Urgent Help

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
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Uncle Joshua
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Urgent Help

Post by Uncle Joshua » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:08 pm

I am brewing a Mangrove Jack grapefruit IPA, can I skim the stuff off the top and use it in a fresh brew? If so, how do I do it and what would be a good kit to use? Can I put it was n a jug in the fridge for a few days?

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k1100t
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Re: Urgent Help

Post by k1100t » Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:41 pm

There have been plenty of answers to this question previously. Personally, when I've reused yeast, I've waited till after racking, then washed it, stored it and created a starter for the next brew a few weeks later.
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guypettigrew
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Re: Urgent Help

Post by guypettigrew » Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:09 pm

Uncle Joshua wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 1:08 pm
I am brewing a Mangrove Jack grapefruit IPA, can I skim the stuff off the top and use it in a fresh brew? If so, how do I do it and what would be a good kit to use? Can I put it was n a jug in the fridge for a few days?

https://ibb.co/6DW6Lvf
Yup, as long as you skim it off using a sanitised jug or whatever. Then cover it and 'fridge it. If you then chuck it into your next brew in a few days it'll get going like a mad thing.

Guy

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by Uncle Joshua » Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:08 pm

Have I got enough....


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guypettigrew
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Re: Urgent Help

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:17 pm

Yup. Just remember to keep it in the 'fridge and loosen the top of the bottle every now and then to let the gas out.

How long will it be before you use it?

Guy

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by Uncle Joshua » Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:28 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Tue Apr 28, 2020 4:17 pm
Yup. Just remember to keep it in the 'fridge and loosen the top of the bottle every now and then to let the gas out.

How long will it be before you use it?

Guy

I have a Wilco Mexican lager kit and wondered about using it in that.

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:26 pm

The yeast will stay OK in the 'fridge for a week at least. As long as it hasn't picked up any contaminants it should be fine.

Doesn't the lager kit come with yeast?

Guy

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by Uncle Joshua » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:30 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:26 pm
The yeast will stay OK in the 'fridge for a week at least. As long as it hasn't picked up any contaminants it should be fine.

Doesn't the lager kit come with yeast?

Guy
It does come with a yeast, I just thought this would do a better job.

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Apr 28, 2020 5:43 pm

It may do, but it isn't a lager yeast. Plus you can be sure the yeast with the kit will be contaminant free.

On the other hand, pitching your own yeast slurry is somehow more fun!

Guy

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orlando
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Re: Urgent Help

Post by orlando » Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:00 am

Use the kit yeast and save that for another IPA. It would be a good idea to put it into a starter to get it going before pitching.
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Re: Urgent Help

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:13 pm

orlando wrote:
Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:00 am
Use the kit yeast and save that for another IPA. It would be a good idea to put it into a starter to get it going before pitching.
Absolutely. If your yeast slurry gets to anything more than a week or so old then a starter will be essential. But you probably won't need to put all the saved yeast into the starter. I think it was you, Orlando, who gave me the sheep analogy and recommended only about 20 ml of yeast slurry is needed for a starter. Since following that advice I've had no problems.

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Re: Urgent Help

Post by orlando » Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:33 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Wed Apr 29, 2020 12:13 pm
orlando wrote:
Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:00 am
Use the kit yeast and save that for another IPA. It would be a good idea to put it into a starter to get it going before pitching.
Absolutely. If your yeast slurry gets to anything more than a week or so old then a starter will be essential. But you probably won't need to put all the saved yeast into the starter. I think it was you, Orlando, who gave me the sheep analogy and recommended only about 20 ml of yeast slurry is needed for a starter. Since following that advice I've had no problems.
I probably did, lifted from Chris White of White Labs fame. However, one slight difference is if the yeast just needs "waking up". I would put that into a litre of DME before going to bed and pitch it at high krausen by lunchtime the following day. If you are looking to build a pitchable amount the previous advice holds. Not sure you would find this approach in the text books but it's one I have followed for a while now and it gives the Beer a terrific start. My only reservation is that 1 litre of DME might have some impact on flavour. So far I'm really happy with the results, so maybe not. As an aside, I'm coming round to thinking that most of us chronically underpitch, based on the advice I see. I don't see problems "overpitching", I've seen plenty underpitching.
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Fermenting:
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Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

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