Yeast question

[mrsupraboy]

So I recently did a js150l using 001 Californian yeast. To my surprise it finished within 4 days. Started 1048 finished 1004. I then tipped another one over the top of the yeast 1062. A bit stronger.

I'm looking at finally making my ginger beer this weekend and was wanting to reuse the yeast. The new js150l has only been fermenting a week and was wondering has anyone cheated and secondary fermented to use the yeast. It's gonna be a 10%ginger so I was just thinking about doing a wash to all the yeast the re pitching the whole amount. I might even give a calculator ago with repitching.

Tried downloading Mr malty on my phone but would rather pay for the computer version and at that time had no computer.

Note haven't taken a hydrometer reading yet due to not living were I brew so going there tonight. Could even been done already

 

[Spiesy]

Probably a good idea to leave your beer on the yeast a little longer than four days.

I don't understand what you mean by the "cheating" with "secondary" comment, sorry. Can you please explain?

Do you mean racking to secondary so that you can get access to the yeast from the primary?

 

[mrsupraboy]

Yes racking to secondary, the first beer was finished in 4 but I left it for 8.

 

[rehabs_for_quitters]

If I was you I'd be boiling up some DME and once chilled rack off a couple of hundred mls of wort from your batch that's fermenting and use that active yeast to make a starter for the ginger beer that way you can use the yeast and also let your beer finish doing its thing, quick and easy as the yeast is already active in your beer so shouldn't be much lag to get the starter ripping

 

[mrsupraboy]

I could bet u my beer is already finished fermenting but won't no till tonight

 

[rehabs_for_quitters]

fingers crossed its not quite there then just nick some wort and your away

 

[Mickcr250]

You would have to do a few steps for that starter though wouldn't you

 

[mrsupraboy]

I don't think u quite comprehend what I'm trying to say. Most people rack to secondary after a week but do they sometimes do it earlier if need be to get some yeast

 

[mrsupraboy]

Meaning most fermentation is done and only a little bit left. Some yeast in my thinking has already fallen asleep. And dropped

 

[Spiesy]

You could, yes.

 

[primusbrew]

Meaning most fermentation is done and only a little bit left. Some yeast in my thinking has already fallen asleep. And dropped

If I were you I would wait until fermentation is complete and most of the yeast has dropped out. If you harvest the yeast that has flocculated early you run the risk selecting only the lazy yeast that could cause you issues when you repitch it. It is essentially the same as selective breeding with you selecting the highly flocculant members if the population.

It is also said that racking off too early can stop the yeast from cleaning up some of the fermentation by products and that leaving it in primary for longer will result in a cleaner beer.

These are just possible risks though and I bet if you do what you are proposing it will probably be ok.

Also, my understanding was that most people don't rack to secondary anymore. Just let the yeast finish doing its thing in primary and then keg or bottle. Happy to be corrected on this though.

 

[rehabs_for_quitters]

Yes but if the yeast hasn't all flocked out you've got the lazy buggers sleeping and the goodins still working so by taking some wort you should be selecting the fittest keenest little yeasties who are keen to keep working, so if you chuck them in fresh wort they will carry on as they were farting and burping, this is providing your ferment hasn't gone too far though

 

[Vini2ton]

I'm too lazy to rack to another unless maybe for oaking, which I'm musing about but been too lazy to put into action. Those yanks are always crapping on about their secondaries. Pointless exercise for my purposes. I'd give it a swirl, tap some out and make starter. Good luck what ever you choose to do.