To crop the top or wash the bottom!

[Covrich]

I have sunday pitched a Wyeast London Ale III which as @clibit rightly pointed out to me was a great top cropper! the krausen is so healthy its actually seeping out of the fermenter (trying to just keep the lid on and it sealed to be honest.

HOwever this is a yeast I want to harvest for another brew, I was thinking of nicking or scooping a load out probably tonight or tomorrow when the krausen is at a healthy height.. But that said I won't be reusing the yeast well until at least November..

So I am probably thinking its better to just to wash / scoop out and decant/ reuse that (with a starter)..

I am worried if I scoop now it will starve and be much less viable whereas if I take when I bottle in a few weeks it will be a bit healthier..

Cheers as always

 

[MyQul]

iirc top cropped yeast is the most vital/viable but need to be used soon after cropping. So if your not going to reuse to november I'd bottom crop.

If your planning to do any rinsing with water I definately wouldn't because of a) risk of infection and b) the yeast needs nutients even sitting in the fridge and it won't get that by sitting under water. I'd just collect some slurry in a (sanitised) jar and put it in your fridge. Then when it comes to when you want to use is make a starter to re-invigorate it/replace the cells which have died.

 

[clibit]

I don't know the relative strength of bottom and top cropped yeast in terms of keeping for a few weeks. I would keep both, and make starters with both in November, which isn't far away. There is a good chance the top cropped yeast would be better. More pure, and its good quality yeast, I believe.

 

[Covrich]

iirc top cropped yeast is the most vital/viable but need to be used soon after cropping. So if your not going to reuse to november I'd bottom crop.

If your planning to do any rinsing with water I definately wouldn't because of a) risk of infection and b) the yeast needs nutients even sitting in the fridge and it won't get that by sitting under water. I'd just collect some slurry in a (sanitised) jar and put it in your fridge. Then when it comes to when you want to use is make a starter to re-invigorate it/replace the cells which have died.

From what I have seen by doing some searches they tend to agree top cropped yeast while cleaner and good should be used sharpish otherwise it can starve and loose viability? . It would be easy for me to do it I have almost 4 inches if krausen I could scoop out.

As for scooping out the bottom, well I was actually going to do that anyway but doesn't that also carry over risidual flavours from one batch to teh next? not a problem as such as these two are going to be of a similar style.

If I scoop out and fridge I could probably still decant it off any **** before making a starter anyway (I will always make a starter with them now since I brew outside and would want a stronger and quicker fermentation)

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Wash and rinse your trub. Its a lot easier than you think. See if you can get hold of 3 x 2li glass jars to make it even easier. if you need advice on how to do this your more than welcome to come over and ill go through the process with you. I may even be able to get you some jars.

 

[MyQul]

From what I have seen by doing some searches they tend to agree top cropped yeast while cleaner and good should be used sharpish otherwise it can starve and loose viability? . It would be easy for me to do it I have almost 4 inches if krausen I could scoop out.

As for scooping out the bottom, well I was actually going to do that anyway but doesn't that also carry over risidual flavours from one batch to teh next? not a problem as such as these two are going to be of a similar style.

If I scoop out and fridge I could probably still decant it off any **** before making a starter anyway (I will always make a starter with them now since I brew outside and would want a stronger and quicker fermentation)

Pitching trub from the bottom doesn't carry over residual flavours as your only pitching 300ml-400ml of trub into 23L of wort. Unless you pitch from a brew that had off flavours and that's not recommended anyway.

You can easily make a starter from trub. If you have a lot of break material in it just pitch about 300ml-400ml into 2L of starter wort (I use a 5L water bottle for this). Then let it ferment out for a couple of days. The give it a good shake and let it sit for 20mins so all the heavy trub sinks to the bottom then decant the spent wort with suspended yeast in it into 2x2L pop bottles.
If you don't have a lot of break material mixed in with the harvested trub just make a 1L-2L starter with the harvested trub then pitch it into your next brew

 

[Covrich]

Thanks to both of you great help.. ALthough I have to be honest you seem to conflict on the point of washing?

With no washing I was going to scoop some into a large jar (had picked cabbage in but will clean and steralise fully) then a few weeks of sitting in the fridge I was going to try and decant into a starter which I can do in a 1gl pet demijon (the trub should still settle out) I don't know how much break material is in there but it seemed to cogulate pretty well

 

[MyQul]

Having thought about it there is a way you could top crop and keep the yeast healthy till November.

Just top crop as you'd plan to do but then add 1L of starter wort to it and let it ferment out before putting it in the fridge until you need it then make another 1L starter 12 hours before needed then pitch. This way it stays under beer so it wont starve

 

[clibit]

This is a good yeasty read, published in 2000, doesn't answer all the questions directly, but a big help.

http://www.probrewer.com/library/archives/keeping-your-yeast-healthy-longer/

Loads more about yeast from that website here:

http://www.probrewer.com/library/yeast/

 

[Covrich]

Thanks again I will take a look at those links..probably tomorrow