I'm looking for tips and tricks for pitching onto a yeast cake as I've not tried this before. Is it just a matter of siphoning one beer out and dumping the next straight in? Obviously there's a lot of yeast but also some cold break and trub in the original fermenter. Is is worth trying to wash/clean-up the yeast first or is the increased risk of infection too great?
Also, does this reduce the amount of time you should let a beer sit in the primary. Normally, I just let beers sit for 3 weeks in primary but with repitching this would mean that it's six weeks in all - is autolysis a problem with repitching?
Tips for using a yeast cake?
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steve_flack
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RabMaxwell
From the lazy American: Just go from the kettle right into the primary with the yeast cake untouched. I've done this many times with as many as three successive dumps. Making sure I go darker each time.
I've only done it once on dry yeast, but good results each time.
I've only done it once on dry yeast, but good results each time.
Johnny Clueless was there
With his simulated wood grain
With his simulated wood grain
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Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
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- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
Ok, Second attempt and really only summarising what has been said before
Question, How clean is the top of your FV when you have racked a batch off it? Try tasting that ring and then ask yourself . . . Do I want that in my beer?
Question, How clean is the top of your FV when you have racked a batch off it? Try tasting that ring and then ask yourself . . . Do I want that in my beer?
- Good points made by all so far.
- Its only worthwhile repitching on a expensive yeast, or one harvested from bottle that behaves properly.
- Too much yeast, can be bad, particularly for ales, I'm not sure that in a lager situation it is possible for a home brewer to pitch too much yeast
- If you do repitch make sure you aerate the cr*p out of the batch you will pitch onto and the batch you are pitching. Otherwise you are going to get attenuation problems.
- Do not pitch onto a yeast cake that is from a wort of more than about 1.060.
- If possible, go from lighter worts to darker ones
- If you are confident regarding your sanitation then you can repitch indefinitely, otherwise limit the number of times for reuse to no more than 3
- Washing the slurry to rid it of break proteins/dead yeast is a good idea, use cooled/boiled water, and a couple of demijohns or 5L flasks
- If its a top worker/mixed strain consider harvesting the yeast head as well.
- Washed slurry can be stored for a period in a PET bottle in the fridge . . . . Be aware that fermentation can continue and avoid getting beige clothes when opening
. Make a starter if its sat there for a couple of weeks and really aerate it!
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BarryNL
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oblivious
just looking at Mr malty, for a 22-23 liters 1.100 wort you still will only need around 200ml of fresh slurryBarryNL wrote:Well, the point of repitching will not be cost, but getting enough yeast for a big barley wine - around 1.100. On that basis I'm thinking that it might actually need the full yeast cake. The current batch is a 1.038 beer pitched with a Wyeast smack pack made into a one litre starter.
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Aleman
- It's definitely Lock In Time
- Posts: 6132
- Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 11:56 am
- Location: Mashing In Blackpool, Lancashire, UK
Just looking at that, Zamil is assuming a rate of 0.75 mil Cells/L Which I would agree is fine for a normal wort of up to about 1.055, once you start getting above that then you need to look at pitching proportionately more yeast as the gravity rises, possibly two, three or even up to 5 times for these big beers.oblivious wrote:just looking at Mr malty, for a 22-23 liters 1.100 wort you still will only need around 200ml of fresh slurry
Ok Just checked . . . He doubles the amount,
But if you have visible non yeast material in the slurry which is quite thin then you will need 550ml . . . and the amount goes up as the number of days increases since harvesting.
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RabMaxwell
My Oat-malt stout i pitched with about 1/2 - 3/4 lb of safale 04 slurry to 110 litres. It was bubbling in less than 1 hour & going mental by 3 hours what a mess
It got a lot more aeration than normal as i was using my new mini compressor although i couldn't use it for long i think i really need some antifoam when using the compressor. I have noticed when doing stouts over the years they do tend to have explosive fermentation's must be something to do with a lot of dark roast malts
It got a lot more aeration than normal as i was using my new mini compressor although i couldn't use it for long i think i really need some antifoam when using the compressor. I have noticed when doing stouts over the years they do tend to have explosive fermentation's must be something to do with a lot of dark roast malts
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Dan
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steve_flack
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Dan
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steve_flack
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RabMaxwell
Just been out cleaning the inside of my fermenter lid & yeast ring before i go back offshore. My god i have lost about 1 1/4 gallons through the blow-off tube never lost anything like this much before. It must have been using my mini compressor that contributed to such an explosive fermentation. Will using Antifoam cut back on the amount of wasted beer by a significant amount. 
