Brew On Top

[numnum]

Hi everyone,just wondering what would happen if you did a brew,kegged it and started a new mix straight on top of the old sediment?

 

[mr_tyreman]

your pitching on dead yeast, trub and hop matter....vegemite, soap and all sorts of nasty flavours

dont do it...it will work....but dont do it, for the sake of good beer

google: yeast rinsing, thats the better way to re-use yeast

cheers

 

[kelbygreen]

done it a few times but with only beers with a clean ferment and no hops added into the fermenter. If you have to do it its a good way to save heaps of time, but that is usually taken up cleaning out the fridge after the krausen explodes out of the top of the fermenter and coats the fridge and floor lol

Edit: I dont CC when I pitch on the yeast. I rack to keg at ferment temps and it will kick off in about 30mins and finish in a few days so you can drop the ferment temp down to try to slow it down and control the mess but I have found it will still make a mess.

 

[Cube]

If your method is clean, sterile and on par with beer style, go for it. No issues like tyreman suggests if done correctly and with knowledge behind you.

 

[Cube]

If you have to do it its a good way to save heaps of time, but that is usually taken up cleaning out the fridge after the krausen explodes out of the top of the fermenter and coats the fridge and floor lol

Good point and you should run half the cake out the fermenter tap** before brewing on top of it. Otherwise there is too much yeast and it's party time for the yeast. Aim for maybe 1 cup or 250 mls yeast slurry left. That is plenty. Using a whole yeast cake has negative benefits and one is a huge mess.

** You can save this yeast for another brew in a sterile container for your next brew. No problems.

 

[numnum]

Awesome,thanks for that.kegging tomorrow if I get enough time away from work.its just a double brew of black rock pilsner,nothing flash.I'll see how eager I am at the time.thanks again!!

 

[Guysmiley54]

What if you've added gelatin to aid settling? Can you still pitch on top?

In regards to measuring, would it make more sense to use a pitching calculator and work out how much slurry to save pour and measure it into a cup and wash out the remains before re-pitching? Or is a rough guess close enough for jazz...

Just thinking about off flavours too... If the second ferment is quick, it could be a good idea to rack into secondary once fermentation settles down to control contact with the nasty stuff?

 

[kelbygreen]

I have never noticed off flavours, a very slight difference sometimes better sometimes not. I brew 42lts and the beer that goes ontop is the same as the one that came out. Also when I get to do a side by side the first one has been in the keg for 7-10 days longer so that would affect it to.

 

[Guysmiley54]

I have never noticed off flavours, a very slight difference sometimes better sometimes not. I brew 42lts and the beer that goes ontop is the same as the one that came out. Also when I get to do a side by side the first one has been in the keg for 7-10 days longer so that would affect it to.

So you're brewing the same brew twice in a row? That's a pretty good way to get a comparison. You must love your house beer though!! What is it?

Maybe I should just leave the gelatin out of this one? There are also cube hops in the fermenter too....

 

[Cube]

Gelatin is fine in the trub. So is hops. If concerned, rack the beer onto gelatin in another vessel.

 

[Guysmiley54]

Gelatin is fine in the trub. So is hops. If concerned, rack the beer onto gelatin in another vessel.

That's what I wanted to hear Only way to find out is to suck it and see Cheers

 

[mr_tyreman]

If your method is clean, sterile and on par with beer style, go for it. No issues like tyreman suggests if done correctly and with knowledge behind you.

yeah, what would i know...

 

[kelbygreen]

its not a house beer I brew 42lts at a time and ferment only 21 lts at a time. So I am pitching the same beer on the same yeast alot. I will use different yeast to see whats better sometimes but alot I pitch the same yeast. I have done a few pitching onto the cake as I am lazy and the yeast is in there and i cant be stuffed cleaning the fermenter so pitch on the yeast .

as cube said it would be best to collect prob half the yeast cake and then pitch on the other half as you get vigorous ferment with pitching on the lot.

I wouldnt recommend it be practice but I have done it many times with no real dramas, My beers are not comp beers and I am not a judge of beers if I like a beer I drink it thats all I care about. If you want to get into making the best beer you can then dont repitch the yeast, if you want to make beer you might enjoy do what you like as long and the beer taste good to you who cares?

 

[bugeater]

I did this earlier this week. Bottled an IPA which was fermented with US05 and chucked another 1.060 OG IPA on the yeast cake. Did it in the evening and by the next morning it was going nuts. Pushed its temperature up about 4 degrees above ambient and was pretty much done by 48 hours. I think I'll remove a lot of the yeast cake if I were to do this again.