Yeast cake or top crop?

[Asalpaws]

Can I ask a bit of advice?

Planning a light american ale this weekend I'll pitch some US-05.

I want to harvest the yeast and use it on a higher gravity IPA the weekend after (rather than make a starter).

Should I top crop the light ale or just rack the IPA straight onto the yeast cake of the first beer ?

 

[pittsy]

hi , i would pour all the sediment out into a clean fresh fv and pop your new brew straight away onto it ,

 

[graysalchemy]

+ 1 :thumb:

The yeast will be raring to go on the higher gravity beer.

This a 40L barley wine 1080 in a much bigger 60L FV on a yeast cake from a previous 1050 bitter. As you can see it got a little excited.

 

[Asalpaws]

Cool, thanks that's good advice. Looks like the weather is rubbish this weekend anyway so perfect for a brew day! That yeast is crazy hope I can get those kind of results. I much prefer the idea of making a brew rather than a starter culture : )

 

[Asalpaws]

Well the light ale was kegged and I poured the yeast cake into a clean FV (chose a clear one to watch the fun).

I proceeded to brew up BIAB style a Northern Brewer - Black IPA. Silly amount of hops with a IBU value in the mid 90 s. My target OG was 1062. I came out at 1066 by my target vol of 15 L was bang on. Here's the hops ready to go.

So I chilled it and pitched it onto the yeast and gave it a damn good stir to get some oxygen in it.

The wort taste is crazy, hope the US-05 gets the job done. At least all those hops will combat any bacteria. The colour came out a more dark brown IPA but I'll live with it!

 

[rich27500]

Good pics and big up the BIAB

 

[Asalpaws]

Well it seems to be working, looks like a yeasty snow globe! Good kreuzen already.

 

[Asalpaws]

Racked to secondary today. Gravity now 1.011, giving an apparent attenuation of 82 % and ABV of 7.1 %. Not too bad, threw in a good dry hopping of cascade, despite two spoons it's still floating. Got a sink full of yeast, maybe I should call Marmite!

 

[Asalpaws]

The finished product, carmel and coffe notes work surprisingly well with all that bitterness, I think I should have dry hopped for longer but still a decent beer.

 

[Asalpaws]

Wow a nice day, the IPA is going down well with the family!

 

[Vossy1]

You're making me thirsty A, great looking pint :drink:

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

I bet your proud of that one...Looks on the button to me

 

[Asalpaws]

Thanks, it my best yet but at 7.1 % a wine glass or two is plenty!