How do I harvest yeast and store it for a future batch?

[Beer Viking]

After I have harvested it how long is it good for? When you use harvested yeast in the pitch can you use it as is, or do you need to make a starter?

 

[jtratcliff]

If you use it within a few weeks, then you can direct pitch...
If you go a few months, I'd do at least a vitality starter...

I've revived rinsed yeast after almost a year in the fridge using a starter...

http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2012/12/yeast-washing-exposed.html
http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2013/01/yeast-washing-revisited.html

 

[Joshua Hughes]

I pour in a sanitized jar as is and keep in the fridge. I do small batches so I pitch half a pack and use that slurry for 3-4 more brews Over the next 6 weeks usually. Never had an issue

 

[wepeeler]

I overbuild my starters by about 100 billion cells using this site: Homebrew Dad's Online Yeast Starter Calculator. Use the starter within a week.

I tend to make additional starters with the yeast I overbuild, and keep overbuilding for future batches. I've gone as far as 7 generations. I use the harvested yeast like new 100 billion smack packs. Rebuild accordingly.

Unless you're talking about Kviek, and then 1 starter will last you dozens of batches, as I tend to only pitch a tablespoon per 5 gallons!

 

[peram]

Unless you're talking about Kviek, and then 1 starter will last you dozens of batches, as I tend to only pitch a tablespoon per 5 gallons!

off-topic I know, but it is spelled kveik

regs from Norway

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

I collect from bottom port of conical, cap on foam/overflowing, and keep in 16 ounce sanitized Mason jars in fridge. Warm up to wort temp and pitch one or two of these into 5 gallon batch; no starter. Has always worked great. Have kept for as long as 3 months, I think, and propagated seven or eight times from original.

 

[hottpeper13]

Wepeeler is spot on , exactly the way I do it.

 

[TenaCJed]

I overbuild my starters by about 100 billion cells using this site: Homebrew Dad's Online Yeast Starter Calculator. Use the starter within a week.

I tend to make additional starters with the yeast I overbuild, and keep overbuilding for future batches. I've gone as far as 7 generations. I use the harvested yeast like new 100 billion smack packs. Rebuild accordingly.

Exactly this!

 

[Golddiggie]

I harvested the yeast cake from the mocha porter I brewed a few months back when it was transferred to aging vessel (for a 5-6 week oaking session) into a couple of 1/2 gallon Mason jars (sanitized first). I've since combined them into a single jar. I'm planning to do some additional rinsing soon and then pull some of the good slurry and freeze it. The yeast that I used for the batch had been frozen for about 8 years. So I know it works. I have plenty of the 2L bottle pre-forms to use for freezing. I also have a bottle of food grade glycerin that I'll use to protect the yeast.

For reference, this was Wyeast 1882-PC, which was not available when I was planning the brew. It's still not available this quarter. Depending on how fast the current batch goes, we'll probably plan to brew it again for next fall. It's a really good cold weather brew (over 8% ABV).