Reusing Yeast From Secondary

[Nick JD]

I forgot to collect some yeast when transfering to secondary and was wondering if anyone here collects trub from secondary to repitch?

Seems to me to be a lot cleaner yeast (with no break material etc) - but will I have issues with it being not as flocculent, or not as healthy or anything?

It's in a 1.045 lager sitting at 3C. WY2001.

 

[Yob]

It will be less flocculent and probably more attenuative, it might be harder to clear the resulting beer.

 

[SG9090]

I often plan my brewing to enable me to drop my new brew straight on top of my secondary yeast cake. Works perfect for me never had any issues what soever. I also often dump the total contents of my secondary yeast into a sterilized coke bottle and refrigerated for several weeks and used this for a new brew, again i could not complain about any issues.

Cheers,

Shane

 

[Yob]

Was on a Brewing Network Podcast, cant remember which one, but was stated as above. (Probably over multiple harvests from memory)

Yob

 

[SG9090]

I always start with liquid yeasts, and only ever re-pitch 3 times, never 4. I remember somewhere reading it is OK to re-pitch up to 4 times. I guess if im re-pitching 3 times then, that really reduced the cost of the original liquid yeast, Im with the recommendations that i can remember, and i have no issues of any type.
This may not work for anyone else but it dose work well for me.

Shane

 

[unco_tomato]

@SG9090

Some ale strains can actually be re-pitched 10-15 times if kept healthy, but chances are you can't verify the health of your yeast beyond how well it performed in the previous brew. For home-brewers and lager strains it's best to keep harvest and re-pitching <5 times.

(source: yeast - brewing element series).

As for re-pitching secondary yeast, I'd say you're accurate in assuming the yeast will be slightly less flocculent and higher attenuating. Depending on the kid of beer you're chasing though, that could be desirable Given it's a lager yeast though, it may not be completely ideal. I'm making a "Burst Hop" pale Ale at the moment with Coopers yeast I harvested from my previous IPA secondary as I want it to stay a little cloudy.

 

[Wolfy]

You're practicing natural selection by taking the yeast from secondary.
Depending on your procedures and how and when you transfer to secondary etc, the more floculant, fatter (they sink quicker lol) and healthier yeast (yeast in secondary has been around longer is all) were left in the primary.

It should not hurt to do it for a small number of re-pitches, but it really does depend on how clear the beer was when transferred and how much yeast was actually left behind.

 

[mr_tyreman]

I often plan my brewing to enable me to drop my new brew straight on top of my secondary yeast cake. Works perfect for me never had any issues what soever. I also often dump the total contents of my secondary yeast into a sterilized coke bottle and refrigerated for several weeks and used this for a new brew, again i could not complain about any issues.

Cheers,

Shane

Love ya style mate, everything 'they' tell you not to do....you do it...and well heck, it bloody works!