losing yeast through airlock/blowoff tube

[aussie brewer]

How does losing alot of yeast through the airlock/blow off tube in the first 4 days effect the conditing phase of the ferment? Is there still enough yeast for a complete ferment or will there insufficient yeast to properly clean up the beer? cheers!

 

[day_trippr]

Yes, there'll still be plenty of yeast in suspension, the wee bastids don't all commit hari kiri together, more than enough stay in the zone

Cheers!

 

[brewkinger]

Agreed with the above although I do have one caveat to add. Once upon a time, I got a bit slackish and figured Nah.. I dont need to check that blowoff hose today, it wont be a problem....
Went out later that evening and when I went into the brew area, the overwhelming smell of fermentation alerted me that something might be amiss.
I turned the lights on and found an absolute disaster. The airlock had plugged up and the bucket was BRAND NEW with a very slight chance that the seal on the lid was gonna give way.
Preliminary visual inspection demonstrated that when the pressure blew that airlock and o-ring gasket (which I never found) that the krausen shot outta the hole like a freakin geyser and I actually had formed krausen stalactites and stalagmites on the floor and ceiling in the room.
Luckily my brewing area is kinda easy to clean (if it had happened in the house, I may have been forced into divorce).

Moral of the story: Never totally dismiss an airlock that has yeasty buildup....;-)

 

[grampamark]

Even with a blowoff tube beer can become more widely distributed.

 

[mcmichaelangelo]

So I just checked my blowoff bucket and there's all this beautiful creamy yeast in the Star San. Is this harvestable? (Stupid question?) Seems a shame to get rid of such energetic buggers...

 

[day_trippr]

It would have been less questionable had that been captured in something less exposed to whatever random wee beasties might be hovering around, but otherwise, sure, lots of folks top-crop yeast for future batches, and that's pretty much what you're looking at right there. If the vessel and tubing at least were sanitized prior, it might be worth a shot...

Cheers!

 

[Jeff...]

Agreed with the above although I do have one caveat to add. Once upon a time, I got a bit slackish and figured Nah.. I dont need to check that blowoff hose today, it wont be a problem....
Went out later that evening and when I went into the brew area, the overwhelming smell of fermentation alerted me that something might be amiss.
I turned the lights on and found an absolute disaster. The airlock had plugged up and the bucket was BRAND NEW with a very slight chance that the seal on the lid was gonna give way.
Preliminary visual inspection demonstrated that when the pressure blew that airlock and o-ring gasket (which I never found) that the krausen shot outta the hole like a freakin geyser and I actually had formed krausen stalactites and stalagmites on the floor and ceiling in the room.
Luckily my brewing area is kinda easy to clean (if it had happened in the house, I may have been forced into divorce).

Moral of the story: Never totally dismiss an airlock that has yeasty buildup....;-)

I laughed when I read your post only because I've been there myself...

Someone once told me

"Your not a brewer, until you have to clean krausen off the ceiling"

edit - I hate autocorrect, errr

 

[mcmichaelangelo]

It would have been less questionable had that been captured in something less exposed to whatever random wee beasties might be hovering around, but otherwise, sure, lots of folks top-crop yeast for future batches, and that's pretty much what you're looking at right there. If the vessel and tubing at least were sanitized prior, it might be worth a shot...

Cheers!

The equipment was all sanitized. I ended up swirling it all up with the Star San and putting it in a sanitized Mason jar, filling it with RO water and capping it. I don't harvest yeast normally, but it looked so clean and smelled so good. It's in the fridge. Do you think I can decant and pitch or make a starter with this, even though it was mixed with about a pint of Star San?

 

[day_trippr]

I have no experience mixing Star San with yeast and then using it, but my cost/risk comfort zone wouldn't go there...

Cheers!

 

[mcmichaelangelo]

I have no experience mixing Star San with yeast and then using it, but my cost/risk comfort zone wouldn't go there...

Cheers!

Yeah, I'm with you. I'll read the Yeast book on it, but $10 for a fresh pack of Imperial vs. risking 10 gallons is just plain dumb. Thanks for your input.

 

[Jeff...]

The equipment was all sanitized. I ended up swirling it all up with the Star San and putting it in a sanitized Mason jar, filling it with RO water and capping it. I don't harvest yeast normally, but it looked so clean and smelled so good. It's in the fridge. Do you think I can decant and pitch or make a starter with this, even though it was mixed with about a pint of Star San?

I think I would toss it, myself. But that's just me.

 

[trailrider]

I recently had to dispose of a good amount of yeast for the same reason. After an aggressive fermentation the bucket my blow off tube went into had a good amount of yeast and it seemed like a waste to throw it out. I started to wonder if anyone ever attempted to reclaim the yeast from a blow off tube. I thought if I used a sanitized container with two holes cut in the lid, one to insert the blow off tube and another for an air lock (both would be inserted using drilled stoppers) I could reclaim the yeast. If anyone has tried this before I hope you would share the results or if you can think of a reason it may not work please let me know so I don't waste my time or a future batch of beer.

 

[Homergah]

I recently had to dispose of a good amount of yeast for the same reason. After an aggressive fermentation the bucket my blow off tube went into had a good amount of yeast and it seemed like a waste to throw it out. I started to wonder if anyone ever attempted to reclaim the yeast from a blow off tube. I thought if I used a sanitized container with two holes cut in the lid, one to insert the blow off tube and another for an air lock (both would be inserted using drilled stoppers) I could reclaim the yeast. If anyone has tried this before I hope you would share the results or if you can think of a reason it may not work please let me know so I don't waste my time or a future batch of beer.

Yes, I've done it regularly. Many on here also have. I use two containers for my system since i don't like airlocks. Run tubing from first container to second one which is filled with iodophor.

 

[trailrider]

Homergah......Thanks for the reply and a second option of using two containers.