harvesting yeast

[Doug.D]

Once yeast is harvested and cleaned, how long is it good for?

Is any one type of beer better than others for harvesting?

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I've just started harvesting yeast so I don't have any empirical evidence but, my research didn't turn up anything about using up harvested yeast any quicker than the liquid yeast pack you get from the home brew store. That is assuming you are stringent with sanitation. I've read on numerous posts that it is not necessary to wash the yeast. In fact it's a way yeast can get contaminated. I think the basic reasoning is that the less you touch something the less chance there is to contaminate it.

 

[BOB357]

Harvested yeast, just like packaged yeast is always best when fresh. Both lose viability at about the same rate and at a certain point will need to be grown up to the necessary cell count for the wort you'll be pitching or, at very least revitalized with a starter. Sanitation is also very important when harvesting yeast. The best type of beer to harvest from is a low to moderate gravity beer.

 

[Mark Farrall]

The rule of thumb I"m using at the moment is:

• Under a month, pitch straight from the fridge
• 1-3 months, make a 1 litre starter the day before or use a vitality starter approach
• Older, make a 2 litre starter 1-2 days before

I've adapted that from

. Found that really helpful.

And I use https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/ to work out how much. I just use the slurry yeast type.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Thanks for the vid Mark hes got a pretty slick process there. I mostly build my yeast starters off some saved yeast from previous starter.
Sometimes I pitch onto previous yeast cake if I find the beer has no flaws this is a no no amongst brewing circles Overpitching and all but I cant tell the difference.

Sanitation is key to good clean health yeast culturing. Since I've started HBing I've always just bought a yeast strain and pitched consecutively maybe 5-6 gens in then buy a new strain.

Things I look out for to tell me yeast are deviating from mother culture are lower attenuation and lower floculation (if that is an attribute of the yeast of course). And also tasting the starter supernatant before using yeast to guage if there are any funky bas#$ds in there.

 

[Hopfunk]

I’ve had a hard time using harvested yeast that’s older than a month. I only wash it one time, then make a starter with it every time.

 

[Doug.D]

Thanks for all the info. guy's great help

 

[Doug.D]

The rule of thumb I"m using at the moment is:

• Under a month, pitch straight from the fridge
• 1-3 months, make a 1 litre starter the day before or use a vitality starter approach
• Older, make a 2 litre starter 1-2 days before

I've adapted that from

. Found that really helpful.

And I use https://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/ to work out how much. I just use the slurry yeast type.

Thanks for the video, great information..

 

[Hawkbox]

Thanks for the vid Mark hes got a pretty slick process there. I mostly build my yeast starters off some saved yeast from previous starter.
Sometimes I pitch onto previous yeast cake if I find the beer has no flaws this is a no no amongst brewing circles Overpitching and all but I cant tell the difference.

Sanitation is key to good clean health yeast culturing. Since I've started HBing I've always just bought a yeast strain and pitched consecutively maybe 5-6 gens in then buy a new strain.

Things I look out for to tell me yeast are deviating from mother culture are lower attenuation and lower floculation (if that is an attribute of the yeast of course). And also tasting the starter supernatant before using yeast to guage if there are any funky bas#$ds in there.

I more or less do this too. But I will go lots of generations and I've never had one bad yet, I just tend to get bored and want to try a new yeast.