Re-using yeast from current brew

[Baldylocks Brewery]

I think it is different with some yeasts Baldy, I am sure some members have a better idea of which yeasts are better.
You can dry Kveik which then keeps for a long time in a dehydrator or a very low oven on baking parchment

Thanks Baron, I like kveik. So doesn’t matter if it’s dry or wet yeast?

 

[The Baron]

I keep Kveik as slurry in a Jar usually but I have never done it but plenty of Youtube vids on how to dry yeast especially Kveik by spreading on baking paper and drying usually with a dehumidifier or in a very low oven even just the light on the oven can be warm enough I believe

 

[MashBag]

I keep Kveik as slurry in a Jar

Best place for it

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I keep Kveik as slurry in a Jar usually but I have never done it but plenty of Youtube vids on how to dry yeast especially Kveik by spreading on baking paper and drying usually with a dehumidifier or in a very low oven even just the light on the oven can be warm enough I believe

Paper and dehumidifier works well, then freeze the flakes.

 

[AlBrew]

There are a few good videos on YouTube on washing your yeast for reuse, I've just started doing it after trying an expensive liquid yeast and wanting to get my moneys worth.

Just need a few jars and some time to swirly it about and decant a couple of times to get rid of the trub at the bottom and the old beer on the top.

The latest brew is on generation 4, had no problems yet. It's not recommended to go much past 6 or 7 generations apparently.

It's a bit of a faf, but what's another bit or faf amongst all of the rest in AG brewing.

 

[JockyBrewer]

Unless your yeast is full of hops from a dry hop, rinsing it with water is really unnecessary and just as likely to cause a problem as it is to solve any.

If you need to dry hop a beer that you're going to reuse the yeast from, it's better to either use a hop bag or transfer the beer before dry hopping.

On a pro scale they will do acid washing of yeast, but that's for a different purpose.

 

[Moe]

I’ve re used yeast a few times, usually when brewing fairly soon after kegging the first beer.

I use a sanitised serving spoon to scoop out the trub and storing in a jam jar or pint glass in the fridge until it’s ready to be used again. Never done more than 2 generations though.

I’ve used Kveik for 3 generations by top cropping and storing in a jam jar in the fridge.

I once used 3 month old slurry with no problems. I did make a kind of rough and ready starter though. Details in post 104 here:
Post in thread 'My Brewdays'
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/my-brewdays.92366/post-1207671

I’m not saying this is best practice, just that I’ve got away with it a few times

 

[Slid]

I routinely re-use yeast, by basically pouring the trub from a (New Sachet) brew into a jug and thence into 4-6 250ml bottles (formerly containing lemonade) which go in the fridge. I only ever go one generation down and chuck anything that has been in the fridge longer than a few (3-4) months.

As others have said, I get the yeast bottle out of the fridge early on brew day and chuck the whole lot in. Never had any problem with this approach, but the attenuations I experience are quite high. Could be the mix of yeasts I use - US05, Gervin, Saison, Belgian Abbeye , Wheat etc.

No issues at all, really, though I brew to my own preferences, rather than Competition styles.

 

[MashBag]

Sometimes I wish there was a "like a lot" button.

Spot on Slid!

 

[Dark Arts]

I've been doing a lot of small batch stouts lately and just pitching straight on top of the yeast cake and the fermentation is getting faster n faster, last1 was all but done in less than 12hrs??? US 04, I've usually been collecting in a jar and putting it in the fridge for later use.

 

[hoppyscotty]

this is an interesting and informative watch on yeast re-pitching. Seems to demystify alot of it and basically says you cant really go wrong...providing you take the usual sanitary things seriously.

In my mind I've always overcomplicated this process and scared myself out of doing it or trying it, but might start looking into it agains. I do like the convenience of pitching fresh yeast every time, and the cost is not that great on the home brew scale, but seeing what impact the yeast has on a beer over a number of generations seems quite an interesting thing to have a go at.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Many good videos by the rockstar brewery chap.

 

[RichK]

I've re-used yeast once to date. About 5 weeks between brews & just the slurry stored in a jar in the fridge. Worked fine, except I put the lid on too tightly & it warped the lid a bit! I was reticent about trying this, but with the (likely) disappearance of CML it's going to be something I'll do more often from now.

 

[The Baron]

Leave the lid slightly unscrewed until it has got down to fridge temp then screw tight this should stop that

 

[MackemBrew]

Avoid pitching directly onto the yeast cake.

You want to crop from a fairly low abv beer, we would aim for taking it off a 1040 beer. Obviously you only want to be taking it off a healthy beer also - you do not want any yeast from a beer that has potentially picked up an infection.

Best practice is to take yeast from the top of the FV once you are over 50% through fermentation. This is the healthiest yeast available. Take as much as you can, at this point you will have sufficient yeast to finish fermentation.

If you miss the opportunity to top crop, or you are unable to take enough, crop from the bottom post transfer.

Pop it in a sterile container and put it in the fridge.

When you are ready to re-pitch add your required amount to a sterile vessel, take ph reading, and slowly add diluted phosphoric acid until the yeast drops to 2.2 - you want the yeast to be 4°c when doing this - and pitch within the hour.

Be cautious with how long you are keeping cropped yeast, it will deteriorate so ideally you want to be repitching within the week.