Small to Big

[Pappers_]

I used to do this all the time - brew a smaller beer with the strain of yeast I wanted to use for a big beer and use the built up yeast on the second, big beer. For whatever reason, I've gotten away from that and have been buying yeast like crazy.

No more. For our next four batches, I'm doing a Helles with Wyeast Bavarian Lager yeast and will use the built up yeast to ferment a big Bock.

I'll be using Wyeast's Ardennes yeast to brew a Trappist Single and then using the built up yeast for a Belgian Golden Strong.

My method has been to rack the small beer off the yeast and trub at the bottom, leaving a little liquid, swirl it around and pour it into a big, sanitzed Ball jar or two. Pop it into the fridge, brew no more than a week or two later, let the yeast warm up to room temp, decant, and pitch into the bigger beer.

Some folks worry about the trub, try to separate it out, etc., but I usually just pitch the whole thing.

 

[bracconiere]

you could probably even go small(5%)-medium(7%)-big(12%)! yeast is pricey these days, i remember when a packet of nottingham was a buck and change, a decade ago....

 

[IslandLizard]

Great idea, I've done that a few times myself!
I need an "Imperial Oktoberfest" so I'm brewing a regular one (from a starter) and repitch half the cake, or a bit more into the Imperial version.

Also overbuild your starters so you can save some clean yeast out each time. Then ranch more of the clean yeast each time you build another starter.

I've successfully harvested fairly clean yeast from trubby slurries (especially after dry hopping) using a very fine mesh bag inside a large funnel. Stick an inverted spoon between the bag and the funnel so the bag doesn't clog the drain spout.

 

[Pappers_]

you could probably even go small(5%)-medium(7%)-big(12%)! yeast is pricey these days, i remember when a packet of nottingham was a buck and change, a decade ago....

Especially with lagers - I've been breaking the bank or building up huge starters. Probably will use it for at least a third lager and maybe a fourth.

 

[Pappers_]

Great idea, I've done that a few times myself!
I need an "Imperial Oktoberfest" so I'm brewing a regular one (from a starter) and repitch half the cake, or a bit more into the Imperial version.

Also overbuild your starters so you can save some clean yeast out each time. Then ranch more of the clean yeast each time you build another starter.

I've successfully harvested fairly clean yeast from trubby slurries (especially after dry hopping) using a very fine mesh bag inside a large funnel. Stick an inverted spoon between the bag and the funnel so the bag doesn't clog the drain spout.

I used to do that also, but for me now that is too much work. But keeping small jars of clean yeast in the fridge to build starters from is a great process.

 

[stz]

I brew 50 or 60L batches so two days before I brew I usually take a few litres of hopped wort, add my vial, let it get busy for a day or two, might feed it a second time depending on the OG of what I'm brewing. I chill it the night before brew day, decant the majority of the liquid into a fresh container, enliven the stuff that remains with fresh wort, pitch that once it is going and usually feed the remaining liquid some more wort. Usually feed it about once a week from then on out until I get bored of keeping it going, occasionally decant some, give some away and so on. Typically get 6x 50-60L batches from a vial, plus whatever gets given away. I'm now starting to get into making slants so if I really can't bring myself to throw a yeast away I'll plate it, select colonies, inoculate slants and into the fridge though this wasn't expensive to setup it is more of a hobby than a cost saving measure at this point. When I get a little more confidence in the sterility of my slants I'm hoping to get into trading yeast and helping out others.

 

[Oginme]

I tried a slightly different approach this year. A little over a week ago, I brewed a 10 liter batch of Festbier and split it into two Mr. Beer Kegs. WY2206 went into one and WY2124 went into the other. I'll rack them both into a secondary carboy and save the yeast to start my run of lagers this year.

I'll look at the yeast slurry and do counts to see the health and robustness of the cells and pitch accordingly.

 

[bracconiere]

everyone knows my beer is of questionable quality....i just scoop about 3 cups of trub, put it in tupperware, store in fridge till next week when i brew again. i do this for every batch for a year then buy some fresh to start another year...

it really doesn't get a bad infection....and no, it's not sour (or not usually) always figure that's what the hops are for

 

[passedpawn]

I love pitching from saved yeast. I brewed this weekend, pitched the yeast in the morning and here it is later in the same day. I saved about 2 liters of yeast from previous batch, and split over these six carboys. They are all IPAs (varying grain/hops), so they all got the same yeast.

 

[kh54s10]

I would really like to do that but for the last couple of years I have been 1) either brewing very different styles or 2) not often enough to use the saved yeast in a timely manner. Though I do have about 12 yeasts in my frozen yeast bank.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I would really like to do that but for the last couple of years I have been 1) either brewing very different styles or 2) not often enough to use the saved yeast in a timely manner. Though I do have about 12 yeasts in my frozen yeast bank.

My oldest harvested yeast was from last March. A heff yeast. It didn't work when I pitched it. But everything else I had used during the summer and its still good maybe 5th gen on my notty. Everything else is probably on 3rd and I keep two canning jars for each. Reusing yeast and buying lbs of hops when on sale really bring the cost of home brew down for me. Also cheap expired yeast packets ftw!

Sent from my KFFOWI using Home Brew mobile app

 

[madscientist451]

Another method I use sometimes is to brew a small batch, something like 2-2.5 gallons pitch the new yeast (make a starter), or sometimes no starter if I have a quart of saved yeast, then brew a full size batch and use the yeast cake from the small batch. I always save yeast in sanitized quart mason jars. A layer of beer will separate from the yeast. I'll pour off about 3/4 of the beer (usually taste it) and then screw the lid back on and shake up the yeast and beer before adding it to the next starter. I don't wash yeast anymore, just save and re-pitch. Yeast will actually last for years using this method, but I usually finally dump it after about 10 runs. I have American Saison house strain I've been using for 3 years now.