Re-using Us-05

[theredone]

i know its been asked and explained before i just want to make sure i dont stuff anything up.

im about to bottle a batch that has been cold crashing for about 4 days so there is a good thick trub at the bottom and i want to reuse some of that yeast for my next batch.

so from what ive read ive got to boil a cup of water with 100grams of malt. tip into a sanitised pet bottle and scoop in a couple of teaspoons of trub, then fill with cold water, leaving a bit of breathing space, then throw on the bung. when it activly starts fermenting it is right to use?

a couple of things i am interested in.
1. can i use dex instead of malt, if its gotta be malt its coming out of my next bre
2. can i make a couple of bottles out of this trub so that i have a few starters for next batches, as planed recipes require US-05 also

cheers guys

 

[levin_ae92]

I just get to the last 2L in the fermenter, give it a gentle swirl to get some trub up, and bottle two (sanitised) long necks of trub, store in the fridge, and the let em get to pitch temp, pour off the liquid and chuck the trub right in on top probably not the best method, but works for me!

 

[Hatchy]

I've been thinking about this as well. Is there any value in reusing yeast apart from not having to buy more yeast? It sounds like a lot of hassle to save $3.75.

Edit: reading the previous post it doesn't sound like heaps of effort.

 

[theredone]

so do u feed them a little dex or malt before u store them? or before u pitch? or not at all levin?


5.75 for me hatchy. all things add up and it all becomes quite expensive if u want some good beers.

 

[Nick JD]

Remember you can always make starters from your own bottles. Make a few of them just to make them - the stuff was going down the sink anyway - so it's a good way to get your technique for stealing yeast down-pat using your own bottles.

Then steal some Coopers yeast ... and some Belgian Trappist ... and some LOOT LOOT LOOT, STEAL STEAL STEAL.

 

[dpadden]

I've been thinking about this as well. Is there any value in reusing yeast apart from not having to buy more yeast? It sounds like a lot of hassle to save $3.75.

Edit: reading the previous post it doesn't sound like heaps of effort.

Most brewers (professional) will tell you they get slightly different flavour profiles from subsequent generations of yeast, and in a lot of cases they believe it's better. So I guess it's not just about the cost.

If you are relatively new to brewing and using dry yeast, I would personally recommend to use a new pack each time and concentrate on more important things like keeping the yeast happy during fermentation with temp control etc. re-using yeast brings another variable into the equation, including the increased risk of infection.

 

[levin_ae92]

I dont feed them anything, just bottle and fridge

 

[Bribie G]

With the relatively more expensive liquid yeasts, around $10 a pop, I usually run them for three generations then get a fresh pack. However with some yeasts that are doing the rounds such as 1469 and 1768 they are released every couple of years and the only stock available has been cultured and recultured and passed on between brewers as it's the only way to get them.

It's a jungle out there

 

[manticle]

so do u feed them a little dex or malt before u store them? or before u pitch? or not at all levin?


5.75 for me hatchy. all things add up and it all becomes quite expensive if u want some good beers.

To store you want the yeast to sleep not ferment so boiled cooled water is enough. To rouse you want malt, not dex.

 

[theredone]

ok so im going to bottle the batch ive got atm then scoop a heap of the white crap from the top of the trub into a stubby. mix a cup of bioling water with maybe 50g malt, let it cool and add to my bottle with trub, then pitch into new batch. sound bout right?

 

[bullfrog]

ok so im going to bottle the batch ive got atm then scoop a heap of the white crap from the top of the trub into a stubby. mix a cup of bioling water with maybe 50g malt, let it cool and add to my bottle with trub, then pitch into new batch. sound bout right?

You don't want to be adding anything fermentable to it until about half an hour before you pitch it into your next batch. Also, it would be easier to pour the yeast slurry out of the fermenter tap than having to worry about sterilising a spoon so that you can scoop it out. It's how I do it (the few times that I actually buy expensive yeast) anyways.

 

[manticle]

ok so im going to bottle the batch ive got atm then scoop a heap of the white crap from the top of the trub into a stubby. mix a cup of bioling water with maybe 50g malt, let it cool and add to my bottle with trub, then pitch into new batch. sound bout right?

As above - forget the malt until you want to re-use it.

 

[Nick JD]

ok so im going to bottle the batch ive got atm then scoop a heap of the white crap from the top of the trub into a stubby. mix a cup of bioling water with maybe 50g malt, let it cool and add to my bottle with trub, then pitch into new batch. sound bout right?

Sanitised cup, fill with trub, cover with gladwrap ... chuck into new brew.

 

[jakub76]

Sanitation is really important when reusing your yeast. Every time you expose it or change vessels make sure you've cleaned, rinsed and sanitized everything you're using.

After I rack off the trub I add 500ml of cooled, boiled water and give the fermenter a swish around to put the yeast in suspension. I pour that liquid into a measuring jug, cover and leave it for about 15 minutes. You can see the darker trub which is basically rubbish and dead yeast settle on the bottom while the good yeast (lighter coloured) is still in suspension in the liquid. I decant that liquid into a jar and fridge it.

After a couple of days the yeast settles on the bottom. I then decant the water off and top up with fresh, cooled, boiled water - give it a shake and leave it in the fridge to settle out again. Usually by the third time the water comes out nice and clear. On brew day I take the jar out of the fridge to let it warm to room temperature. I boil 500ml of first runnings from my mash and cool it to around 22. I decant the water off the yeast and I pitch the new wort into the jar. By the time I'm ready to pitch into my fermenter the yeast is well and truly cranking so you shouldn't get any lag for an ale yeast.

That's how I do it and it works for me. Of course there's simpler and more complicated ways of doing it.

 

[zoidbergmerc]

My house mate steals my yeast out of my fermenter and makes his bread with it, the wildest thing is it tastes fantastic.

 

[theredone]

cheers for all the responses lads.

ended up just sucking about a third of a tallie through the tap once i was done bottling. fed it about 2 table spoons of LME boiled and cooled in a cup of water and within 20 mins its bubling.... now its kinda spewing a little so i might not give it so much next time.

off to go put a batch down and pitch this stuff. id say looking at the activity it already has it should go alright

 

[manticle]

No need to give it any malt mate.

None.

Zip.

Diddly.

UNTIL you actually want to use it for brewing.

 

[Screwtop]

There is a reason for everything, so why the large cell counts in dried yeast packs (not talking kit yeast)? Higher Total bacteria than liquid yeast:
< 5 / ml
Acetic acid bacteria*:
< 1 / ml
Lactobacillus*:
< 1 / ml
Pediococcus*:
< 1 / ml
Wild yeast non Saccharomyces*:
< 1 / ml
Pathogenic micro-organisms:
in accordance with regulation
*when dry yeast is pitched at 100 g/hl
i.e. > 6 x 106 viable cells / ml


Dried is cheap, use it fresh.

Want to repitch, good........do it, you will learn from the experience as I did. Without the benefit of a fermenting vessel racking arm, reusing yeast trub from the fermenter bottom in the homebrew situation is risky.

Screwy

 

[stew.w]

after i cold condition in the fermenter i keg it, pour out most of the slurry and then just put the next brew in the fermenter with the slurry thats still stuck to the bottom.
seems to work fine for me

cheers,

stew

 

[Yob]

Then steal some Coopers yeast ... and some Belgian Trappist ... and some LOOT LOOT LOOT, STEAL STEAL STEAL.
[/quote]

HA!! Well said my friend.. Im trying to reculture some captured CPA yeasties currently... Most exciting h34r: Method pretty much as laid out by jakub 76.. also Well said!!

Cheers!!