Over build starter or repitch trub

[Braufather]

It’s been a whIle since I’ve considered reusing yeast after getting an infection Ire-using trub last time, but as I’m planning 3 consecutive brews using Wyeast ESB I thought I should revisit it

I’ve only the ability to make 1 litre or maybe 1.25 litre starters so not sure I can over build enough. In terms of Collecting trub, I worry about another infection plus it’s all a bit hit and hope in terms of pitching the optimum sells.

So I’m open to suggestions!

The beers in no particular order will be brewed one after each other so also option to pitch on yeast cake.

all 19 litres

spitfire clone OG, 1046 ( no dry hopping)
session APA, OG 1044 (100g dry hop)
zombie dust clone OG 1060 (50g dry hop)

 

[Nicks90]

The way I do it - and I don't know if this is in any way a 'good' or 'acceoted' way - is to ensure I leave a good pint of beer on the trub after bottling.
Then gently swish the beer over the trub to stir up the top surface. My reasoning is the healthiest most recent yeast cells are the last ones to drop.
I then gently pour that in to 2 bottles, basically about 300ml per bottle and top them up with cooled boiled water, then pop them in the fridge.
That usually gives me about 2" of solid pale creamy sediment per bottle and that seems to be more than enough for pitching a regular beer and having it steaming along healthily within 12-24 hours.
Plus they are quite happy in the fridge for a couple of months without any seemingly bad reactions.

 

[Braufather]

Good idea. So I just harvest a once. A pint on brew 1, use half straight away on brew 2 and the other half a couple of weeks later On brew 3. Maybe making a starter for the second one.

 

[Druncan]

Or, use what you don't pitch to make a batch of bread? - great test for viability and tastes all the better for a bit beer flavour.

 

[Nicks90]

Good idea. So I just harvest a once. A pint on brew 1, use half straight away on brew 2 and the other half a couple of weeks later On brew 3. Maybe making a starter for the second one.

Correct, just one harvest for two subsequent batches. You won't need a starter, you already have a 2" thick layer of yeast hidden under an oxygen free, acidic, zero sugar solution beer solution. It will keep fine.
Just think how long yeast lives in the bottles of commercial beers like jubilee etc that people regularly build up, but the building up bit has already been done.

 

[Braufather]

Correct, just one harvest for two subsequent batches. You won't need a starter, you already have a 2" thick layer of yeast hidden under an oxygen free, acidic, zero sugar solution beer solution. It will keep fine.
Just think how long yeast lives in the bottles of commercial beers like jubilee etc that people regularly build up, but the building up bit has already been done.

My only concern last time I repitched some saved slurry ( about 4 weeks old, kept in fridge in mason jar ) it was a dumper!