Quick Question, re-using yeast from previous brew?

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Hi all. :thumb:
Doing a brew today and want to use the yeast from last weeks brew....
Do I collect some of the yeast from the fermenter bottom when ale has been kegged and just stir it in?? :hmm:

John

 

[tubby_shaw]

Yes that's pretty much it :thumb:
Use Mr Malty's Calculator Here to find out how much you need :)

 

[unclepumble]

Hi all. :thumb:
Doing a brew today and want to use the yeast from last weeks brew....
Do I collect some of the yeast from the fermenter bottom when ale has been kegged and just stir it in?? :hmm:

John

That will work no probs John, Just make sure all the equipment you use to crop it is sterile, If you want to do this more often then you need to start to learn how to acid wash etc, there is some instruction in the how to section.

I have just skimmed a big Jam jars worth of very thick gloopy yeast off the top of my currently fermenting IPA, and there is still a big thick yeast head on it.

UP

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Thanks' lads, will do!! :thumb:
BB

 

[garwatts]

Last week I just pitched directly on top of the trub from the previous brew. (Never tried it before) It did go a bit mental and tried desperately hard to escape from two of my FVs but has turned out fine. I kegged it today and it tasted lovely.

 

[Springer]

I'm confused again :? Yeast harvesting is something else I am working on, got a source for a few small bottles, 50 and 100ml, so its down to the way to do it .
Have read the how to, didn't find anything on acid wash etc. :? Is a videne wash not up to it ?
Does it matter where the yeast comes from, i.e. either the top or the bottom.
S

 

[unclepumble]

I'm confused again :? Yeast harvesting is something else I am working on, got a source for a few small bottles, 50 and 100ml, so its down to the way to do it .
Have read the how to, didn't find anything on acid wash etc. :? Is a videne wash not up to it ?
Does it matter where the yeast comes from, i.e. either the top or the bottom.
S

As regards acid washing Read here http://oz.craftbrewer.org/Library/Metho ... Wash.shtml , It spells things out better than I could.

Phosphoric Acid is the best type to use for yeast cleaning.

It does not really matter whether it comes from the top or the bottom, However it is a popular train of thought With Ale yeast, that to get the most viable cells its best to skim some of the top 48 Hours into Primary Fermentation. Most commercials that keep their own strain going do it this way, and some breweries have yeast strains that are hundreds of years old.

With lager its generally better to ferment in a conical, then skim from the bottom.

UP

 

[Springer]

Thanks UP much appreciated, trying to get my brewing sorted, to achieve better quality, consistency and efficiency but there is so much to go at even after six years and 68 brews.
Just noticed that my next brew, 69, is planned to be a lager, just to use up some lager malt and ferment before the ambient temps get to high, but I had something special in mind for 69, might have postpone it and fit in a modified Scottish Heavy :lol:

 

[unclepumble]

just been perusing the net, and anyone interested in acid washing but only want to try it you can buy little pots of phosphoric on ebay, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/50ml-Phosphoric-A ... _500wt_956

only £1.99 for 50ml and you will be only using a couple.

UP

 

[Springer]

Think I have this one sorted in my head now thanks, definitely fancy a go. Those pics of the washed yeast were interesting.
S
No just chewed over it :?
I know that people keep their own stain going indefinitely, but seem to remember something about yeast mutating after several brews :?

 

[unclepumble]

I know that people keep their own stain going indefinitely, but seem to remember something about yeast mutating after several brews :?

I always wash my stains, :rofl:

The mutating part is how you brew your very own unique brews.


UP

 

[Aleman]

Just to say that acid washing is a real PITA to do properly, it is a specialist process and the times, temperatures and pH are critical to the process. This is not something that you can afford to be blase about . . . either do it exactly right or don't do it at all.

The procedure described by Ant is not optimum . . . he might get away with it . . . but you might not.

This is the method we used at Matthew Brown

0) Make up a volume of phosphoric acid solution at pH 2.5, use distilled/deionised water and add the acid to this carefully while monitoring the pH when it reaches 2.5 stop

1) Transfer yeast slurry to a large (3L) conical flask on a stir plate.

2) Add an equal volume of the dilute phosphoric acid solution to the yeast (i.e 500ml of yeast add 500ml of acid). Switch on the stirrer

3) After 30 minutes at pH 2.5 and 4C pitch directly into the wort.

 

[chrisp]

Aleman

Thats useful info thanks

I have a big flask and stirplate and wouldnt mind having a go at this, just a couple of questions however:

Does 4C mean you hold the temperature at 4 deg Centigrade for 30 minutes,

Also do you tip the full contents of the flask into the wort or let it settle and pour off the water/acid solution first.

I assume that the acid would have killed of the trub etc during the process so only the yeast would be alive so pitching everything probably wouldnt be a problem

Your answer would be apppreciated

Chrisp

 

[Springer]

I always wash my stains

:rofl:
Could get worse for me trying to get close to the hop plants :lol:

 

[Aleman]

Does 4C mean you hold the temperature at 4 deg Centigrade for 30 minutes,

That's correct the entire process takes place at 4° C.

do you tip the full contents of the flask into the wort or let it settle and pour off the water/acid solution first.

You're correct, the entire contents of the flask goes into the word, acid and all. you should make sure that you get the correct pitching rate, so that you don't end up pitching too much acid. Although, If you use distilled water to make up the acid solution, the amount of acid you need to get pH 2.5 is fairly low and therefore doesn't actually affect the pH of the wort to too much.

 

[chrisp]

Thanks Aleman

I will let you know how I get on

Chrisp

 

[Sean_Mc]

I started a brown ale on Monday and used the yeast from a porter from a previous brew safale-04, but for a change used protafloc powder.
Wow it was going great guns by the following morning and needed to place towel around the bucket.

I guess its was the reused nourished yeast that caused the heady fermentation, but have never used protafloc before so am asking did this have any influence on the brews excitable behaviour?

Sean