Dry Yeast Reuse?

[roach]

just wondering whether anybody reuses dry yeast(eg pitch onto a s04 yeast cake or even wash it). i have never done it nor am I interested in doing so, but wondered whether people actually do it or whether it is not really viable.

 

[Bobby]

no.
its cheap, no real point in doing it.

 

[pint of lager]

I have never reused yeast from a packet, but you can certainly do so if you wish. Is a great way to build up yeast numbers for a big beer.

Some of the brewers that I know have reused yeast from the bottom of the fermenter brewed with a batch of dried yeast.

 

[dicko]

Hi Roach,
I think it may have been Chiller that told me you can "harvest" Nottingham dry yeast as it is suitable due to its make up.
If he reads this I'm sure he will put you right.
Cheers

 

[PostModern]

I've repitched on a S-04 and K-97 yeast cakes with success. I have never harvested and stored from dried yeast tho. I mean, at $4 per sachet, why bother using $3 worth of DME to make up a starter?

 

[pint of lager]

I agree entirely PM, at $4 a packet why bother mucking around and risking infection? But maybe a brewer lives a long way from the brewshop, doesn't have any other yeast in the fridge and wants to brew right now. Just ask big D or Batz how much a packet of yeast costs posted to his place. So a frugal brewer may want to save some money and pitch onto some yeast cake.

 

[Hoops]

I have pitched onto the yeast cake using Safale with great success, and would recommend it as there is lots of yeast so you get a very short lag time. Wouldn't do it more than once ie 2nd generation as it is cheap enough to buy each brew or 2 and not worth risking infection.

Hoops

 

[roach]

thanks for the replies folks. As I tried to indicate in my original email, I know it isn't worth mucking around with an dry yeast as it is cheap and inferior cf liquid yeasts. Just wante to know peoples experiences

But if I happen to use some dry yeast, which I always have for a back up if the liquid yeast starter is suspect, it is comforting to know that pitching onto a yeast cake of say s04 has been tried and can be successful. Sensible advice Hoops about not repitching more than once. Would only likely need to do it once anyway, if stocks were low, had the brewing bug, and Chillers yeast starter bank was inaccessible .

I assumed that people wouldn't culture up dry yeast, but thought I'd ask if people had done it, so I can add this to my brewing trivia knowledge bank.

thanks again

cheers
roach

 

[Tony M]

Roach,
I have been using the same safflager 24/70 on and off since last June. It must be 5th. gen. and I reckon its still making a tastier lager than the Wyeast 2206 I'm also running. I am doing nothing more than sterilising with betadine (Pharmacy Direct $15.00 per 500ml) and will let you know when I get a spewey brew.

 

[Hoops]

wow, 5th generation! You're a gamer man than I am Tony

 

[Tony M]

Hoops,
When you are retired, losing a brewday gives you an excuse to have another, so I'm gonna run this stuff out until I make a barrel of fertiliser just to see how far it will really go.

 

[chiller]

Roach,
I have been using the same safflager 24/70 on and off since last June. It must be 5th. gen. and I reckon its still making a tastier lager than the Wyeast 2206 I'm also running. I am doing nothing more than sterilising with betadine (Pharmacy Direct $15.00 per 500ml) and will let you know when I get a spewey brew.

This will be an interesting experiment to follow. As long as the yeast [dry or liquid] is a single strain you can keep it going for an extended time.

On the very rare ocassions I have used dry yeast it was very fresh Nottingham given to me by the DrunkArab. The beer was ok, it tasted like dried yeast beer but as an experiment I collected some slurry and ttreated it like a liquid yeast and ran it through a starter process and pitched it as a living active yeast. The beers were so different. The beer from the collected live slurry had so much more complexity. And lacked the dry yeast tang. Recipe was the same, the only difference was the manner the yeast was used.

Sanitation... that is the word for anything yeast related.


Steve

 

[roach]

....as an experiment I collected some slurry and ttreated it like a liquid yeast and ran it through a starter process and pitched it as a living active yeast. ... The beer from the collected live slurry had so much more complexity. And lacked the dry yeast tang. Recipe was the same, the only difference was the manner the yeast was used.

very interesting Chiller. So from your post it seems that if you have to use a dried yeast then you should do yourself a favour repitch it to get a better brew.

 

[chiller]

very interesting Chiller. So from your post it seems that if you have to use a dried yeast then you should do yourself a favour repitch it to get a better brew. [/quote]
Yes Roach or pitch it at 15 minutes before flame out and call it nutrient

Live yeast, that is how they are meant to be.


Steve.

 

[PostModern]

chiller, I'd have to agree with the use as a nutrient for kit yeasts, but I'm pretty happy using a rehydrated S-04 or K-97 for a beer that wants a neutral phenolic character.

The results you have gotten stepping up dried yeasts are interesting. I can't say I noted a difference between the beers brewed with pitched K-97 and repitched slurry, but one was light and one was dark, so I possibly attributed the differences to the grain bill.

 

[RegBadgery]

I've pitched onto safale yeast cake many times and it has worked fine & produced some tasty beers - as the cake builds up I'd get rid of most of it but that's another story.

cheers
reg

 

[quincy]

My current brew was dumped on wlp001 yeast cake. I'm in a desparate hurry to get another brew down for new year.
Assuming I use the same or similar style brew, can I dump again on this yeast cake? That would mean three brews with the one yeast.
Generally how many times would you recomend as the limit with liquid yeast?

I understand that this is not the preffered way and when I'm on top of things in the new year I intend to re-use yeast in the proper way.
(can feel the shudders coming from Chillers corner !!! )

Cheers

 

[Hoops]

Quincy
If you are planning to pitch on the yeast cake make sure you take alot of the yeast out!
I brewed a pale ale with WLP001 then pitched my oatmeal stout onto the yeast cake and it went nuts!!
I had trouble keeping the temp down inside my fermenting fridge so my advice would be to only use a cup of the yeast slurry or it will turn into a frothing beast.

Hoops

 

[quincy]

Thanks Hoops.

When I rack I will drain some of the "sludge" and dump on top.

Cheers

 

[Tony M]

Just an update on my Dec22 post. I have run three more brews with that tired old safflager and I think its time to quit. The last two brews have not attenuated fully and have ended up a couple of points high and thus a little sweet. however there are certainly no evil flavours. In fact, my VB swilling mates think its a good balance.
When the last keg dropped down about three litres, I topped it up with an old brew that I had put in bottles as it was far too dry and bitter and that brought the keg back to my personal liking. I shall have to do the same with the one I kegged today.