I have an IPA in bottles with Wyeast American Ale II 1272 in it. I want to harvest it for a recipe that I am doing soon. This is my first time harvesting from a bottle (well really harvesting at all). The process seems simple enough, but I was curious of how many bottles I should harvest from? Also, is there any way to know how much yeast I have? Either from the initial bottle yeast or after I step it up? Thanks!
How many bottles to harvest yeast?
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Stauffbier
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I've harvested from one can/bottle with great success, but if you have a few bottles you can cut down time by harvesting from multiples. Essentially I just kept building slowly with low gravity wort until I got a measurable amount of yeast that I could then use for calculating cell count.
I successfully harvested yeast from 3 bottles of commercial craft beer. I stepped up a small starter up to a 2 liter one. Fermentation started a couple hours later and I ended up with an awesome beer. I actually used the same yeast cake for the 4th time today.
However, from what I've read, you should use 5 or 6. But it worked very well with 3 for me.
Go for it, it is a really easy thing to do, but be really careful about sanitation !
Cheers !
However, from what I've read, you should use 5 or 6. But it worked very well with 3 for me.
Go for it, it is a really easy thing to do, but be really careful about sanitation !
Cheers !
I've used as much as 12 bottles before. The more you use the more yeast you get with less growth needed. If I'm doing that and drinking the beer as I go along, I spray sanitizer on the neck/lip of the bottle, re-cap them with sanitized FRESH caps and store in the fridge til I get as many as I plan on using. Then I sanitize the cap on each, uncap them, flame the lip of the bottle, and spray with sanitizer before decanting the yeast.
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
That's a good idea.
I'm harvesting Conan from Heady Topper this week. Since it comes in a can I'm cleaning the can with multiple star san dipped paper towels, then spraying the can with star san after that. Then I dump the dregs in to a sanitized mason jar. I've got about 5 cans worth right now. Last time I harvested Conan it was from one can, and I've made three 5 gallon batches with that harvest. That's just from building starters and splitting them off, as I no longer wash yeast from my fermenters.
ffaoe
Well-Known Member
I successfully harvested from a single bottle but had to do a three step starter to get a good cell count. Luck does also play a little bit of a role as far as the viability of yeast in the bottles used. the more bottles, the better the odds and better cell counts.
That sounds like a great idea, thanks! I'll just have to do a lot of drinking which I think I can handle!
Anyone know how I can figure out how much yeast I have? Do you guys just have a general idea from experience and estimate it? Or is there a way to measure it? Thanks again for the help!
Stauffbier
Well-Known Member
I personally calculate with 1.2 billion cells per ml of yeast slurry. So according to that if you have a jar that has slurry up to the 200ml line then you have about 240 billion cells.
el_caro
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I am currently doing a harvest at the moment from one stubby (375ml).
Poured the dregs (bottom inch) into 100ml starter (1.037) on stir plate. Took off like a Saturn V.
It is now settling out before next step up. I estimate I have 12bn cells at this time (using Kai's stir-plate setting in Yeastcalc).
I plan next step to be 1L starter.
Like you I am curious as to how many cells are estimated to be in this size commercial beer bottle.
