Help! First time washing yeast?

[ChaddyWa]

This is my first time washing yeast. Need help identify the layers. Is the bottom layer trub or yeast?

I’m thinking I need to do a wash again...do I keep the middle layer?

 

[Metalhead_brewer]

most of the bottom layer is trub, yeast layer is the clearest one and you have a lot of yeast still in suspension, you sould have washed it one more time to get a thinner set of trub layers, but you can use it as is with no problems.
Yeast is the last to settle so is always on top and it has a very light pinky color.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Allow me to simplify your process:

1. Boil 1/2 gal of water i a pot then and cool it in the sink with ice and water.
2. Sanitize two 1 gallon jugs and a funnel.
3. After the water is cool (about 70F), pour it into the primary and swirl the yeast off of the bottom.
4. Pour the yeast slurry into 1 jug (use the funnel). Let it sit (about 10 minutes) until you see the very top of the water starting to clear. By this time all of the heavy trub will have fallen to the bottom.
5. Wash and sanitize the funnel again.
6. SLOWLY pour off just the cloudy (yeast) water from jug #1 into jug #2. Make sure you do not pour anything except the water. This leaves behind all of the trub.
7. Let jug #2 sit for about 10 mins. If the bottom has a layer of creamy yeast forming then you have a success. Allow the yeast to fall out. You can put it in the fridge to speed up the process.

If there is a dark layer on the bottom then you transferred too much of the initial water/slurry. I've done this before. Just stop trying to get all of the water from the initial pour. There is PLENTY of yeast in the initial water transfer.

8. When the beer/water is fairly clear and there is a nice layer (an inch or more) of yeast in the jug you can take it out of the fridge.

I pour off about 75% of the water then swirl the jug to get the yeast off of the bottom.

9. At this point you can sanitize smaller jars to transfer the remaining yeast into.

I label the jars with the date, type, the batch it came from and its generation.

 

[Sadu]

IMO, washing yeast is a waste of time and effort. Instead just scoop up the yeast slurry from the fermentor and put it into a sanitised jar in the fridge.
The viability from this is completely fine. You'll get an extra 50ml of trub or whatever, but that doesn't affect anything.
Some people say that the yeast is better protected by having a layer of beer above it vs a layer of water. The alcohol helps keep critters out.

 

[rhys333]

This is my first time washing yeast. Need help identify the layers. Is the bottom layer trub or yeast?

I’m thinking I need to do a wash again...do I keep the middle layer?

You're best off not washing the yeast at all. Many brewers collect the trub from primary after packing the beer and simply transfer it directly into pint-sized (or similar) mason jars. Store it in the fridge until your next brew day. You can usually just pitch the slurry directly from the fridge, but if its getting beyond 3-4 weeks old, consider making a small starter. You shouldn't get any off-flavors or other side effects using this method.

 

[Jayjay1976]

IMO, washing yeast is a waste of time and effort. Instead just scoop up the yeast slurry from the fermentor and put it into a sanitised jar in the fridge.
The viability from this is completely fine. You'll get an extra 50ml of trub or whatever, but that doesn't affect anything.
Some people say that the yeast is better protected by having a layer of beer above it vs a layer of water. The alcohol helps keep critters out.

I've been doing exactly this for a while, storing the slurry in boiled 4 oz jars. It has been working well so far.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

You're best off not washing the yeast at all. Many brewers collect the trub from primary after packing the beer and simply transfer it directly into pint-sized (or similar) mason jars. Store it in the fridge until your next brew day. You can usually just pitch the slurry directly from the fridge, but if its getting beyond 3-4 weeks old, consider making a small starter. You shouldn't get any off-flavors or other side effects using this method.

Yep, i've been doing this for 3 or 4 years now. It's easy and it works great.

I even chatted with a commercial brewer who is a yeast expert on this, he suggested discarding the very top layer of yeast (which is likely deviants since they flocculated much later), and also leaving the bottom 1/4 in the jar (which is mostly dead cells and trub). I've been scooping the middle out with a sanitized spoon with good results.

 

[ChaddyWa]

Thanks guys! I combined the jars and washed it one more time. Got a pretty nice layer of yeast in the bottom (about a third of the jar). I decanted top layer and pitched it directly into the fermenter last night (IPA, OG 1.055). No action in the airlock yet (been little less than 24 hours). Should I be concerned? Have another jar of yeast that I could make a small starter with...

 

[Jayjay1976]

Thanks guys! I combined the jars and washed it one more time. Got a pretty nice layer of yeast in the bottom (about a third of the jar). I decanted top layer and pitched it directly into the fermenter last night (IPA, OG 1.055). No action in the airlock yet (been little less than 24 hours). Should I be concerned? Have another jar of yeast that I could make a small starter with...

Ideally the yeast would have been roused in a starter and bubbling away for a day or two before you pitched it into fresh wort. 24 hours lag time isn't a big deal, it should be bubbling furiously within another 12 hours. My very first batch took a full week to start fermenting, it was an AG kit with really old dry yeast but eventually it took off like a rocket and made a pretty good beer. RDWAHAHB.

 

[EtchyLives]

I just used a week old slurry of Nottingham that I decanted. Within 36 hours I had a nice krausen forming. A little slower than a fresh packet of yeast but far more viable yeast cells.

I initially had a quart of slurry. After a week of resting and decanting I had a little over a pint of slurry that I split between two 6 gallon batches. Between the two batches I saved $9.50 in yeast. I was a little hesitant since I've had mixed success with yeast slurry in the past, but my last two attempts have been very successful. Will continue.

I only will consider washing if I want to use recycled yeast from widely differing styles of beer (slurry from a stout for a pale ale).

 

[homebrewer_99]

I only will consider washing if I want to use recycled yeast from widely differing styles of beer (slurry from a stout for a pale ale).

I humbly disagree. I would not recommend using the slurry from a stout for a pale ale. There is too much residual roast and black malt flavor and color for a pale ale to mask.

The same can be said for using a hoppy slurry to use for a stout. They're not compatible.

There has been article's in BYO that have "recommendations" on the yeasts from varying beer styles to use, naturally, going from plain old beers to hoppier and darker brews.

I use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method. I reuse yeast for brewing the exact recipe it came from.

 

[bleme]

I reuse yeast for brewing the exact recipe it came from.

This is probably good advice for brewers who are interested in repeatability or competitions. There are many of us that never brew the same beer twice. And if my pale ale had a little roastiness (which I've never detected) I'd just consider it a bonus and drink on.

 

[EtchyLives]

I humbly disagree. I would not recommend using the slurry from a stout for a pale ale. There is too much residual roast and black malt flavor and color for a pale ale to mask.

The same can be said for using a hoppy slurry to use for a stout. They're not compatible.

There has been article's in BYO that have "recommendations" on the yeasts from varying beer styles to use, naturally, going from plain old beers to hoppier and darker brews.

I use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method. I reuse yeast for brewing the exact recipe it came from.

I agree with you. I use my slurry mostly for the same beer. I wash the yeast if I intend to use it for a different style.

 

[homebrewer_99]

This is probably good advice for brewers who are interested in repeatability or competitions. There are many of us that never brew the same beer twice. And if my pale ale had a little roastiness (which I've never detected) I'd just consider it a bonus and drink on.

All us us threw darts at the board to see what we would brew next, but eventually you will settle down to under 7 house brews.

 

[bleme]

All us us threw darts at the board to see what we would brew next, but eventually you will settle down to under 7 house brews.

I brew because it is the only way I can afford the variety that I crave. When I go to a restaurant, I never order the same thing twice and once I have tried their whole menu, I go somewhere else.

 

[rhys333]

I humbly disagree. I would not recommend using the slurry from a stout for a pale ale. There is too much residual roast and black malt flavor and color for a pale ale to mask.

The same can be said for using a hoppy slurry to use for a stout. They're not compatible.

There has been article's in BYO that have "recommendations" on the yeasts from varying beer styles to use, naturally, going from plain old beers to hoppier and darker brews.

I use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method. I reuse yeast for brewing the exact recipe it came from.

I haven't noticed it to be a problem using slurry from dark beer to ferment a pale one. That said, porter is the darkest I go and it's not overly roasty. With the tiny amount of slurry needed though, I wouldn't hesitate to try it on everything but the lightest of beers.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Advice is just that...advice. It's to be taken or not. Simple. Brew on!

 

[kh54s10]

All us us threw darts at the board to see what we would brew next, but eventually you will settle down to under 7 house brews.

When is this supposed to happen?? I have brewed 98 beers since July 1, 2011 I have used dozens of different yeasts. Once washed, a couple of times slurry, quite a few from my frozen yeast bank. But, I have never yet brewed exactly the same brew twice.

Added: And the next one is going to be with a wild yeast (I think) that I have gotten off a Hibiscus flower. After that I have a Mesquite smoked ginger beer to try. Who knows? But I will certainly pass 100 beers with no two the same. Too many ideas to try.

 

[LittleRiver]

... I would not recommend using the slurry from a stout for a pale ale. There is too much residual roast and black malt flavor and color for a pale ale to mask. The same can be said for using a hoppy slurry to use for a stout. They're not compatible...

The only time I've truly "washed" yeast was when I wanted to use the yeast strain I'd used in a stout for a pale beer. Call me stubborn, but I was determined to make it work rather than buy new yeast.

I put the slurry in a fridge, and every day for a few day's I'd pour off what had not settled to the bottom and add some fresh sterilized water (I didn't sterilize water every day, I boiled about 1.5 gallons of it at the beginning of the process).

This was all actually very easy to do, and after a few days the darkness of the stout was gone. It only took a few days, maybe 4? In the next beer I could not taste anything from the stout, nor see any color contribution.

 

[homebrewer_99]

When is this supposed to happen?? I have brewed 98 beers since July 1, 2011 I have used dozens of different yeasts. Once washed, a couple of times slurry, quite a few from my frozen yeast bank. But, I have never yet brewed exactly the same brew twice.

Added: And the next one is going to be with a wild yeast (I think) that I have gotten off a Hibiscus flower. After that I have a Mesquite smoked ginger beer to try. Who knows? But I will certainly pass 100 beers with no two the same. Too many ideas to try.

All I can say is congratulations. I hope you brew many more.

 

[homebrewer_99]

The only time I've truly "washed" yeast was when I wanted to use the yeast strain I'd used in a stout for a pale beer. Call me stubborn, but I was determined to make it work rather than buy new yeast.

I put the slurry in a fridge, and every day for a few day's I'd pour off what had not settled to the bottom and add some fresh sterilized water (I didn't sterilize water every day, I boiled about 1.5 gallons of it at the beginning of the process).

This was all actually very easy to do, and after a few days the darkness of the stout was gone. It only took a few days, maybe 4? In the next beer I could not taste anything from the stout, nor see any color contribution.

Hey, whatever works for you is none if my business...go for it. All I did was give my 20+ years of brewing advice.

 

[ChaddyWa]

Another random question. After transferring the beer from the primary...how long can I wait to collect the yeast/trub? I have two batches that I kegged on Thursday night which I haven’t gotten around to collecting. Buckets are empty, but there is still a nice yeast cake at the bottom of each. They are sitting in my fermentation chamber at 68 degrees. Should I just throw them out?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Another random question. After transferring the beer from the primary...how long can I wait to collect the yeast/trub? I have two batches that I kegged on Thursday night which I haven’t gotten around to collecting. Buckets are empty, but there is still a nice yeast cake at the bottom of each. They are sitting in my fermentation chamber at 68 degrees. Should I just throw them out?

I pre-boil 1/2 gal water and cool it while racking. I pour the chilled water on the yeast cake right after racking the beer off.

I never gone longer than 1 hour after racking so I can't say. But, you have nothing to lose except time. Go for it.

 

[rhys333]

Another random question. After transferring the beer from the primary...how long can I wait to collect the yeast/trub? I have two batches that I kegged on Thursday night which I haven’t gotten around to collecting. Buckets are empty, but there is still a nice yeast cake at the bottom of each. They are sitting in my fermentation chamber at 68 degrees. Should I just throw them out?

I transfer to mason jars immediately, and then straight into the fridge. Would I harvest yeast slurry if it had been sitting at room temp for 3 days without beer on top to protect it? No, but that's just me.

Reason being, I wouldn't risk ruining a batch and an afternoons work for the price of some fresh yeast.