The stuff at the Bottom ?

[jstrausss]

I was wondering if there was a way to use all that stuff at the bottom of the fermeter after its done doing its thing ? Is that yeast that can be saved and used over? ?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by jstrausss
I was wondering if there was a way to use all that stuff at the bottom of the fermeter after its done doing its thing ? Is that yeast that can be saved and used over? ?

Go read

http://www.wyeastlab.com/hbrew/hbyewash.htm

[fretlessman71]

Hey... can I pour my IPA onto the yeast cake from my stout?

[Caffinehog]

Aussies turn it into Vegemite.

[mmmBeer...]

Originally posted by fretlessman71
Hey... can I pour my IPA onto the yeast cake from my stout?

I wouldn't go that far....you usaully need to go lighter to darker. Thus pouring your stout on the yeast cake from your IPA would work.

Take a look in this thread there are a few devoted to this topic.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by mmmBeer...
I wouldn't go that far....you usaully need to go lighter to darker. Thus pouring your stout on the yeast cake from your IPA would work.

Take a look in this thread there are a few devoted to this topic.

But you could easily wash and re-pitch the yeast at the bottom of your fermenter for your IPA.

[fuji6100]

But you could easily wash and re-pitch the yeast at the bottom of your fermenter for your IPA.

Assuming that the strain you used for your stout was the same or similar strain that you'd use in an IPA.

Some of the more versital and "middle of the road" yeasts are better at crossing between styles than others.

Obviously you wouldn't want to re-use a hefe yeast on a barleywine, ect ect.

[jstrausss]

What dos IPA stand for , and what is it ?

[fuji6100]

India Pale Ale

[toneyc]

IPA stands for India Pale Ale, a type of Ale developed when Britain had troops in India and it took a long time to ship beer to the troops. They made it stronger and hoppier to withstand shipping and people developed a taste for it.

:)
Toney.

[fretlessman71]

I used WLP004 for my sweet stout. Maybe it's not the best choice for an IPA.....?

[brewmonkey]

You still would not want to go from darker to lighter with washing your yeast. Washing will only aid in killing off any bacteria (not wild yeast) that may have grown during the last fermentation. Washing can also be a HUGE PAIN in the ass. I have done it on several occassions under lab quality environments with Chlorine Dioxide (5%) and while the results were ok, it was not worth it IMHO.

Remember with washing you are going to pitch it all, including the media that you washed with. So stick with going from lighter to darker but not the other way unless it is an emergency.

[yonkersbrewer]

It works great to do a second batch of the same recipe on the yeast cake of the first. It works great to do a higher gravity beer on that yeast cake. I'd do it only once for safety sake, that is don't make a third batch on the cake of the second.

I have never tried yeast washing or culturing only because that seems like another hobby that I am just not interested in! I am perfectly happy enslaving my yeast and then killing them off after they work their poor little organelles to the cell wall. And then I callously buy and enslave another couple of billion of their brethren!

The best part of using the yeast cake of one to make another is that the beer takes off like a rocket with lag time measured in single digits. Bubbles in just a couple of hours. Fermentation complete in just a couple of days.

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
You still would not want to go from darker to lighter with washing your yeast. Washing will only aid in killing off any bacteria (not wild yeast) that may have grown during the last fermentation. Washing can also be a HUGE PAIN in the ass. I have done it on several occassions under lab quality environments with Chlorine Dioxide (5%) and while the results were ok, it was not worth it IMHO.

Remember with washing you are going to pitch it all, including the media that you washed with. So stick with going from lighter to darker but not the other way unless it is an emergency.

Ed have you ever tried the much less scientific, easy purified water approach? No chlorine dioxide or phosphoric acid(don't some use HCl, or is it nitric?). It's actually pretty easy and after three or four passes you wind up with practically nil in the way of the previous beer mixed in with the slurry. I've been very pleased - it works well for a home brewing environment.

If you haven't read it go see
http://www.wyeastlab.com/hbrew/hbyewash.htm

[mmmBeer...]

I have used the wyeast method with many strains and am a big fan (I could be wrong but I think I may have posted the first link to the site), but I have never had consistent results with this method. There is no question that I get great beer but the flavour profile is different from batch to batch.

Don’t get me wrong…I was happy with all the beers I made using this method, but they weren’t the same as the original yeast.

I used the washing for 3 batches of hefe yeast (wlp300) and all came out very different…not bad…but not consistent as the original vial. Due to the flavour profile and the recipe I can only attribute this to the yeast. The notes for a hefe are truly from the yeast…so what else can I say???

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by mmmBeer...
I have used the wyeast method with many strains and am a big fan (I could be wrong but I think I may have posted the first link to the site), but I have never had consistent results with this method. There is no question that I get great beer but the flavour profile is different from batch to batch.

Don’t get me wrong…I was happy with all the beers I made using this method, but they weren’t the same as the original yeast.

I used the washing for 3 batches of hefe yeast (wlp300) and all came out very different…not bad…but not consistent as the original vial. Due to the flavour profile and the recipe I can only attribute this to the yeast. The notes for a hefe are truly from the yeast…so what else can I say???

I've read people say that you don't really get the "real" attributes of a strain until the 3rd or 4th generation when starting from a vial or tube or smack pack. Maybe that's what was going on.

[mmmBeer...]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
I've read people say that you don't really get the "real" attributes of a strain until the 3rd or 4th generation when starting from a vial or tube or smack pack. Maybe that's what was going on.

Could be...the most I have ever stretched a yeast is 3 batches. After reading some advice from brewmonkey I got concerned about how long I can store it for…as I like to mix up the styles I brew. So, I would have to keep it in the fridge for a month and I got paranoid about contamination.

[PCaravan]

For those who care, here's my method of reusing yeast. Though it may not be the most cautious, it works for me... I've had no problems though since I've never made the same recipie twice (how boring) I can't say whether or not the results are consistent.

I like to always brew a big beer the week following brewing a normal beer. Having the extra yeast acts like a starter (I hate doing that and white labs suggests making one when the SG is 1.70 or more) for the bigger beer. The big beer goes right onto the yeast left behind by the smaller beer after racking from the primary. I've read that you shouldn't do that for a number of reasons to include that dying yeast effects beer flavor and remnants of the old beer may effect the flavor of the new beer. I've also read that it takes much longer for the two weeks (counting both beers) the yeast will be in contact with any beer for off flavors to occur and I can attest to that part of it. As to the first beer effecting the flavor of the second... as I've said, I've never made the same thing twice so comperison is impossible, but I doubt that the ounce or two of the old beer that is not yeast or yeast waist really effects the new beer's taste to any perceptible level.

I have also read that stronger beers (more alcohol) increases the rate of mutation of a yeast. For this reason, I scoop out some of the yeast (about half of a 12 oz. beer bottle per 5 gallons) and put in a beer bottle and cap for future use BEFORE the big beer gets it. This bottled yeast is labeled and refrigerated.

This is really easy, it works good enough for me, and is not any trouble at all.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by jstrausss
I was wondering if there was a way to use all that stuff at the bottom of the fermeter after its done doing its thing ? Is that yeast that can be saved and used over? ?

Save it from several batches and then mix it all together, decant the beer and you have a Bock! :D

Hahaha, how many of us have heard that one?

[Fast_Eddy]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
Save it from several batches and then mix it all together, decant the beer and you have a Bock! :D

Hahaha, how many of us have heard that one?

I've heard that and that bock is made when they clean out the fermenters once a year - harharhar. People can be so ignorant.

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by Fast_Eddy
I've heard that and that bock is made when they clean out the fermenters once a year - harharhar. People can be so ignorant.

I actually had a lady ask me if that was how me made our Maibock. I shit you not, I about spit my beer all over her while I was laughing.

[Fast_Eddy]

I had a (reasonably) intelligent guy tell me the fermenter thing - I had to be very tactful and not just come right out and call him a dumbass. Instead I rewarded him with a 5 minute discourse on the monks of Paula.