re-using yeast

[Jonfp]

Hi, new to forum so please bare with me. Been lurking here fora while and there seems to be loads of knowlegable brewers. I could do with some advice.

I've just bottled a five gallon batch of cider (from concentrate) and it's turned out blooming marvelous, cleared in a week, tastes fantastic and could put an elephant on its arse. Question is, could I use the sediment I've saved to start another brew or do I need to buy new yeast? £1.10 is quite an outlay.

thanks brewers.

 

[ColoHox]

You could likely reuse it and things would be okay, although it is not advised to reuse yeast that has previously been through a high alcohol batch.

 

[ThorGodOfThunder]

I keep a few baby-food jars of washed yeast in my fridge. When I get low I just make a quart-jar batch of water and malt extract, and throw in a jar of yeast to do their thing, then cold crash and wash the yeast. Its pretty easy to refill my yeast stock.

I've been "re-using" yeast for a while.

 

[Jonfp]

How do you wash yeast? Mine is like mud, would be like trying to plait fog.

 

[CiderRules]

How do you wash yeast? Mine is like mud, would be like trying to plait fog.

www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768

 

[ThorGodOfThunder]

Its basically just repeated cold-crashing and topping off with sterilized water.

 

[fartinmartin]

Don't be such a tight arse. Look at the profit margin from your brew!

 

[podz]

I reuse my yeast all the time, just to save money.

Here's a tip: buy the juice for your next batch before the first one is finished. That way, when you siphon the cider out then you just leave the yeast in the vessel and pour sugar and juice straight in. No need to drain, clean, and sanitize your vessel every time - I typically only do that once every 3-4 batches.

 

[Jonfp]

Ah, thats much clearer now thanks.

I'm starting a brew this evening, but the concentrate has potasium sorbate in as a preservative, so I'm using some of my yeast from my last brew to mop it up with sugar before I start the brew proper.

This should work?

 

[Jonfp]

there's no profit. I'm not allowed to sell it, so have to drink the bloody stuff

 

[podz]

Ah, thats much clearer now thanks.

I'm starting a brew this evening, but the concentrate has potasium sorbate in as a preservative, so I'm using some of my yeast from my last brew to mop it up with sugar before I start the brew proper.

This should work?

I have my doubts if that will work, but hopefully someone more chemically knowledgeable than I will chime in.

Just buy juice without p. sorbate and then you're guaranteed not to be wasting your time and money. That much, I know.

 

[CiderRules]

I have my doubts if that will work, but hopefully someone more chemically knowledgeable than I will chime in.

Just buy juice without p. sorbate and then you're guaranteed not to be wasting your time and money. That much, I know.

Sorbate only stops reproduction, if you pitch enough yeast it will still ferment.