How long can a yeast cake stay alive...

I was planning on bottling my current batch today and brewing batch two and dumping it on the yeast cake. I've never done this before and wanted to try the technique, but my current batch is still bubbling 6/minute and doesn't look done.

(no I didn't check the OG I brew in a hydrometer free zone )

If I bottle my brew some time this week and have a naked yeast cake in the fermenter, how long will it live? I'm not interested in washing the yeast (great how to article though). Should I add some water so it doesn't dry out?

How long before they all die?

BrewOnBoard

that's a great question: i was planning on doing this on thursday & just assumed i was going to have to use it immediately..... i'll call the guys at the LHBS and will let you know what they say since they do it all the time over there....

I wash my yeast, but I've let the cake sit a couple of days before with no problems. No idea how long it would be viable, but I would guess you'd be fine within a week. I leave an inch or so of beer on top of the cake and just seal it back up.

LegitBrew said:

I wash my yeast, but I've let the cake sit a couple of days before with no problems. No idea how long it would be viable, but I would guess you'd be fine within a week. I leave an inch or so of beer on top of the cake and just seal it back up.

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NO! We can't leave a man behind! Oh, wait, I think that was something different I was thinking about....

Yes, leaving a little bit of beer sounds like a good idea!

BrewOnBoard

Wondering the same thing

You do not need to do the full washing procedure. Just pour it into a sanitised bottle, close it up and put it in the fridge. That will help preservation by reducing exposure to oxygen, lowering temperature and perhaps even reducing likelihood of infection.

el_caro said:

You do not need to do the full washing procedure. Just pour it into a sanitised bottle, close it up and put it in the fridge. That will help preservation by reducing exposure to oxygen, lowering temperature and perhaps even reducing likelihood of infection.

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I was gonna say just that.

The first time I used wyeast 1056, I didn't really like the flavor. I reused the trub for 2 or 3 batches before I actually tasted the first one.

Well, the last batch I made with it, I just poured a pint's worth of trub into a star-san'd pint jar and stuck it in the fridge.

Flash forward probably 3 weeks later, and I decided to do a Graff. Warmed up the pint jar to room temp, and tossed it in there. Airlock was bubbling within the hour. Them yeasties was HUNGRY! :rockin:

I've personally put a batch on a yeast cake that had been sitting for 2 1/2 weeks. Still worked. Yeasties are hard to kill. Really, they are. The issue that you will be looking at in waiting that long or longer will be if something unfavorable gets into the cake as well and picking up an infection. However, I just keep everything wrapped up and sealed and have not had a problem. Maybe I'm just lucky.

landshark said:

I've personally put a batch on a yeast cake that had been sitting for 2 1/2 weeks. Still worked. Yeasties are hard to kill. Really, they are. The issue that you will be looking at in waiting that long or longer will be if something unfavorable gets into the cake as well and picking up an infection. However, I just keep everything wrapped up and sealed and have not had a problem. Maybe I'm just lucky.

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Planning on doing just that this weekend. Have a yeast cake that's been in the sealed fermenter under a couple inches of beer for almost 2 weeks now. I also planning on doing a pretty big beer (1.096), so the pitch rate should be good. Maybe a little overkill, but not underpitched. Blowoff tube will be a must.

Question: Should I decant the 2 inches of beer on top first? I'm inclined to do so. The yeast cake was from a pale ale, planning on brewing a big IIPA.

landshark said:

"...if something unfavorable gets into the cake...

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I am with this guy...

If you do this in your house, with no wind blowing dust around that could carry "Little Beasties" you should be fine.

Personally I am starting to think it is really HARD to infect a beer.

13 years of major screws up and I have only had a couple even start to "go "south".

My latest goof was three weeks ago.

I have a three tiered system that I store outside under the deck, Keggles and all.

I brewed three days in a row and on the third day I was filling the Hot Water Tank while the Wort was being chilled, it overflowed and the water flowed down the sides and some of it in my beer. (Not the first time for this BONEHEADED MOVE.

So far I have not had a batch get infected...

So keeping the "air" off the yeast seems a good idea to make sure it does not dry out or oxidize... Beer or some cooled boiled water...

ELSE as suggested Scoop some in to a jar and refridgerate.

DPB

I've even gone so far as to rack my sweet wort to a fresh fermenter, aerate the wort, poor off the beer cap from the cake and pitch the loose cake.

I think with a healthy load of cells it's hard to infect a batch. Like naga77777 said; hungry yeasties.

Tom