Yeast washing

[morky92]

Okay so, I have 2 gallos of OG 1.100 barleywine. It has fermented down to 1.042 after 2 weeks. I just racked to secondary. Can I wash the yeast, then repitch to try to get the fermentation going again?to get the last few points off?

 

[Jeepaholic]

Okay so, I have 2 gallos of OG 1.100 barleywine. It has fermented down to 1.042 after 2 weeks. I just racked to secondary. Can I wash the yeast, then repitch to try to get the fermentation going again?to get the last few points off?

Possibly but I wouldn't guess you would get much more from that yeast. It may simply of given up. What kind of yeast is it? Also how did you treat it? Examples: O2, starter, nutrients.

 

[morky92]

No 02, no starter. I usually do a starter but this was kind of a "garbage" beer, I mean I Was just using up some old stuff I had. And ended up with this ridiculous OG. So if the yeast has no more to give then what is the point of washing at all? It's a London ale yeast smack pack.

 

[Coff]

Washing and repitching that yeast isnt going to do anything at all, that yeast is stressed and dying off most likely. Youre better off just grabbing a clean ale strain and repitching to see if it will further attenuate.

 

[Jeepaholic]

Washing and repitching that yeast isnt going to do anything at all, that yeast is stressed and dying off most likely. Youre better off just grabbing a clean ale strain and repitching to see if it will further attenuate.

Agreed. If you want to chew off some more I would recommend WL 099, or since it was a 'garbage beer" you could try a $1 packet of champagne yeast. I would make a mini starter with a little DME and pitch it while it is actively fermenting.

Edit: come to think about it. Since it was a "garbage beer" what was the grain bill? You may just have a crap ton of nonfermentables from specialty grains.

 

[morky92]

Grains steeped up to 177degrees, in 2 gallons of water added extract. Boil 60 mins. The gravity after boil was like 1.132? Diluted with another gallon of water to get down to 1.100 pitched entire contents of yeast pack.