WVBeerBaron
Well-Known Member
My first attempt at yeast washing. The yeast I am washing is White Labs Calif. Ale Yeast. I boiled my mason jars in my brew pot and let them cool for a few hours only to discover the lids began rusting.
So, in the style of one of the best 80's shows ever, I grabbed whatever was around me. 5 beer bottles, caps, a heavy glass beer pitcher and 3 pints of water. I sanitized everything, then poured the sanitized 3 pints of water into the fermentor and sloshed around. I then poured this mixture into the pitcher, covered with plastic wrap and put in the frige for an hour. After an hour I had two bottles worth of yeast slurry that I decanted into the sanitized bottles. I let it sit again, this time overnight. This morning I had two more bottles worth of slurry. I capped all of the bottles, labeled them and tossed them in the fridge for the next brew. In total I have four 12oz bottles of slurry. I though this worked very well. Seemed less time consuming than boiling jars and water.
My only concern is will the bottles carbonate or explode due to on-going fermentation? Even if they do carbonate a bit does that really matter?
All-in-all if this works out I have enough yeast for 5+ batches for the price of $7. A $35+ savings!
So, in the style of one of the best 80's shows ever, I grabbed whatever was around me. 5 beer bottles, caps, a heavy glass beer pitcher and 3 pints of water. I sanitized everything, then poured the sanitized 3 pints of water into the fermentor and sloshed around. I then poured this mixture into the pitcher, covered with plastic wrap and put in the frige for an hour. After an hour I had two bottles worth of yeast slurry that I decanted into the sanitized bottles. I let it sit again, this time overnight. This morning I had two more bottles worth of slurry. I capped all of the bottles, labeled them and tossed them in the fridge for the next brew. In total I have four 12oz bottles of slurry. I though this worked very well. Seemed less time consuming than boiling jars and water.
My only concern is will the bottles carbonate or explode due to on-going fermentation? Even if they do carbonate a bit does that really matter?
All-in-all if this works out I have enough yeast for 5+ batches for the price of $7. A $35+ savings!