Rinsing Yeast (in Pictures)

[DeGarre]

Very helpful Wolfy, cheers, and it was going very well today rinsing Nottinham - got all 3 very clear sediments - but then I started "decanting". What does this actually mean? I carefully tried to pour off the clear beer/water but the bottom trub started moving and suddenly I was pouring off mixed contents. I wonder if a syringe would help - just suck out the bit you want?

Also, to sanitise the jars, would star-saning them work or does it have to be boiling?

edit: I got rid of the clear water/beer on the top, unfortunately also the yeast in the middle I fear, all I have now is trub-like sediment, which isn't separating.

Well, at least I know now how it works, just needs to improve my technique of extracting the middle bit goodness.

[FUBAR]

I have kegged my latest brew this morning that I used 002 yeast,and have tried rinsing for the first time,thing is no matter how much that the jar is shaken I have even had a brewers paddle giving it a good stir and breaking all the lumps up by pressing them against the side of the jar it still just settles out the same,just one mass with no layers,so am thinking of just putting the jar in the fridge and just decanting the liquid and pitching the rest on my next brew day on the 17th of this month,would this be ok its in a 2litre kilner jar about 3/4 full?.

cheers FUBAR

[greenxpaddy]

If it's any help:

Before putting in your rinse jar, swirl the whole FV round a few times to disturb the settled yeast.

The trub will be clumpy and some of the yeast but you don't need all of the yeast anyway

So when you pour into the rinsing jar and add your rinse water shake up and leave for 20 mins, there should be a pale layer appear at the top to show settlement. I then pour all this into another sterilised jar leaving the bottom quarter (if I cannot see a guide line layer) of the first jar behind. That should get rid of most of the trub. Then put the saved jar in the fridge and you can decant the rest off later.

I don't seem to get much trub to be honest because I use a braided hose hop filter. Though I do lose a little more than others in the bottom of the boiler.

Also try to rinse at room temperature so the yeast doesn't flocculate as fast

[FUBAR]

greenpaddy
Thanks for the quick reply,that is exactly the method that I used,I have compared the layer in the jar to a vial of 002 that I have in the fridge and it is the same colour in the jar as the vial with just a few specks of trub,so will leave it in the fridge for a while decant the liquid on top and refill with clean cooled boiled water and try again.

[Tom_D]

it still just settles out the same,just one mass with no layers

I've had exactly the same issue with 002 and 007 which are both very flocculant strains. I've only ever had any luck with 001 which works a charm every time... gives a nice clear separation of layers.

[jmc]

I have kegged my latest brew this morning that I used 002 yeast,and have tried rinsing for the first time,thing is no matter how much that the jar is shaken I have even had a brewers paddle giving it a good stir and breaking all the lumps up by pressing them against the side of the jar it still just settles out the same,just one mass with no layers,so am thinking of just putting the jar in the fridge and just decanting the liquid and pitching the rest on my next brew day on the 17th of this month,would this be ok its in a 2litre kilner jar about 3/4 full?.

cheers FUBAR

I'm not surprised you had problems with WLP002. I was confused in the same way last year, see my earlier post on this topic

Wolfy's reply

Fullers yeast (I use Wy1968) is THE most flocculant yeast you'll ever likely to find, if there was ever a case for the yeast falling out quicker than the trub it would be with that yeast.

Its amazingly flocculant, even in supplied vials and on a stir-plate it just forms globs that don't dissipate.

As long as liquid its covered with is pre-boiled and its in a cold fridge I think you'll be fine.

Its a great yeast, producing tasty bright English style ales, when brewed 20C+ and clean US style ales when brewed 17-18C.

[Chard]

I think I need some help!
I successfully cultivated some yeast from a bottle of coniston bluebird bitter and use it in part of a recent brew along side a Wyeast activator.
Below is the diluted slurry from a 1gal demijohn after approx 20 mins



Now it looked to me like the grainy stuff was more in the middle and the smoother stuff below.
To experiment further I left this overnight in a fridge and got the following



Now it looks like its back to yeast on top but only a wafer thin layer!

If one of you rinsing pros could cast an eye on this and advise me on what to do I would be very grateful!

[Cazamodo]

Well I had a go at rinsing yeast today, however after doing it, thinking ah that didnt go too bad, I realise I didnt fully remember the procedure as well as I thought.
Trying to rinse WLP380, so after I kegged my beer, I had around 1-2L of trub/yeast/beer left in the fermentor, so I swirled it around, poured it into four sanatised (not steralised, doh!) jars. I let it settle out, (for too long) and then when I thouyght it was ready, I poured off the yellowy/clear top layer, then tried to pour most the creamy yeast layer into a 330ml beer bottle (sanatised again not steralised) and then discarded the trub.

So now realising my mistake, I didnt add any boiled cooled water. I also let it settle for too long and the creamy yest layed settled out too much. I also didnt boil any vessels, just starsanned them after a good cleaning. And then rather than waiting for the good yeast to settle out then split between bottles, I just put the creamy yeast layer in for small bottles, capped, and put in the fridge for later use.

Now I can see many things ive missed out that could cause problems, the main being the steralisation. I plan to use this yeast regularily is it worth me opening the bottles and decnting the slurry to start again?

[Wolfy]

(I've not been active on these forums for a time, so sorry for the extended delay in replies)

In regard to using StarSan as opposed to boiling:
When working with yeast, it's best to be as 'sterile' as possible, doing all we can to absolutely minimize any contaminants. While StarSan does a more than adequate job (as a sanitizer), boiling jars/water should (in theory) kill more of the potentially contaminating organisms and make the equipment and procedure 'more sterile' than using a chemical sanitizer. Ideally all ingredients/equipment should be autoclaved (or pressure-cooked) but that is likely going a bit too far for most people/purposes.

In regard to not getting distinct separated layers:
The yeast/trub ratio, how the trub/yeast look and what you see when you rinse the yeast are quite dependent on your ingredients/equipment/processes. It often takes some time - and a bit of practice - to work out how to best rinse yeast for each individual situation (equipment/ingredients/processes), in addition some yeasts behave and look different to others. In many ways rinsing yeast is as much 'art' that you learn via continued practice and application than specific 'science' that is the same for everyone and you can learn by reading.

However, one of the most common things that result in little - or no - separation between the layers (of trub/yeast) is to make the yeast-slurry too thick. If you find the yeast-trub-slurry is very thick and/or does not separate well, try diluting (by half) in more cooled-boiled-water and hopefully that will help.

[Cazamodo]

Cheers Wolfy, Ive been rinsing each yeast I use now every time I finish fermenting a brew, even the dry yeast just to practice at it, and since I got some mason jars and vials to store the yeast its been much easier, I've found I can rinse the yeast with not much hassle! Saying that I havent used any yeast harvested yet.

[Rick_UK]

Great guide Woody, nice one.

I tried unsuccessfully to rinse some Muntons Gold yeast but it was just a thick clumpy mass with no layering even after 12 hrs so I chucked it for the sake of 2 quid. Is it the case that some yeasts do not lend themselves to rinsing?

Rick

[Wolfy]

Different yeasts have different flocculation characteristics and different brew/kit/wort/grain/techniques produce trub/break that looks and behaves differently.
However, with a bit of practice (and rinsing yeast is almost more an art that takes time and practice than an exact science) you should be able to separate the yeast from trub in most situations.

[greenxpaddy]

I am leaning mores to collecting yeast by top cropping. Seems a lot less faffing around. Just working out the best sanitary method to collect quickly. Possibly a sterilised large syringe, but maybe just using a large sterilised ladle and jar is as good a method as any.

If only reusing the yeast only once, I have repitched the yeast cake with trub and all (with my hop strainer I don't get much trub) and it hasn't affected taste at all. If you are stepping up by the correct factor or rep itching the right % for a rebrew same batch size the % of trub will be very small.

[jaroporter]

anyone have any opinion on whether it's worth rinsing yeast from a FV that's been dryhopped? i've read a fair few places saying yeah makes no difference, but also some brewers reckon that the yeast absorbs the hop flavour and can carry it onto the next beer, that might not neccessarily be a hop demon. anyone any experiences?

cheers

[Wolfy]

If the yeast is rinsed then there should be little to no carry-over flavour from malt or hops - you should be pitching only clean/rinsed yeast into your next batch.
I have a friend who almost always rinses his yeast and he often dry hops, and has not reported any problems (mind you the next batch of beer might be equally hoppy so hard to notice).