Yeast cropping/harvesting

[Nottsbeer]

I'm planning to crop the yeast from my next brew. I will be using Wyeast 1469 which I've read is a good one to crop. As this is my first attempt I'm a bit nervous about ruining my beer (I think this is unlikely but worst case scenario!) and getting enough. I'm thinking of making c.18l wort which I'm going to split into a 13l batch and a 5l batch. I will only crop the 13l batch. I suppose my questions are;
1. Will I overpitch if I put 3/4 of the yeast into the 13l and 1/4 into the 5l batch?
2. To crop I skim the crud layer after formation and then crop once a new layer has formed?
3. How do I work out when I have enough? Is it just on how full the jar is?
4. Some people note taking some wort for the yeast whilst others state to add cool boiled water to the cropped yeast. Is either way good?

Sorry for lots of questions. I've been looking for past threads etc/how to guides but I haven't found one with answers yet (I may have not looked in the right place yet!). The info in the beer book I have briefly covers this, making it sound simple, but doesn't cover how to ensure I have enough.

Finally, I am also thinking of harvesting from the trub once I bottle. Is this also a good source of yeast?

Any advice/links to other sources of info gratefully received.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Go onto YouTube it's explained there

 

[Nottsbeer]

Go onto YouTube it's explained there

. The ones I've seen so far make it look very easy.

 

[jeg3]

I've cropped 1469 a few times and 1318. Both are excellent top croppers.

I use a litre jar. I skim the dark skin off the krausen and discard. I probably take most the foam as well as I use a serving spoon. The krausen reforms within 15 minutes. I then take about 250ml (a quarter of a jarful) of the krausen which is usually most of it and put a couple of spoonfuls of beer in as well.

The yeast needs a lot of headspace in the jar - it is incredibly viable at the this stage and if the jar isn't big enough it climbs out the top eventually.

Let it ferment out on the side then tighten the lid and stick in the fridge.

I've just pitched 1318 I cropped in March. I made a starter and it woke up within a couple of hours. It started producing the trademark krausen in the starter within 2 days.

So far I'm on the 3rd generation of 1469 and just cropped my fifth generation of 1318.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Can you top crop dry yeasts?

 

[Nottsbeer]

Can you top crop dry yeasts?

I've read that you can but it's generally not recommended/done as it doesn't perform as well. Am sure someone with more experience will confirm or correct me

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've cropped 1469 a few times and 1318. Both are excellent top croppers.

I use a litre jar. I skim the dark skin off the krausen and discard. I probably take most the foam as well as I use a serving spoon. The krausen reforms within 15 minutes. I then take about 250ml (a quarter of a jarful) of the krausen which is usually most of it and put a couple of spoonfuls of beer in as well.

The yeast needs a lot of headspace in the jar - it is incredibly viable at the this stage and if the jar isn't big enough it climbs out the top eventually.

Let it ferment out on the side then tighten the lid and stick in the fridge.

I've just pitched 1318 I cropped in March. I made a starter and it woke up within a couple of hours. It started producing the trademark krausen in the starter within 2 days.

So far I'm on the 3rd generation of 1469 and just cropped my fifth generation of 1318.

Thx. I pitched the yeast yesterday so am keeping a watch on it now.

 

[jeg3]

For info I pitched the yeast on Sunday evening and cropped yesterday evening. The gravity had fallen from 1.042 to 1.024

 

[An Ankoù]

Can you top crop dry yeasts?

Yes you can and they work perfectly well. But you must ensure that you oxygenate the wort before repitching. Some might argue that dry yeasts are relatively cheap and there's little point, but a good crop contains more cells than you'll ever find in the sachet.

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've cropped 1469 a few times and 1318. Both are excellent top croppers.

I use a litre jar. I skim the dark skin off the krausen and discard. I probably take most the foam as well as I use a serving spoon. The krausen reforms within 15 minutes. I then take about 250ml (a quarter of a jarful) of the krausen which is usually most of it and put a couple of spoonfuls of beer in as well.

The yeast needs a lot of headspace in the jar - it is incredibly viable at the this stage and if the jar isn't big enough it climbs out the top eventually.

Let it ferment out on the side then tighten the lid and stick in the fridge.

I've just pitched 1318 I cropped in March. I made a starter and it woke up within a couple of hours. It started producing the trademark krausen in the starter within 2 days.

So far I'm on the 3rd generation of 1469 and just cropped my fifth generation of 1318.

I just skimmed my yeast. Took a few spoons of beer as well. Bit nervous about ruining my beer but seems ok. BTW, this brew is the best smelling one I've done! Must be the yeast, so far very impressed with it.

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've cropped 1469 a few times and 1318. Both are excellent top croppers.

I use a litre jar. I skim the dark skin off the krausen and discard. I probably take most the foam as well as I use a serving spoon. The krausen reforms within 15 minutes. I then take about 250ml (a quarter of a jarful) of the krausen which is usually most of it and put a couple of spoonfuls of beer in as well.

The yeast needs a lot of headspace in the jar - it is incredibly viable at the this stage and if the jar isn't big enough it climbs out the top eventually.

Let it ferment out on the side then tighten the lid and stick in the fridge.

I've just pitched 1318 I cropped in March. I made a starter and it woke up within a couple of hours. It started producing the trademark krausen in the starter within 2 days.

So far I'm on the 3rd generation of 1469 and just cropped my fifth generation of 1318.

Hi, I collected my yeast earlier today and added some of the beer as suggested. I left it out most of the day and things settled to the bottom of the jar. I was originally going to follow the method outlined in the GP book (using cooled boiled water), but I take it you just leave it in the beer now in the fridge until needed? As being in the fridge activity will decrease, thus it should be fine for a few months?

Also, I'm planning to collect yeast from the trub after bottling. I presume the same storing method is best? I was going to wash this with water (again as outlined in GP I think), but maybe just leaving a bit more beer behind is better and not using water if possible? I'm thinking of this way having read some other posts about keeping yeast in the medium it was become accustomed to?

Thanks, john

 

[jeg3]

I don't bother washing the yeast, there are lots of opinions on methods of storing yeast. My tried and tested method is to crop the yeast at its most viable, let it ferment out what's left of the half fermented beer you take with it tighten the lid and then store it in the fridge under the beer.

I santise with chemsan it makes the process of making sure everything is sanitary easier.

I've top cropped yeast for years and never had any problems with this method, the yeast or the beer Ive cropped from.

By the way if you've got 1469 you must give Greg Hughes' tin miners ale a go. It's easily the best beer Ive brewed out of 60 total

 

[jeg3]

For what it's worth I've harvested trub as well but not for some time. It's a good way of reusing yeast though.

As an aside I wonder whether you've harvested enough yeast in your photo, I'd expect the jar to be at least half full. When the yeast compacts down there won't be much there. You might need to make a starter to propagate enough to make a pitching quantity

 

[Nottsbeer]

For what it's worth I've harvested trub as well but not for some time. It's a good way of reusing yeast though.

As an aside I wonder whether you've harvested enough yeast in your photo, I'd expect the jar to be at least half full. When the yeast compacts down there won't be much there. You might need to make a starter to propagate enough to make a pitching quantity

Thanks for your replies. I have a depth of about 1cm in an IKEA storage jar. I figured I was going to have to make a starter anyway as I don't brew often, roughly a 13l batch every 3-4 weeks, so the yeast will be kept for a while. I'll check out the Tin miners ale as I wanted to find another beer this yeast would be good for .

So far I'm very impressed with this yeast. The smell in the fermenter is very pleasant, and the beer is tasting very nice as well. Had to have a try yesterday when checking the gravity .

Cheers.

 

[UKSkydiver]

I hope you don't mind me chipping in to this thread

I have just (well - 5 days ago) top cropped some MJ M47 from my Leffe Brune clone.

I got as much froth as I could on day 2, after I discarded the first krausen about 6 hours previous.

I didnt get a lot (I may have left it too late to be fair)

My question is this; there are three layers. Pretty sure layer 3 is beer and layer 1 is yeast. Is layer 2 as yet unsettled yeast or some other stuff that I don't want to keep?

Those small markings are 0.5mm. There is probably 2.5 mm of layer 1 yeast.

I know that this will probably need a starter, I may just build this up so I have a couple of vials in the fridge for next time.

Thanks

 

[Nottsbeer]

I hope you don't mind me chipping in to this thread

I have just (well - 5 days ago) top cropped some MJ M47 from my Leffe Brune clone.

I got as much froth as I could on day 2, after I discarded the first krausen about 6 hours previous.

I didnt get a lot (I may have left it too late to be fair)

My question is this; there are three layers. Pretty sure layer 3 is beer and layer 1 is yeast. Is layer 2 as yet unsettled yeast or some other stuff that I don't want to keep?

View attachment 54708

View attachment 54709

Those small markings are 0.5mm. There is probably 2.5 mm of layer 1 yeast.

I know that this will probably need a starter, I may just build this up so I have a couple of vials in the fridge for next time.

Thanks

Hi, were you going to attach a pic of your sample? As I haven't done anything with my yeast yet, not sure I can say much....tho someone else will pop along who can help. Just for info, here is a pic of my yeast stored in a jar. I have presumed the white is yeast and the liquid is beer.

 

[UKSkydiver]

Yeah - I posted the text from my laptop and then edited the post on the phone to add the pics. You probably saw the pre edit. Pics are up now.

I will put mine in the fridge now that it's fermented out and see if it compacts.

 

[jeg3]

I hope you don't mind me chipping in to this thread

I have just (well - 5 days ago) top cropped some MJ M47 from my Leffe Brune clone.

I got as much froth as I could on day 2, after I discarded the first krausen about 6 hours previous.

I didnt get a lot (I may have left it too late to be fair)

My question is this; there are three layers. Pretty sure layer 3 is beer and layer 1 is yeast. Is layer 2 as yet unsettled yeast or some other stuff that I don't want to keep?

View attachment 54708

View attachment 54709

Those small markings are 0.5mm. There is probably 2.5 mm of layer 1 yeast.

I know that this will probably need a starter, I may just build this up so I have a couple of vials in the fridge for next time.

Thanks

Layer 2 is also yeast, but it hasn't settled yet. It looks good to me though

My harvests look like this for days whilst they are on the shelf, but after a few days in the fridge it compacts nicely.

Having said that I haven't used M47 so I don't know how flocculant it is. Some yeasts like WY1968 will ferment out and suck itself to the bottom. Others like WY1469 are less flocculant and will move around a fair bit if disturbed.

 

[UKSkydiver]

A fair few weeks on and the yeast has dropped but not really compacted. If you move the jar you can see the top layer move about.