No Chill Yeast Collection

[TexasWine]

I kegged a couple of batches this morning and thought I'd try to collect some of the yeast cake to save for another batch. Thing is, I no chill and dump every last bit from the kettle into the bucket, meaning I've got a lot of gunk in the bottom of the bucket. I scooped some of that gunk up and put it in the fridge until I figure out what to do with it.

Any of you folks out there that no chill every try to save yeast? If so, was it successful?

 

[judsonp]

I do no-chill and, as do you, end up with a bunch of compacted goo in the bottom of the bucket. I just save the goo. Usually (but not always) make a starter with it. Has worked out fine.

Another method is to overbuild your starter and then save some of your starter. That doesn't necessarily help you right now, but it's worth considering in the future, as I think it's easier (and more widely applicable) than saving from the fermenter.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Yes, I no chill and reuse my yeast slurry with good results. I not only ferment all the wort in the kettle, I ferment in the kettle.

 

[bcltoys]

Yes, I no chill and reuse my yeast slurry with good results. I not only ferment all the wort in the kettle, I ferment in the kettle.

Hows that work out for you,do you have valve on your kettle.I have thought about trying this my self.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Nope, I just rack to a keg after 7-10 days.

 

[bcltoys]

Nope, I just rack to a keg after 7-10 days.

Do you just throw the lid on it or do you seal with anything like plastic wrap or alum foil.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Do you just throw the lid on it or do you seal with anything like plastic wrap or alum foil.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1433119360.312286.jpg

Yes, typically I go a few days with just the kettle lid, then seal it up with a plastic sheet, a repurposed cut plastic bag. If you put the plastic on too soon it blows off.

 

[TexasWine]

How long are y'all storing your yeast slurry? I filled a quart jar with it (could have gotten 2 or 3 probably) and just threw it in the fridge. Just wondering if it will still be viable in another month.

 

[Supertrapped]

Yes, I no chill and reuse my yeast slurry with good results. I not only ferment all the wort in the kettle, I ferment in the kettle.

Nope, I just rack to a keg after 7-10 days.

View attachment 281728

Yes, typically I go a few days with just the kettle lid, then seal it up with a plastic sheet, a repurposed cut plastic bag. If you put the plastic on too soon it blows off.

This is crazy. Lol. Never heard of this.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Haha, really not crazy at all, timing is everything. Putting an airlock on an active fermentation is "crazy" IMO. The key is limiting oxygen at the appropriate time. Airlocks were originally made for aging wine, not for fermenting beer at high kreusen.

 

[RM-MN]

How long are y'all storing your yeast slurry? I filled a quart jar with it (could have gotten 2 or 3 probably) and just threw it in the fridge. Just wondering if it will still be viable in another month.

I don't think I have ever stored yeast slurry for more than 6 months. It was still viable then. You might be able to store yours for a month.

 

[wilserbrewer]

I filled a quart jar with it (could have gotten 2 or 3 probably) and just threw it in the fridge. Just wondering if it will still be viable in another month.

I typically collect one quart jar as well, the few times I have collected more than one, the extras get tossed out. One jar will make 5 more jars. The exception would be if your doing some high gravity and would prefer not to re-use the slurry. I have re-used slurry up to about 3 months old, and have gone 6-8 generations...not really sure, my record keeping is pretty much nonexistent.

 

[Magnus314]

I've reused slurry wayyy out there. Like a year later. If I think it's too old I just pitch more than the cup or so the calc's recommend.

 

[TexasWine]

Thanks for the help y'all. Now my only concern is that I collected it from a 10.8% barley wine. I'll try to proof it in a little starter before using it.

 

[JonBrew]

Haha, really not crazy at all, timing is everything. Putting an airlock on an active fermentation is "crazy" IMO. The key is limiting oxygen at the appropriate time. Airlocks were originally made for aging wine, not for fermenting beer at high kreusen.

hi wilserbrewer,

i'm really interested in this. can you briefly outline your process please?

how do you vent the co2 or is this essentially fermenting under pressure?

if it is pressurised, how do you bottle from there?

many thanks!

 

[wilserbrewer]

hi wilserbrewer,

i'm really interested in this. can you briefly outline your process please?

It's very simple ...
1. Brew beer and chill in kettle using method of your choice.
2. Aerate wort and pitch yeast to wort in kettle.
3. Place well fitted lid on the kettle and ferment. Kettle can be better sealed with plastic sheet as shown above. If the fermentation is quite active, you may need to put a few pinholes in the plastic sheet...ymmv
4. Let ferment 7-14 days, siphon to keg for additional conditioning / serving.

That's it...."open" fermentation is nothing new, the idea is to reasonably maintain CO2 above the beer, this happens during fermentation naturally, so once fermentation is complete, you want to move the beer along to a more proper vessel within a few days before the CO2 dissipates....

 

[JonBrew]

Thanks for that!

 

[bcltoys]

It's very simple ...
1. Brew beer and chill in kettle using method of your choice.
2. Aerate wort and pitch yeast to wort in kettle.
3. Place well fitted lid on the kettle and ferment. Kettle can be better sealed with plastic sheet as shown above. If the fermentation is quite active, you may need to put a few pinholes in the plastic sheet...ymmv
4. Let ferment 7-14 days, siphon to keg for additional conditioning / serving.

That's it...."open" fermentation is nothing new, the idea is to reasonably maintain CO2 above the beer, this happens during fermentation naturally, so once fermentation is complete, you want to move the beer along to a more proper vessel within a few days before the CO2 dissipates....

How do you determine to move it along in say 7 days and not wait till day 14. Gravity or the flip of a coin. I ask cause this is what i'm going to do on my next brew day.

 

[RM-MN]

How do you determine to move it along in say 7 days and not wait till day 14. Gravity or the flip of a coin. I ask cause this is what i'm going to do on my next brew day.

The gravity of the beer is how you tell if fermentation is over. How soon after the gravity is stable that you move it depends on how little sediment you are willing to leave in the next vessel and what flavor you want in your beer. Bottling quickly may leave you with a quarter inch of sediment in your bottles which I find unpleasant while leaving the beer sit for a longer time will leave very little. This may be less important if you keg since you can't see how much sediment is in the keg and after you pull a pint or 2 the beer will pour clear.

 

[wilserbrewer]

How do you determine to move it along in say 7 days and not wait till day 14. Gravity or the flip of a coin. I ask cause this is what i'm going to do on my next brew day.

Ummm....just experience and intuition I guess. I brew mainly mid gravity ales and repitch a good quantity of healthy yeast. My beer typically starts fast, ferments hard and the kreusen drops within 3-4 days.

This method could be problematic if bottling, but transferring to a keg is like a secondary that one could let "finish" if need be.

Yes, I'll admit I fly by the seat of the pants....Don't often take gravity readings either....does that make me a bad person

To answer your original question, I have no precise timeline for kegging the kettle fermented beer....at day 7 it goes on the list and is usually kegged by day 10.....at day 11-12 it is a top priority!

 

[bcltoys]

Thanks I will be moving it to a keg, so not to worried about sediments if need be I could move it say day 14 to a keg let stay there for a week or two and dry hop then move it again to a serving keg.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Ok sounds good, I wouldn't even bother moving to a second keg....the whole point here is minimal transferring and effort....whatever works for you