reusing slurry?

[Kyral210]

If I use the right amount of slurry from a a previous batch, do I need to use a starter, or can I just measure it out and chuck it into the new batch?

 

[bobsbeer]

Not done it with beer, but I regularly do it with wine. I use about a cup full of slurry, put in a pint glass and fill with boiled warm water. Stir and let it settle for a few minutes. Then carefully pour off the cloudy bit off the top of the settled bit. Don't get too worried if a bit of the sludge goes in. Then top up with a little boiled warm water and a tsp of sugar to get the yeast going again. Leave it for 30 mins or so then it's ready to go again. Partially washed yeast for free.

 

[Double_Maxim]

What is the benefit of this?? saving on yeast??

 

[disgruntledgoat]

I routinely take a few tea spoons off the top of my Fermenters after one or two days and put them in a sterile test tube with some sugar in the fridge... Make a starter and you've got a free yeast!

All the advice I've ever got from the pros tells me not to go over 6-8 generations though.

 

[rich27500]

I recycle fermenting vessel sediment and tend to use it in a starter. Always works well but like others only do a few times.

 

[Good Ed]

I routinely take a few tea spoons off the top of my Fermenters after one or two days and put them in a sterile test tube with some sugar in the fridge... Make a starter and you've got a free yeast!

All the advice I've ever got from the pros tells me not to go over 6-8 generations though.

I wouldn't use sugar, I believe it's a no no for propagating yeasts :nono: use DME instead

 

[unclepumble]

I routinely take a few tea spoons off the top of my Fermenters after one or two days and put them in a sterile test tube with some sugar in the fridge... Make a starter and you've got a free yeast!

All the advice I've ever got from the pros tells me not to go over 6-8 generations though.

6-8 generations is cobblers, as long as you employ good yeast management techniques and brew a similar low gravity brew under 1060og you can repitch for ever.

you may get some mutation occuring but that's not always a bad thing, and if you re-pitch a lot it might be an idea to get to learn how to acid wash yeast, as this will need to be done every 5-6 pitches to clean out any unwanted's.

The 6-8 generations then start again with fresh is for mutinationals that ferment in large conicals, and is due to yeast cell damage occurring due to the massive hydro-static pressures on the yeast due to the nature of conical design.

To re-pitch effectively you do need to be brewing at least every once every 14 days though, or be able to clean and store you slurry under sterile water (boiled kettle water)

UP

 

[Darcey]

I have recently robbed some yeast from a fullers cask. The yeast ate up the DME and formed a nice yeast deposit that I pitched in to my latest bitter. The harvested yeast after growing from the cask beer looked good and the beer it produced in the demi tasted ok! no off smells so it was pitched. I am going to try and harvest the slurry from the primary FV when I rack it off so good luck there!

I havnt tasted the beer its fermented hopefully its ok. No tap to take samples

D

 

[graysalchemy]

Oh Fullers yeast I wanted some of that :lol: :lol:

I have sucessfully stored yeast slurry in some of the beer in 2l PETS. CO2 comes out of the beer pressurises the bottle and keeps the yeast sterile. Probably not the correct way to do it but it seems to work for me. :thumb: :thumb:

 

[hairybiker]

Being lazy, I just dropped Mondays brew on to the slurry from my last brew, just racked off into a barrel on Monday before I put the new brew on it.
Took off like a ferret up a trouser leg. :thumb:

I don't normally do this, I sometimes collect some slurry and keep it in a pet bottle in the fridge if I am brewing with in the week, but this time worked out so I could just drop it straight in.

Usual disclaimers apply, don't re-use a dark beer slurry with a light PA or similar.

 

[Darcey]

Oh Fullers yeast I wanted some of that :lol: :lol:

Thwaites yeast is due for some acquiring this week! I'll be getting some Holts yeast to share soon. Welcome to take some fullers and Thwaites if anyone wants to collect soon.

D