Brew UK Forum | Brewing Tips
Used Yeast
Hello...
Another quick question i have which was going to ask last night.
When it comes to the yeast in the primary and secondary fermentation. Can this be reused? If so how do you go about doing it?
I committed a criminal sin in the brewing world and washed the yeast down the sink. But i know i could have kept it instead.
Thanks Neil
Responses
Posted 2 years ago by Admin
Hi Neil, yes you can reuse it but it must either be used straight away or within a couple of weeks. Most brewers only bother storing the more expensive liquid yeast (like wyeast) and don't tend to keep the dried yeasts so do wash them down the sink.
If you want to reuse then either pitch the new beer directly onto the yeast cake (at the bottom of the fermenter) but you need time your brewing so one starts when the other completes primary fermentation or store in sterilised jars in the fridge.
Another good way is to bottle a few samples and the recover the yeast from there, making up a yeast starter which you step up over time to get the desired yeast count. You can also use this to recover yeast from bottle conditioned shop bought ales (like Hop Back Summer Lightning) but this will only work with some beers and they must be bottle conditioned. Most shop bought have been filtered and pasterised to maintain standard quality and improve shelf life (something driven by the supermarkets).
Hope this helps.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 2 years ago by Member
Hey BM
yes, it can be reused and if you have a new brew on the go, you can run it (once cooled to fermentation temp) straight onto the cake. I would remove at least half of it though as fermentation is quick and vigorous! The other half can be discarded or put into a sanitised bottle and refrigerated for a couple of weeks.
I've read that it's best to only use the same yeast 4ish times as it can mutate. Ever seen Alien? No idea if that is true though as breweries must use if over and over - but then again, they have a team of biologists getting it right for them. Unfortunately I'm unable to do brews frequent enough to be able to reuse my yeast. Let us know how you get on!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 2 years ago by Member
Thanks guys.
Unfortunately like you Tony I can't brew that often at the moment. Although i am enjoying the fruits of my labour i must admit. It's quite an interesting hobby i must admit.
I think i will stick with flushing down the sink. I can pick up yeast quite cheap from my local homebrew shop as well thankfully.
Neil..
Posted 2 years ago by Moderator
I flush mine down the toilet.
Arghhhhhhhhh, but I just cant brew one after the other
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 2 years ago by Member
I am already getting itchy fingers to make another brew...
I've got ingredients left over from the Summer Ale receipe. Trouble is i don't have anywhere to put it after the primary fermentation. Although i am coming to the end of 18 pints of Woodfordes Wherry i could always use the container that came in? Take the box apart and use the insides...
Hmmm very tempted to do that.
Posted 5 months ago by Member
Compost bin or heap appreciates used yeast!
texteditor.
Posted 5 months ago by Member
Have to say all my brewing waste goes into the compost heap - hops, yeast, slops from kegs etc - except the grains which the girls (chickens) love!
I am presuming that if you are going to reuse the yeast it has to be for the same recipe? ie I couldnt reuse the Nottingham yeast thats just about to finish a honey beer with say the amarillo recipe? or could I? And how do you clean the FV before sticking the new brew on top of the yeast cake? Or should you move half of the yeast cake to a clean sterilised FV?
Interested now as I was impressed by the Nottingham yeast and like the idea of re-using it.
Jules
Conditioning: Stout, , WTA, Doodlebug, Wherry and XXXMas brews
Fermenting : Great Eastern and Thunderbolt
Planning: My first AG brew....
Posted 5 months ago by Member
You can take a few scoops from the yeast cake, and keep it in a sterile jar. It keeps well for a couple of months at least kept cool. I've pitched this direct into the new batch many times, but would be better to make up a starter.
Most would only carry over for three brews in case it starts to develop problems.
Fermenting: Flying monk, Pale Ale
Drinking: Westporter, Porter
Maturing: Cider
Posted 5 months ago by Member
I've used the yeast in bread making - it can taste a little beer-y but it rises well!
Fermenting: Second crack at Twibute, a prototype all grain Bass clone
Conditioning:
Drinking: Twibute extrAct, Raspberry beer, ginger beer, Chilli Old Peculier, Hop Back Summer Lightning clone
Posted 2 months ago by Member
I just bottled my first brew yesterday and thought "I wonder if I can use the dregs as a starter".
In the end, chucked it on the compost, but might consider it for "own recipe" stuff.
Cant see myself brewing the same can twice in a row for a while yet.
Bottle - Coopers Ginger Beer, Aussi Lager
DemiJohn - Vimto Wine and Ginger Beer.
Posted 2 months ago by Member
For me harvesting the yeast is all part of the 'craft' of making beer.
It is very easy to do, and people shouldn't be afraid of it.
As well as saving money it is very useful to always have the yeast to hand for those times when you suddenly get the urge to brew.
Just make sure that you apply all the usual hygiene standards.
If you aren't brewing for a while then you can either freeze the yeast for a few months or keep it in the fridge and make a starter and reharvest every 3 weeks.
Posted 2 months ago by Member
Just looked through this ,very interesting.Am i right in thinking if i am doing another say lager kit after i have just bottled a batch,i could scoop out half the stuff left in the bottom of the FV and just add it to the next lager batch instead of adding a packet of yeast.If so do you just throw it in once you have made your 23l or would you put it in first.
Only interested as i have a tettnag lager ready to 2nd ferment over the weekend and a european lager to start next so could i reuse yeast from tettnag batch.
Posted 2 months ago by Member
I would harvest the yeast, wash it and then make a starter culture but keep it in the fridge.
Washing just involves swilling the yeast with distilled/boiled&cooled water letting the worst of the sediment settle for half an hour to an hour in the fridge, and then syphoning or decanting off the yeast rich liquid.
Take it out the day before you brew to warm up overnight and then pop it into the wort. Voila.
The Wyeast guys reckon you can do this up to 10 times, but as always everything depends on keeping everything sterile.
Posted 2 months ago by Member
Great so would i use all the stuff from the bottom and wash it in about a pint of cool boiled water?
Posted 2 months ago by Member
Yeah that's pretty much the way it's done.
The trub usually consists of 3 layers, the muck on the bottom, a thin layer of yeast on top of that and then the liquid yeast suspension.
If you can avoid picking up the 'muck' then fine but don't be too fussy about it as you will get rid of the rest when washing.
Don't try to syphon off the thin yeast layer after washing as there will be plenty of yeast in suspension still, assuming you haven't left it to settle for hours and hours.
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