Pitching directly onto the last brew’s yeast trub

[stripeyjoe]

Hi all,
l have a proper job clone in my All Rounder that’s just started fermenting today using Verdant IPA yeast, will be done in around a fortnight. It has no dry hop additions. If I do my next brew (a West Coast IPA) on the same or next day day after I rack the proper job can I just stick it straight in the FV on top of what’s left after racking? Saves a bunch of clearing up!

 

[Alastair70]

Yes, absolutely. Just make sure your sanitation practices are good.

 

[Nicks90]

I have done this many times now without an issue.
However what I tend to do is 'reclaim' the best yeast and then properly clean and sanitise the FV in prep for the next brew. Honestly it's really easy and means you aren't putting fresh wort on old trub/dead yeast

Once youve bottled/kegged you will probably have 1/2 pint or so or beer left in the bottom of the FV. Now the top layer of trub is actually the last active yeast that's dropped out of suspension and is the yeast you actually want / need for your next brew. Gently swirl the FV round so that the remaining beer pulls up that top layer of yeast back in to suspension and just carefully pour it in to a sanitised bottle. It will be a milky murky soup that will eventually settle out to leave a protective layer of beer over an inch thick layer and creamy white yeast.
Put some clingfilm over the top and it's ready to use for your next brew. Or bung it in the fridge and it'll be good to store for quite some time. I've reused yeast that's been stored in the fridge 2 months after harvesting without problem before now.

 

[obscure]

I asked this question a while back and the advice I recieived and what I ended up following was to take about a cupful of slurry and pitch it into the fresh wort. I can say that this worked extremely well, I suspect you could just pour the fresh wort on to the yeast cake however I can see two potential issues with this one I have seen a few posts about over pitching being a potential issue and two you would end up with a lot of trub.

But could be worth a try, as mentioned reusing yeast this way is really easy, it is also I reckon a good alternative to a starter, I.e, I made a 9L batch of Yorkshire Bitter with Wyeast West Yorkshire Yeast about 1.035 or so and direct pitched, I then used the slurry for a Barley Wine OG 1.078 and it turned out great.

 

[Benfleet Brewery]

I’ve done this a couple times now whilst kegging and brewing on the same day. It was so simple. After kegging I swirled the last bit of beer left in the FV around on the yeast cake until it was all mixed up, poured about two thirds of it away and then poured the chilled wort for the next one on top of the third that was left. Worked great.

 

[Moe]

I’ve done this with verdant yeast a couple of times now, however I decant 300-400ml of the yeast cake into a jar then clean out the FV.

the second brew always takes off like a rocket.

 

[Alastair70]

I’m going down the other route. I’ve got some WLP090 on the way for my next brew. I’m going to overbuild the starter and keep half back. I’ll aim to get 4 or 5 brews from the pack. The advantage is that it’s easier to be sure your pitching clean healthy yeast each time. But you do have the FV to clean out.

 

[St00]

I do this for Barley Wines. I'll make a smaller ale or ESB and then pitch directly on to the cake. I essentially use the first beer as a massive starter.

 

[IainM]

Snap. A few times I've done a mild or something that doesn't stress the yeast, pitched at a high rate onto well oxygenated wort, then just dump a RIS or barleywine on the yeast cake. It's basically a massive starter. Can get a very clean 11% beast fermented in 2 days with this method.

 

[Alan_Reginato]

It's a starter like. If the last batch was fine, especially not sour, just dump in.
Just remember, if you had made a stout and now you want a pale ale, some residual colour will carry along with the cake. Same to dry hopping. And expect a fast and furious start, blow off and anti foam are advised.
Overpitching is a possibility here. Some papers showed an increase in diacetyl, but nothing that a diacetyl rest doesn't solve.

Cheers!

 

[stripeyjoe]

Just remember, if you had made a stout and now you want a pale ale, some residual colour will carry along with the cake. Same to dry hopping.

The current batch brewing is a Proper Job clone which isn't dry hopped, next will be a West Coast IPA so, style wise, it sounds like it will work. I usually plan in a 3 or 4 day rest at 21C or so at the end of fermentation before cold crash.

I’ve done this a couple times now whilst kegging and brewing on the same day.

That was my thought, I can keg the current batch whilst the boil is on or in the morning if I do no-chill overnight after the brew day.