Some advice on re-using yeast?

[Brewmetheus]

Hey All, It's been a surprisingly calm three weeks of patient reading and sniffing of my first brew.

It's a Belgian Triple OG of 1.083, I only pitched one 11.5 g pack of S-33 Safbrew yeast, and it definitely struggled producing a lot of off flavors given it's cidery fruity smell. This is annoying as it was a kit beer and that's all I got.

My next brew will try to reproduce this recipe with local ingriedants, and I'd like to reuse this yeast as I already have a lot of it now in the cake. The plan is to bottle and brew a wort right after just dumping the cake in the fresh fermenter of wort.

Is this ok?

I've read conflicting info about it, with folks recommending it be washed first, while others saying it's good if I am using right after bottling. Never washed yeast and never made a starter so I am bit leery about complicating things if I don't have too.

 

[porterpounder]

Yes, it is OK. As long as it's not from an infected batch, making another batch first is a good way of getting our cell count up. May not be ideal if it was a stressed fermenation, but I've done the same with stressed yeast and the next batch was excellent.

 

[brewstergalVT]

I wouldn't use the whole cake as that's way too much yeast for a 5 gallon batch. Yes, it will ferment quickly but think if it as a party with too many people showing up and not everyone has enough to eat & drink, it won't be the best party. Don't worry about washing yeast, at least not at this point. It's most important to keep things clean and fresh and get approximately the correct amount of yeast pitched. Once you've racked your beer, have a sanitized graduated container (a 1 or 2 L mason jar works perfectly), pour your yeast cake into that and cover with a sanitized cover. If you're brewing that same day or the next, leave the mason jar at room temp and you'll see that it settles out a bit, you want to pitch around 100cc (ish) for a 1.050-1.060 OG brew. Lots of variables but this is the quick and uncomplicated answer. I hope that helps. Manage those yeast right and they'll reward you with great beer! Just one more thing though, when you rack the beer, if it tastes off, have a plan B already in place, you may not want to reuse that yeast.

 

[BeardedBrews]

Many people pitch a big beer (1.110) on the cake of a small beer (1.050) but like BrewstergalVT said, that's way more yeast than you need.

I leave 1-2" of beer in the carboy, swirl it up, and transfer 4-8oz to a sanitized jar. I pitch the whole thing in the new batch figuring some of it was just trub anyway.

 

[Gavin C]

Triple OG of 1.083, I only pitched one 11.5 g pack of S-33 Safbrew yeast, and it definitely struggled producing a lot of off flavors given it's cidery fruity smell. This is annoying as it was a kit beer and that's all I got.


I'd like to reuse this yeast as I already have a lot of it now in the cake.

Is this ok?

You have a cake of stressed out yeast. I wouldn't think of reusing it.
Factors leading to stressed out yeast.

• High gravity beer. OG 1.083
• Huge Under-pitch
• Uncontrolled temperature of fermentation (no mention of control in your post, apologies if an incorrect assumption)

This makes the yeast less than acceptable for reuse to me.

I harvest yeast on occasions. Always from a beer smaller than an OG of 1.05. Big pitch rates are used and tightly controlled fermentation temperatures are in place on the batch from which a harvest is made.

Stack the deck in your favor.

Pitch lots of healthy yeast.

You're not going to get that from a big beer.


Recent Harvest of slurry from a Pilsner OG 1.047

 

[motosapiens]

i haven't underpitched as badly as you, but I used to always underpitch the first batch before I learned better, and always re-used the yeast 3-4 more times. My grandparents grew up in the depression and were stressed too, but I'm fine.

fwiw, i typically use 6-8 oz of yeast slurry. If it's got hops and crap in it, i'll let it settle in the fridge and just scoop off the top. If it separates out and has too much beer in it, I'll pour that off.

Next time you get a kit beer, either start with a smaller beer and move up for the 2nd one, or just make a starter a couple days beforehand.

 

[flars]

You have a cake of stressed out yeast. I wouldn't think of reusing it.
Factors leading to stressed out yeast.

• OG 1.083
• Huge Under-pitch
• Uncontrolled temperature of fermentation (no mention of control in your post, apologies if an incorrect assumption)

This makes the yeast less than acceptable for reuse to me.

I harvest yeast on occasions. Always from a beer smaller than an OG of 1.05. Big pitch rates are used and tightly controlled fermentation temperatures are in place on the batch from which a harvest is made.

Stack the deck in your favor.

Pitch lots of healthy yeast.

You're not going to get that from a big beer.


Recent Harvest of slurry from a Pilsner OG 1.047

I was trying to think of a well worded response on why you shouldn't reuse this yeast but Gavin C said it all.

Local ingredients won't make a better beer if your pitch rate and fermentation isn't controlled.

 

[Brewmetheus]

Thanks for the responses guys, lots of info here.

I did this brew in a small freezer with an inexpensive inkbird controller set to 65, so temp wasn't a huge factor. The prod was strapped to the plastic bucket using some cloth and saran wrap. @Gavin C That's some mighty fine yeast I gather?

No vapor lock, just a lid, as I read that CO2 sits on top and prevents contamination?

So what I gather from you guys is, yes, stressed out yeast, but if it tastes ok, and isn't moldy use it from the go for it crowed. In opposition is the start over with a proper starter from the let's be careful crowed. hmmm.....

Would they be less stressed as they've been in the fermenter for two weeks of extra aging?

Should I cold shock it?!