Attempting to wash yeast.

[Tagobolts]

I have been wanting to harvest yeast for a while now. My last brew I emptied the trub, yeast and beer from the conical. Let it sit in the fridge for about 3 weeks now and wanted to start harvesting. However I do not see the distinct line of yeast (Or the three lines everyone talks about, beer/water, yeast and trub). Granted this batch had a lot more hops make it into the fermenter after there was a mistake moving it over.

I do have a batch I am going to pull either tonight or tomorrow to try again. Thoughts on the picture? Curious if I am just not looking, or if there is to much crap in there, or what the case may be. FYI this Mason jar is a gallon jar.

 

[Harleybrew32]

when i have washed yeast I do it the way Don Osborn and have had lots of luck.
now i usually save same some from my starter before pitching.
three weeks is a long time to leave it sit, i would dump and try again. click on the link in don osborn and watch the video.
cheers

 

[VikeMan]

FWIW, that video shows yeast rinsing, and not yeast washing. Yeast washing involves adding acid to kill bacteria.

 

[Horseflesh]

I just scoop and store yeast with no extra steps.

 

[Harleybrew32]

FWIW, that video shows yeast rinsing, and not yeast washing. Yeast washing involves adding acid to kill bacteria.

technically yes that is yeast rinsing

 

[Robert65]

Yeast rinsing is one of the most harmful things you can possibly do to yeast. Do not ever follow this zombie homebrew practice rooted in parroted misinformation in homebrew books. Just save the slurry under the beer it made, and repitch it directly. Don't worry about a little trub, trub doesn't propagate. Treated properly, yeast can be repitched indefinitely.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Yeast rinsing is one of the most harmful things you can possibly do to yeast. Do not ever follow this zombie homebrew practice rooted in parroted misinformation in homebrew books. Just save the slurry under the beer it made, and repitch it directly. Don't worry about a little trub, trub doesn't propagate. Treated properly, yeast can be repitched indefinitely.

To clarify.... are you saying to save the trub from the fermenter and toss that in?? How much?
Certainly never heard this before

 

[Robert65]

To clarify.... are you saying to save the trub from the fermenter and toss that in?? How much?
Certainly never heard this before

No, I'm just saying that if a little trub ends up in the jar with your yeast, don't worry about it. Don't rinse yeast just to separate a little trub, the harm far outweighs any possible benefit. You can still separate most of the trub from harvested yeast just by swirling up the beer and yeast in the fermentor and letting it settle for a minute or two before running off the slurry, and/or by doing the same with the jar of slurry just before repitching. And of course sending as clear a wort as possible to the fermentor in the first place will minimize the amount of trub in the fermentor.

 

[enkamania]

I pitched one yesterday that was almost 6 months old. I do a vitality starter, 4-5 hours before pitch.