apple juice with no preservatives (or only vitamin C, Ascorbic Acid).

Don't rinse the yeast, it can do more harm than good.

 

[Craigerrr]

I think this is something i would put off. Once you get 3-4 good batches, with no infections, that turned out really well. Then i would try yeast harvesting. Just my opinion

I agree 100,000% with this.
You have had some struggles making your beer without an infection. If I were you I would concentrate on getting consistently good results before introducing something new like this.
Maybe not the advice you are looking for...

 

[Bigbre04]

i use distiled water to ''wash''.
jars was boiled,
i'm thinking on my next batch to use this yeast on a small batch just to test it, 2-3 liters

You should not "wash" the jars with anything besides leave-in sani.

If you must reuse the yeast, the best way todo it is the boil the jars and the lids and then cap them and let them cool. they will pull a vacuum, but this will tell you that they are sanitized and stayed that way. I would use "canning jars" they are easy to get in the states, look up Ball jar.

as others have said, I would get good beer consistantly with fresh yeast each time and then try your hand at reusing yeast.

at this point in your brewing journey, reusing yeast adds multiple extra steps that could contaminate your process. until you get good beer consistently i would focus on the basics.

 

[Mastoras007]

I brewed today my 5th or 6th batch with biab mot sure about the number.
I didn't use this yeast, I'm keeping it in refrigerator.
I will give it a try to make apple cider,
But Wen I'm ready i will reuse yeast for sure,

 

[Ward Chillington]

i use distiled water to ''wash''.
jars was boiled,
i'm thinking on my next batch to use this yeast on a small batch just to test it, 2-3 liters

If you're going to "wash", do it with sterilized water. Distilled is just mineral free and close to neutral in pH.

 

[Bigbre04]

If you're going to "wash", do it with sterilized water. Distilled is just mineral free and close to neutral in pH.

No need to wash a boiled jar. I use Nalgene bottles. I soak them in 185 water for 30 mins. Pull them out spray the inside with isopropyl and loosely put on the lid while they cool. Once cool, I close the lids and they are ready for when I need them.

When I'm using them I open them and dump out the iso that is remaining and fill them with yeasties.

 

[Minbari]

No need to wash a boiled jar. I use Nalgene bottles. I soak them in 185 water for 30 mins. Pull them out spray the inside with isopropyl and loosely put on the lid while they cool. Once cool, I close the lids and they are ready for when I need them.

When I'm using them I open them and dump out the iso that is remaining and fill them with yeasties.

Think he meant washing the yeast itself, not the container

 

[Bigbre04]

Think he meant washing the yeast itself, not the container

Gotcha. Also I wouldn't do that. Iv never done it in all of my time brewing. It's not really common unless you a seriously large brewery with a lab setup. As far as I know.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I harvest yeast a lot. I don't "wash" like the YouTube videos. I simply use a clean and sanitized stainless steel ladle and scoop out into Ball canning jars. I've had no issues at all.
Sometimes I just rack another beer or cider on the yeast etc. left in the fermenter.

 

[Bigbre04]

I harvest yeast a lot. I don't "wash" like the YouTube videos. I simply use a clean and sanitized stainless steel ladle and scoop out into Ball canning jars. I've had no issues at all.
Sometimes I just rack another beer or cider on the yeast etc. left in the fermenter.

Totally. That makes sense.