Dirty yeast

MashBag · Aug 21, 2024

I am planning to harvest some yeast for reuse. Bread and beer.

After fermentation, I with tip the slurry into a sieve into a bucket.
From there I will jam jar it. Before popping it in the fridge.

For those of you that are still with me

and not run away screaming....

What would be a good feed for the yeast in the coming weeks?

ARNWD · Aug 21, 2024

I've been thinking about making Marmite with spent yeast. I was just going to store it.

What do you mean by "what would be good feed"?

Why not freeze it.

Edit: typo.

Caramel Ox · Aug 21, 2024

For beer use it doesn’t need feeding, just keep it under its layer of beer in the fridge.

MashBag · Aug 21, 2024

Caramel Ox said:
For beer use it doesn’t need feeding, just keep it under its layer of beer in the fridge.

When of I don't use it for a couple of weeks?

Caramel Ox · Aug 21, 2024

MashBag said:
When of I don't use it for a couple of weeks?

2 weeks is fine. According to the yeast book that is the limit, not sure if that’s because of vitality or infection risk though.

The Baron · Aug 21, 2024

A month is ok when you come to use it pour off the beer and sprinkle a little yeast nutrient on and or a little sugar just to re-vitalise the yeast

Druss · Aug 21, 2024

Caramel Ox said:
For beer use it doesn’t need feeding, just keep it under its layer of beer in the fridge.

I did this last year, used it for beer and bread equally, got great results with both.

I think the longest I had any one jar in the fridge was about six weeks.

A teaspoon of honey mixed into it while left at room temp got it frothing away enough to confidently pitch into a gallon of ale (which incidentally turned out to be my best to date).

MashBag · Aug 22, 2024

ARNWD said:
Why not freeze it.

That works. But I have only done that with beer, typically fermentation day two, with a top fermenting yeast. Fill pop bottles and freeze.

Thought I would have a go with slurry.

MashBag · Aug 23, 2024

How much should I expect?

peterpiper · Aug 28, 2024

I've had good results from harvested yeast, that's been oven dried then frozen for a few months. Must have around half a dozen yeasts saved now.

I keep either trub, or top harvested yeast, in a lidded container in fridge for a couple of days,. Pour off any liquid. Spread a 2mm layer, on non stick film (Lakeland Magic Reusable Non-Stick Baking Tray Liner), supported on large tray or cooling rack. Dry in dehydrator, or in fan oven at 55°C wiith either door just ajar or the door seal removed, Until dry and brittle, 24hr or so. Peel layer (now ~1mm) off film, break up and freeze in bags.

I now chop, using mini blender (mostly to reduce storage space), then vacuum seal 40g portions, which I reckon might contain a sachet worth of yeast.

MashBag · Aug 29, 2024

That's a good technique. I have been freezing it whole in a 250ml pop bottle.

Slid · Aug 29, 2024

I re-use yeast routinely. Rack a beer made with a new sachet of dried yeast and rack to secondary fermenter at two weeks. Pour the slurry and beer remains into a sterilized jug and thence into say 4 x 250ml bottles that originally held lemonade. Keeps fine for a couple of months and best if you do not try to keep it too long. Even at fridge temps it explodes out of the bottle on opening if you keep it too long.

Never had any issues with this, but do not necessarily expect others to fancy the idea much.

MashBag · Aug 29, 2024

How would you approach this?

My beer mashes, is boiled and then ferments all in kettle. No fermentation vessel. No racking.

As soon as it gets down to pitch temp, it gets the yeast and is away the following morning. Done by day 4. Bottled day 7. Never below 20c until week 3, when the crate heater is turned off.

Last time I did a back to back brew, and just repitched the slurry (strained to remove bigger bits of trub) went off like a train.

Any ideas?

Caramel Ox · Aug 29, 2024

MashBag said:
How would you approach this?

My beer mashes, is boiled and then ferments all in kettle. No fermentation vessel. No racking.

As soon as it gets down to pitch temp, it gets the yeast and is away the following morning. Done by day 4. Bottled day 7. Never below 20c until week 3, when the crate heater is turned off.

Last time I did a back to back brew, and just repitched the slurry (strained to remove bigger bits of trub) went off like a train.

Any ideas?

You must have layers of trub after bottling as you still have hot and cold break in there. Use a scoop to take the middle to top layer into a jar, loosely fit lid, refrigerate at 5 degrees. Half a jar should be plenty you don’t need it all. When you come to use it pour off the beer layer in the jar and taste it first.

fluketamer · Aug 29, 2024

agree with what was said above.

fridge for a few weeks is fine. although i find the older the yeast the more time to floculate. generally up to a month i have had no problems. but the quicker you use it the better
dont feed it just keep it under beer or diluted beer (ie when you add a little clean water to the fermenter to swirl up the yeast. )

dont use it older then 5 weeks it gets stressed.

although you should prolly use the creamy light tan layer i have just dumped the whole jar in with very simialr results.

also like above about a 6 ounces of thick creamy yeast is more than enough for 5-6 gallons of beer,.

MashBag · Aug 30, 2024

I brew roughly once a month. I might try this. Sterile jam jar the slurry and fridge it. Might do a couple and see. Can certainly use it up weekly for bread.

Nicks90 · Aug 30, 2024

Wow, I've been doing it wrong all this time...

I've had yeast in bottles in my fridge for MONTHS before being used and so far I've managed to not die or had brews turn in to 3 headed dogs and eat me
I donate a bottle that I sanitised with all the others on bottling day. It gets a glug of boiling water from the kettle put in and swirled about. Once I have finished bottling, I usually have half a pint or so of beer on the trub. Give it a very gentle swirl so it only disturbs the very top layer of the last active yeast from the brew and pour it in to the bottle. Usually fills by about 1/2 to 2/3 up and then cap it and bung it in the fridge
Day before brew day, I take it out the fridge and let it warm up naturally and then just dump it in the wort. Goes off like a shot and works absolutely fine

Can say for sure how long I have kept some before reusing, but must be 4-6 months.

MashBag · Aug 31, 2024

Nicks90 said:
Wow, I've been doing it wrong all this time...

I've had yeast in bottles in my fridge for MONTHS before being used and so far I've managed to not die or had brews turn in to 3 headed dogs and eat me
I donate a bottle that I sanitised with all the others on bottling day. It gets a glug of boiling water from the kettle put in and swirled about. Once I have finished bottling, I usually have half a pint or so of beer on the trub. Give it a very gentle swirl so it only disturbs the very top layer of the last active yeast from the brew and pour it in to the bottle. Usually fills by about 1/2 to 2/3 up and then cap it and bung it in the fridge
Day before brew day, I take it out the fridge and let it warm up naturally and then just dump it in the wort. Goes off like a shot and works absolutely fine

Can say for sure how long I have kept some before reusing, but must be 4-6 months.

I think we are on the same page.
I like the idea of beer top, and let's be honest that's the same as a bringing on a yeast from bottle conditioned beer.

I feel some jam jars coming on.

"3 headed dogs"

Nicks90 · Aug 31, 2024

If you bottle your beers, no need to buy/use jam jars.
Or even just use a fizzy pop bottle. Although with plastic you can't sanitise then dose with boiling water, as pepsi bottles go a funny shape hahahaha. But if you like your yeast store in the fridge to look like some form of modern art installation, then it would work.

MashBag · Aug 31, 2024

Yeah. I got there after rereading .

A will bottle it, 2/3 slurry, 1" beer on top and seal up, just like a bottle of beer.

My slurry will have all manner of trub it, might sieve it, but I reckon I will have 4 bottles.

Much easier than freezing.

Begs the question does it really need to be in the fridge?

Dirty yeast

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