bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
Pretty much says it... how can I salvage yeast when I have a gallon of solids in my carboy? I've tried straining them out with a jarge funnel and hop sack, but the hot/cold break just plug everything up.
How to save my yeast from amidst the trub and break?
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bottlebomber
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Yes yes I've read the sticky 30 times... im dealing with a massive amount of trub here, and the yeast sticky doesn't address this
Brew_4iT
Well-Known Member
It will settle out and layer if you refrigerate it for at least an hour. Then you should be able to collect want you want and ditch what you don't.
broadbill
Well-Known Member
I've found that if you don't add enough water to the yeast when washing, the trub won't fall out.
Also, I've found that it better not to be greedy and try to wash the entire yeast pancake. I just take a 1 Qt. mason's jar worth to wash and dump the rest.
Also, I've found that it better not to be greedy and try to wash the entire yeast pancake. I just take a 1 Qt. mason's jar worth to wash and dump the rest.
It's not going to help you now, but the best way is not to put all those solids in your fermentor in the first place. I usually let everything settle out in my kettle after chilling for an hour or so, and then drain off the top into my fermentor.
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bottlebomber
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All great suggestions, thanks a lot. I think part of the problem is that with some of the yeast strains that im using, they flock so fast that its a challenge to get good separation
What can't help me now can help me later... for me, I do let the kettle settle, but the break is like a 4 inch sludgy sponge that is holding a gallon of beer... beer that im not ready to say goodbye too. When I was doing extract, the break is only about a half inch so its no big deal, but now that im making large AG batches I can't help but wonder how people deal with this
azeeb said:
What can't help me now can help me later... for me, I do let the kettle settle, but the break is like a 4 inch sludgy sponge that is holding a gallon of beer... beer that im not ready to say goodbye too. When I was doing extract, the break is only about a half inch so its no big deal, but now that im making large AG batches I can't help but wonder how people deal with this
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Floc. rate has nothing to do with how fast yeast settle during washing. It has to do with particle size. Trub particles being bigger settle faster than smaller particles (i.e. yeast). If you are washing yeast, the yeast have already flocculated, that process is done. The process of flocculation occurs because yeast become less active/become dormant post-fermentation. They then settle out at the same rate as they do when you wash them. I hope this was clear.
Hop sock/Bag will contain most of the trub. Everything else I let go into the fermenter. I have very little trub
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bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
broadbill said:
Are you doing extract brews? Because I used to be able to skim ALL the trub out when I was extract brewing, it wasn't until switching to AG that I started looking for a solution to this. I can't picture doing AG and having very little trub unless there's some magical secret im missing
Are you vorlaufing? Using a hop sock?
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bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
weirdboy said:
Recirculating? Im using the stainless steel braid/cooler setup and the wort comes out crystal clear after the first 8 ounces. I put that back through, but the problem isn't there, its with the protein break in the brew kettle. There's no way to separate the protein out before you boil as far as I know
As I said before, a hop sock used to cut it when I extract brewed, but with AG there is 5-10 times as much break material in the kettle, and a hop sock doesn't cut it. I've been searching on here and haven't found a good way to clear it out yet. Maybe there's a build in my future
broadbill
Well-Known Member
Nope I do AG too. To be honest, with the exception of the hop sock, I don't worry about the trub too much. I used to whirlpool before transferring to the fermenter (have you tried that?) but don't bother with that anymore either. Whatever left goes in.
Are you going a bit mad with Irish moss or something? Seems like a lot of break material.
And yeah, take only a small amount and wash that, not the whole thing. When I do 2.5 gallon batches split between two carbouys I only wash yeast from one and get plenty for the next batch or a couple of batches.
And yeah, take only a small amount and wash that, not the whole thing. When I do 2.5 gallon batches split between two carbouys I only wash yeast from one and get plenty for the next batch or a couple of batches.
Hang Glider
Beer Drinker
I let it all fall into the fermenter from the boil kettle. When I'm salvaging yeast, I get two mason jars, sanitized. I add boiled, cooled water and add to the bottom of the fermenter after transferring (to secondary, bottling bucket, keg). Swirl well, pour it into the two mason jars and begin yeast washing procedures - I usually condense down to one jar, then half a jar, then call it good enough. Sure there's some trub left, but it all goes into the next batch...
I get that much break, especially when using german malts. I brewed an alt this week, and had to fight to keep it from boiling over for almost 15 minutes. I probably left a gallon of break material / sludge behind in the kettle. I usually brew 6 gallons to compensate.
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bottlebomber
Well-Known Member
ChillWill said:
I do use a little more than recommended amounts of moss now that you mention it... in that case though, isn't the separation a good thing?
And maybe I do have greedy expectations for my yeast harvesting...
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