How do I save the yeast?

[Pyg]

I used A-10 the darkness for my last stout.
Since it was a little pricier I was looking to save it and use it in my next stout.
I have read a lot of threads on my washing yeast and saving.
Am I correct that I can do 1 of 2 things:

1- pour the liquid into a mason jar for later use
2-save the liquid and trub in mason jar and add to next batch?

If I do save the trub do I use it in a starter?

 

[seatazzz]

Just save the slurry left in the bottom in a sanitized mason jar. No need to "wash". Decant most of the beer remaining off of it first, leave a little bit to help liquidize the slurry and make it easier to scoop into the jar. A lot of us here do that very thing, I've never tried washing yeast, just save the slurry. As long as there weren't any nasty issues with the beer, it should be good for your next batch. A word of caution, however; take the jar out of the fridge about an hour before you are ready to pitch and loosen the lid. Pour off the liquid off the top, but leave a little bit to liquidize it again to help pouring. Keep a paper towel under the jar as it will probably make a small "yeast volcano" as it warms up. Use just like you would rehydrated dry yeast or liquid yeast. You'll probably get 2 1/2 standard mason jars of slurry from one batch, and just one of those jars will work for another 5 gallon batch. I've got yeast slurry in my fridge that has done well for 4+ consecutive batches.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

You can youtube "yeast washing" and do that (and refrigerate it). Or refrigerate it and reuse it as is. Either way, I would make a starter to wake it up and make sure its ready to go back to work. If your batch was really high hops and/or high alcohol, I would separate/wash it out a bit (if its going to be weeks or months before reuse), but if you are planning on brewing the same thing or similar very soon, just reuse it.

 

[Jtk78]

Good advice in posts above. Make sure you sanitize the mason jar and lid. Also, leave the lid a little loose until the yeast cools off so you're not pressurizing the jar.

I'll add lately I've been over building starters and saving yeast from that. Something to consider in the future.

 

[WFox93]

I've been interested in this myself as I begin to brew more and more, I'm entertaining shaving a few bucks off brew day expenses. I don't brew the same style consecutively often but have found myself going back to the same yeasts. How much will the slurry and little bit of beer left from a stout impact a pale or vice versa? Can I freeze this slurry and reuse that?

 

[BongoYodeler]

Great question Pyg, and thanks to all who have replied. I've only brewed a few batches so far and have been buying new yeast for each. Once I get my process down my next plan is to look for ways to cut costs. I've been thinking about the possibility of reusing yeast, heard it could be done, but have not investigated as of yet. This helps.

Along the same lines I bought a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer on Black Friday (arrived today). I plan on bulk buying hops and grains, at a better price, and then vacuum sealing them in batch-sized bags.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

You obviously don't want to use straight (not separated) slurry from a 150 IBU and/or 10% ABV stout, in a coors light clone. But if you are reusing it for the same or similar recipe, dump it on in. It's live healthy yeast, why buy more?

If you want to clean it a bit, separate it a couple times (also called "washing"). No need to go crazy lab grade level expense and effort. Just get most of the trub schmutz out of it. Videos and instructions are everywhere online for the how to. Keep it simple but keep everything extremely sterile. It will store in the fridge for a few months. Kick it in the a$$ by doing a starter before reusing it (this will also prove that it's still viable). It really is pretty simple if you have a gallon or two size glass jug and a few mason jars. I've done separating with jugs, my 2L starter flask and have since purchased a laboratory separatory flask. Any of these options work just fine.

My reason for reusing yeast isn't so much to save the $6 (although I will probably save a few more in future brews). I've harvested some yeasts from commercial beer dregs that I really like better than what's available at the local shop (i.e. Saison Dupont, Allagash White, etc) and like to share with friends that brew.

Happy yeast ranching!

 

[Grod1]

What i do, and highly recommend is have a case of Poland spring chubbys around. The bottles are sanitized and they are perfect size for 3-9 gallon pitches( depending on how thick it is).After you rack your beer just go ahead and open up a few/ fill em up. They will swell in the fridge but i have been doing this for over 6 months now and have had zero explode. i'm on gen 6 with the darkness right now.
if your worried you could spend the extra few bucks and get yourself seltzer bottles.

 

[Pyg]

Poured and saved.
Put the in the garage for cold storage

 

[BugEyedValiant]

I've been saving a small part of the starter in a small sanitized jar. I then build a new starter with it, seems like the most consistent way to reuse yeast.

 

[Calder]

As you get more experienced, you will learn about yeast washing (even yeast cleaning), saving starter wort for future use, freezing yeast, and ....... I used to buy 1 yeast pack a year just to get some variety. I don't think I have bought any the last 2 years; I have about 20 different yeasts I keep moving in and out of my brewing schedule.

But ..... to keep it simple ........ Yes, you can use the yeast at the bottom of the fermenter. When you have removed the beer (bottled, or secondary), swirl the fermenter, and pour the 'trub' into sanitized containers. I find pint mason jars to be very convenient.

Most sources say this should be used within a week or you should wash and use a starter. Bull! Yes, leaving it longer adds risk, but for us trying to save a few bucks, this is not that important. A couple of weeks ago I used unwashed slurry that was 5 months old. That is not my normal practice, but the yeast I thought I had ready to go was not there (I'd forgotten to label the container, so instead of gambling if it was a Belgian yeast or an English yeast, I went for something I know - not my normal practice). It worked fine.

Some guidance:

The whole cake has far too much yeast to be pitched. If using immediately, use only about a third (or less). Yeast dies, if it is a month, go for a half of the cake. If 3 months or more, the whole harvested cake would do. You want to let the yeast multiply, if you over-pitch, the beer will be brewed with old yeast.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I brewed today and pitched leftover yeast for the first time. It was wyeast 3068 harvested from a hefe I brewed 3 weeks ago. I pitched 6cl of slurry, hoping for a substantial underpitching to coax more esters out of this batch. If this works out I'm definitely starting a yeast bank; shaving $8 off each batch would let me brew more often and offset some of the cost of building a keezer.

 

[SoCal-Doug]

Here's some Allagash White bottle dregs all growed up. Made a really tasty Wit. I'll be using it again within a few weeks so I didn't go crazy on the washing. I'll make a starter before using it again.

 

[BearPig]

Why can't we just sanitize by filling these jars with star san for 20 minutes or so after a good cleaning, instead for all that boiling and cooling? Has any one done this?

 

[Jayjay1976]

Why can't we just sanitize by filling these jars with star san for 20 minutes or so after a good cleaning, instead for all that boiling and cooling? Has any one done this?

Sanitizing is not the same as sterilizing. For short term yeast storage it's okay, but if you plan to bank it for a while and/or want to re-use the same yeast for several generations, boiling is a good idea.

That being said, I don't boil my jars anymore, 7 generations later my Kölsch yeast is doing just fine. Just be really careful in cleaning and handling things and you'll be fine.

 

[MerlinWerks]

^^^This, been doing it for years. The boiling is good advice but I have never done it and go at least 8 generations with most yeasts.

It's also said that the yeast adapt to your brewhouse with successive generations and they also become more adept at converting other types of sugars in the wort.