Yeast harvest question.

[BugEyedValiant]

I brewed a schwarzbier recipe that I have done before and used a fermenter that I made from a half bbl keg. I have a 4” to 2” cone on the bottom for trub and yeast collection.

I used Hothead yeast as I did before and did an initial trub dump at 2 days. I let it finish fermenting and went to do a yeast harvest and this is what I ended up with.

Looks like there’s no yeast/trub layer line that I normally see in a starter. I removed the controlled heat from it yesterday so it’s down to 45F and tried another dump today and it was just beer. Is my yeast just the same color as trub?

 

[Ksub123]

I don't have a fermenter with a bottom port so i can't say for sure but the trub settles pretty quickly so it is likely that you removed all the trub the first time you opened the valve.

 

[BugEyedValiant]

I don't have a fermenter with a bottom port so i can't say for sure but the trub settles pretty quickly so it is likely that you removed all the trub the first time you opened the valve.

My first dump was two days in while it was actively fermenting, same color as this time. I forgot that I had a picture of the first dump. It kept a thick layer of krausen and kept fermenting until I dumped it.

 

[Moose_MI]

You made a conical out of a keg....i think you should run for president

I’d vote for you

Well done sir...respect to u

 

[Ksub123]

They both look pretty clean. I assume you left the yeast to settle out after dumping it. I find that I never see that clear separation until it has sat for an hour.

 

[BugEyedValiant]

They both look pretty clean. I assume you left the yeast to settle out after dumping it. I find that I never see that clear separation until it has sat for an hour.

Both of those pictures were over a day old setting in my basement at 40F.

 

[jason613]

I harvest at the end of my primary ferm...i just put in Kegerator open space and forget about it until i brew again. I pitch everything in the jar. But take an ounce (of beer) to try to make sure no mold has grown. I tend to have a backup yeast avail just in case. I have found mold one or two times in 10 years of doing this.

 

[Moose_MI]

I harvest at the end of my primary ferm...i just put in Kegerator open space and forget about it until i brew again. I pitch everything in the jar. But take an ounce (of beer) to try to make sure no mold has grown. I tend to have a backup yeast avail just in case. I have found mold one or two times in 10 years of doing this.

Can you elaborate on “take an ounce of beer to try to make sure no mold has grown”? Are you saying that you have an inch of beer on top of yeast in the jar to prevent mold?

How long have you stored yeast like this and used like this w/o doing a starter prior to re-using?

What lag times do you usually experience?

Are you doing 5G batches? How much of the cake from a batch actually ends up in jar vs what ends up in drain?

Do you do this for lite and dark beers?

Any different process for big beers?

Sorry for all the q’s but there are so many variables and it helps to know more about the conditions that you’re brewing in.

I’d love to stop making starters but there’s just so much noise about how important they are ... Just want to be sure I’m following along

 

[jason613]

Can you elaborate on “take an ounce of beer to try to make sure no mold has grown”? Are you saying that you have an inch of beer on top of yeast in the jar to prevent mold?

How long have you stored yeast like this and used like this w/o doing a starter prior to re-using?

What lag times do you usually experience?

Are you doing 5G batches? How much of the cake from a batch actually ends up in jar vs what ends up in drain?

Do you do this for lite and dark beers?

Any different process for big beers?

Sorry for all the q’s but there are so many variables and it helps to know more about the conditions that you’re brewing in.

I’d love to stop making starters but there’s just so much noise about how important they are ... Just want to be sure I’m following along

In almost 20 yrs of homebrewing, i have never done a starterd.

Dark or light, same same to me besides they are all ales. I have never done a lager.

I just basically take a sample off the top of the yeast, when it is cold to make sure i am not tasting crap...i guess that is my standard for checking out my yeast. But like I mentioned...twice when openjng the jar....mold...so stuff happens and i either go buy new or go to an alternate yeast offering. ;]

 

[jason613]

In almost 20 yrs of homebrewing, i have never done a starterd.

Dark or light, same same to me besides they are all ales. I have never done a lager.

I just basically take a sample off the top of the yeast, when it is cold to make sure i am not tasting crap...i guess that is my standard for checking out my yeast. But like I mentioned...twice when openjng the jar....mold...so stuff happens and i either go buy new or go to an alternate yeast offering. ;]

Amd yes 5g batches. At least 25% yeast in the jar

 

[Moose_MI]

So this is my “rinsed” yeast from 5 months ago. It’s about 1/4 cup or 60ml...

I actually had 3 of what you see above. I pitched 2 of them into a 4.5L 1.036 starter. 19hrs on a stir plate and signs of life at 28hrs and this is 33 hrs...

I’m brewing 16G of 1.051 blonde on Friday. This is about as long as I’ve stored rinsed yeast and then used it and I am curious what peoples thoughts are regarding what my cell count will be after this starter.

Starter is healthy and everything smelled good so I’m not really worried...I would just like an idea of the pitch rate I’ll end up with.

Thanks !

 

[Moose_MI]

Bump for thoughts on previous post. ^^^^^

 

[Moose_MI]

Ok..1 more bump ^^^ because I’m brewing tomorrow and for some reason I’m nervous about the yeast even though all signs are that the starter was good. I crashed it about 26hrs ago. Still cloudy with quite a bit of yeast in suspension but not massively different from what I’ve see before.

 

[Moose_MI]

Well, i sort of wimped out. I decanted the starter after 50 hours cold crash and it seemed more cloudy (i.e.yeast still in suspension) then what i usually see. I decided to split it between 2 fermenters and pitched a fresh pack of notty into the 3rd.

We will see what’s happens.....