I've never pitched on a cake, should I do it?

[Rolly]

I've got a surly furious (IPA) clone in primary right now with WLP007 dry english. I'm going to brew a 1.085 English Barleywine next week, and was wondering if I should just pitch it on top of the cake? Or should I just use half of it or so?

 

[ktillman1]

Do it!
:rockin:

 

[scottland]

No, don't do it. Over pitching is just as bad as under pitching. Go to mrmalty.com there is a pitch rate calculator there. Click on the re-pitch from slurry tab. Clean and sanitize a measuring cup. Pitch the amount of slurry they recommend for 1.085 wort. It's really easy to do it right.

 

[arturo7]

read this

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/why-not-pitch-your-yeast-cake-166221/

 

[ktillman1]

I am no pro by any means. I have been pitching on cakes for a couple years. It may not be the best practice. Maybe it is impacting my beers negatively? I do know I have never had a beer under attenuate using this practice. If you are entering it into a competition or really want to replicate a recipe. It might be best not to listen to guys like me!

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

I'm going to do it an hour from now. But then again I can barely stand and I'm dropping fritos everywhere so wtf do I know.

 

[Jaimez]

No, don't do it. Over pitching is just as bad as under pitching. Go to mrmalty.com there is a pitch rate calculator there. Click on the re-pitch from slurry tab. Clean and sanitize a measuring cup. Pitch the amount of slurry they recommend for 1.085 wort. It's really easy to do it right.

Totally disagree. Under pitching is far worse then over pitching. there have been MULTIPLE studies and tests one of which was done by BYO.
Now over pitching does have its issues. But how many beers under pitched won BJCP competitions?

I used to pitch right on top of my yeast cakes and have had GREAT results. Now i wash my yeast. I'ts so easy, so why not do it the right way.

 

[Clann]

I've done it many times with good results.

 

[pcollins]

Go ahead, you're fine.

I agree with most of the above, especially for a competition brew or something you're trying to replicate. If you're brewing for yourself the go ahead. It can certainly cut down on your yeast expenses.

Personally, I flip back and forth on whether I pitch fresh yeast or pitch onto a yeast cake. I have a few paler beers (pils, am. wheat) that I brew and I try to coordinate a brew day with a transfer out of primary for those beers. It means one less carboy to clean and a fast start for the incoming beer.

I did a tiny little experiment with this for my own homebrew club here:

http://forum.grabahomebrew.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=52

Nothing conclusive or highly scientific but I wanted to know if there was an appreciable difference.

YMMV

 

[Beezy]

How do you aerate if you pour the wort onto the cake? I have an imagination but I want to know how you guys do it. I have gone second gen but I poured the cake in a jar and pitched half of it on top.

 

[Jaimez]

How do you aerate if you pour the wort onto the cake? I have an imagination but I want to know how you guys do it. I have gone second gen but I poured the cake in a jar and pitched half of it on top.

I pour the wort threw a strainer into the fermenter. Strain the Hops while aerating at the same time.

 

[Ricand]

I dumped an Amber Rye on a yeast cake from BM's Centennial Blonde in my conical yesterday. Fastest fermentation take off I've ever seen. The 15 gal+ fermentor has krausen to the top today. Never thought I'd need a blow off on it. The conical does allow me to dump trub from the previous beer though. I'll have to look into cleaning and pitching slurry next time.

Edit: After reading the epic why not to do it thread, I guess I wouldn't do it again without washing and measuring the yeast.

Edit: This is about 18 hours from pitching and the conical has more than 6 gallons of head space. Maybe it IS a little overpitched.

 

[pcollins]

For one, I usually leave enough of the previous beer in there that I can give it a good swirl on brew day to re-aerate and "wake it up" a bit. Once I'm siphoning in to the carboy I just give the incoming beer a good shake to mix it up with the yeast cake and everything else that is in there.

I did this all this morning and I have kraüsen within 1 1/2 hours of pitching!

 

[bh10]

For an ale I use half of the cake, for a lager I use the whole cake. I do it all the time for my lagers with no ill effect. Only I do is make sure it wont effect the color. IE no blonde on a stout cake.

 

[mummasan]

read this

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/why-not-pitch-your-yeast-cake-166221/

It bears repeating. (See the post above.) Personally, I'm trying to make the best beer possible. If that means pouring out the yeast into a sanitized glass jar, cleaning the fermenter and then pitching a measured amount onto new wort, then it makes sense to me.

 

[apratsunrthd]

I'm going to do it an hour from now. But then again I can barely stand and I'm dropping fritos everywhere so wtf do I know.

The forums are flat out hilarious today. Just saying.

 

[Johnny9]

well he is talking about using the whole cake for a Barlywine.....just saying....