Rinsing Yeast (in Pictures)

[stef]

I've just fermented a couple of cubes using s189. I have been using a very similar method to collect yeast as outlined by wolfy in the past, however with these batches i threw in (loose) a good measure of hop pellets for dry hopping. These dropped out of suspension during CCing, but when i collected my yeast, i had a good few inches of hops, trub & debris and (it seemed) not too much actual yeast.

So my thoughts are- make a starter out of the jar of yeast and trub and once its fermenting, transfer the fermenting wort to a different container and continue to build up a starter to grow the yeast, then once i have enough, collect the yeast.

Other option is to build the starter from a couple of bottles of the beer and take the yeast from there- as there is obviously no trub/hops etc... Any thoughts?

 

[hotchilli]

...... Is this typical for a lager yeast (bottom fermenting??) or is there something wrong with my technique?

Rather than try and get things exactly perfect, I decided to pitch the S23 yeast last night. I just poured off the wort layer and dumped the rest into the bottom of the fermenter (and then siphoned the new wort into the fermenter on top of the yeast). In the bottom of the jar was a very thick layer which stayed put and I didn't try to scrape it out - so I guess it had separated into 3 layers, I just couldn't see them. In any case, 8 hours later the airlock is bubbling away nicely, even at 12 deg C.

I've also separated and rinsed the US05 and Nottingham a second (third?) time, and I've now got some lovely creamy yeast ready to pitch. Thanks again Wolfy.

 

[DKS]

Sort of off topic :icon_offtopic:

Ive just grabbed the slurry from an American Brown.Pitched fresh Am Ale II. While there were no apparent dramas the beer has acute acetaldedhyde which apparently will be OK with conditioning.
My question is what about the yeast? Can this green apple be rinsed out? Is it a problem?
There is search results for this being in your beer but I cant find anything relavent about its effects on yeast to be harvested.
Anybody?
Daz

 

[Wolfy]

I just tried my first yeast rinsing after reading this thread. It was US05. I did not get a discernable trub layer afer leaving it overnight so should I just keep the middle part of the mixture? Also i just realised I ran the yeast slurry through the FV tap after leaving it on the bench for about an hr, so hopefully I did not pick up any nasties.

Hi Jake, what brewing process and ingredients did you use?
It may be (for example) that if you were brewing with kits/extract there would be virtually no trub and other break material.
It's really hard to describe the process better than the pictures, but it is really a trial-and-error thing, since each situation, each set of ingredients and each person's processes will be different.

 

[felten]

Sort of off topic :icon_offtopic:

Ive just grabbed the slurry from an American Brown.Pitched fresh Am Ale II. While there were no apparent dramas the beer has acute acetaldedhyde which apparently will be OK with conditioning.
My question is what about the yeast? Can this green apple be rinsed out? Is it a problem?
There is search results for this being in your beer but I cant find anything relavent about its effects on yeast to be harvested.
Anybody?
Daz

active healthy yeast will clean it up, and turn it into ethanol, shouldn't affect storage or repitching.

Unless its from an infection...

 

[DKS]

No infection apparent at this piont and its now in the keg.

Thanks Felton. Hopefully with a few rinses it'll be OK. :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[bignath]

just wondering, as i've started this process (and remarkably similar method) within days of wolfy posting this awesome guide, how long could someone feasibly keep a slurry for? Obviously assuming no infection etc...

I've got a few jars that i've been collecting to store my rinsed yeast in, but have a few of the McWilliams wine flagons that i intend to use for collecting slurrys. Can i keep collected slurry in these flagons (cleaned and sanitised) for any length of time so i can gradually keep taking samples to rinse from to build up quantity ready to pitch? or is there are time and temp where it's no longer any good??

Cheers in advance,

Nath

 

[Wolfy]

just wondering, as i've started this process (and remarkably similar method) within days of wolfy posting this awesome guide, how long could someone feasibly keep a slurry for? Obviously assuming no infection etc...

I've got a few jars that i've been collecting to store my rinsed yeast in, but have a few of the McWilliams wine flagons that i intend to use for collecting slurrys. Can i keep collected slurry in these flagons (cleaned and sanitised) for any length of time so i can gradually keep taking samples to rinse from to build up quantity ready to pitch? or is there are time and temp where it's no longer any good??

The 'Yeast' book suggests not directly repitching slurry if it is more than a week or two old, and that it should be stored in the fridge. If you collected - and continually added to - a large quantity of yeast slurry in a flagon, it would likely quickly turn into something resembling Vegemite.
Having said that, the smaller samples of washed-yeast, shown in the second post at the start of this thread, should keep fine in the fridge, and be good to pitch into a starter even in 6-9 months time.

 

[bignath]

The 'Yeast' book suggests not directly repitching slurry if it is more than a week or two old, and that it should be stored in the fridge. If you collected - and continually added to - a large quantity of yeast slurry in a flagon, it would likely quickly turn into something resembling Vegemite.
Having said that, the smaller samples of washed-yeast, shown in the second post at the start of this thread, should keep fine in the fridge, and be good to pitch into a starter even in 6-9 months time.

thanks wolfy, what i'm trying to do isn't continually add to a slurry, but take smaller samples from the slurry over time.

The collected slurry in the flagon will be kept in a fridge at around 4-5degrees and because i don't have as many jars as i would like at the moment, i was intending to gradually take 3-4 samples from the slurry to build up enough rinsed collected yeast to combine into one of my jars ready to pitch.

hope this makes sense.

Cheers,

Nath

 

[popmedium]

Top post mate, thanks a bunch. I'm a touch away from this kind of procedure but I'll file it in the vault for later.
:beerbang:

 

[Wolfy]

thanks wolfy, what i'm trying to do isn't continually add to a slurry, but take smaller samples from the slurry over time.

The collected slurry in the flagon will be kept in a fridge at around 4-5degrees and because i don't have as many jars as i would like at the moment, i was intending to gradually take 3-4 samples from the slurry to build up enough rinsed collected yeast to combine into one of my jars ready to pitch.

hope this makes sense.

Yep, that makes much more sense, but why not split the washed yeast in to 'individual' portions and store it in stubbies or similar?
That way you do not need to open it (and risk infection or the like) to take small amounts, you'd just pitch the entire small amount saved?

 

[bignath]

Yep, that makes much more sense, but why not split the washed yeast in to 'individual' portions and store it in stubbies or similar?
That way you do not need to open it (and risk infection or the like) to take small amounts, you'd just pitch the entire small amount saved?

Yeah, i 'spose i could do that. Hadn't thought of it to be honest.

Cheers mate.

Just out of curiosity, if it smells like yeast, and looks like yeast, GENERALLY would it be safe(ish) to assume that any amount of slurry in any vessel would still be ok to harvest from?? Once again, assuming no infection in beer that it came from, and stored in an appropriate way, at an appropriate temp??

Thanks for all of your help with this. (my first few forays into collecting and reusing yeasts)

Nath

 

[The Giant]

Had a shot at this tonight with the yeast from my wee heavy. So far got a nice top layer but no trub yet. Given it was a can brew with no hops or finings I'm guessing I prob won't be expecting much

In fact might got pour the first lot out and add some new water.

Cheers for this wolfy. I'm still scared about using it in a brew as I've never done this before and I don't trust myself Hahah but who dares wins!

 

[Yob]

been thinking through this process for a while now, with my new set up I'm pretty sure I can get away with, racking to bulk prime, wash out 500ml yeast, bottle the brew, seperate yeast/trub, brew new, and rinse/clean sanitise fv and repitch yeast from same FV in the one day...

I dont want to re pitch right on top of the trub.. besides I will not want the hops from the last brew in my next one.. probably..

anyway, nice one Wolfy.. helps to visualise the whole process and get a schedule going in the mind

:icon_chickcheers:

 

[ledgenko]

For the Giant , being a bit of a novice at yeast farming / recapturing I am curious to know the viability of yeast that has just had a rough trot with a "wee Heavy" being a higher alc beer ??

Open for comment and possibly WTF ???

cheers

 

[The Giant]

ledge to be honest I'm not sure. I guess the only way I'll find out is to successfully repitch this yeast.
The yeast I used was specifically for high alcohol beers as a wee heavy, mine was 6.5%
The krauzen on my original batch was massive and spewed out everywhere, I was actually worried about infection because I came home to find the gladwrap off and krauzen everywhere. The yeast stalled around 1024 so i added a teaspoon of yeast nutrient in hot water and it came down to 1012


After 24 hours and once pouring out the top layer, I'm noticing a pattern with mine (photo attached)
I seem to be getting a layer of foam/bubbles on top, then beer and then the creamy yeast underneath.
What would be the foam/bubbles on top?

 

[The Giant]

a​

 

[The Giant]

Wolfy?
Anyone?
haha

 

[Wolfy]

Try diluting it down by about 1/2 again, the 'Yeast' book suggests that by increasing the dilution that you should get more separation, however, if it was a kit-beer with nothing else added, I'm not sure you should expect too much trub since most of that break material is (I expect) removed in the manufacturing process.

 

[The Giant]

what do you reckon the bubbles/foam is on the top?

I've left it alone now for a few days, should I shake it up again and then let it settle out for 24 hours? or just take off the top wort part and add more water?