Should I harvest now, or dump

[StrontiumDog]

Evening all.

I'm looking to harvest my yeast (Safale w-34/70 in a Lager) and I'm nearing the end of fermentation (1.009) and was wondering if you would recommend ditching this yeast once fermentation has fully stopped, re-attaching the collection bottle and harvesting what settles after crash cooling or keeping what I have here?

Yeast harvesting is new to me so I'd welcome your thoughts

Thanks

SD

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[orlando]

You could do both. The later yeast are the ones that finish the brew so worth having in the general mix. Looking at your picture I'm fairly sure I can see yeast still floating up lava lamp like, suggesting it is still going.

[StrontiumDog]

So keep this lot and the lot that settles after cooling? Will there be much difference in them or do you mix it together? Yes it is still going atm, I want to make sure I'm ready lol

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[Kev888]

I would normally dump stuff once or twice leading up to the expected FG in order to then collect the yeast falling out from 'around' FG onwards - i.e. the still-healthy yeast that begin to calm down and settle out once sugars are exhausted - not because they themselves have failed. (I'd later stop collecting once most/plenty have settled out, and so avoid collecting stubbornly unflocculant cells that take much longer).

It depends on the actual FG, but perhaps in this case it 'might' be slightly later than I'd wish to dump everything; you may end up with less slurry than wanted, so yes perhaps keep it aside as a contingency. But the remaining suspended and apparently working good cells should be of high quality and so for me these (when they settle out soon) will give the best harvest.

[StrontiumDog]

Thanks both as always for your recommendations.

So I have changed the collection ball, they have a 0.5ltr capacity so it looks as though I have a lot of yeast here (yay)

As I may not be brewing again for 3/4+ weeks I know I will need to make a starter, which is fine, but should I use all of this or decant half or something? It feels as though there's a lot here for a 1 ltr starter (I only do 23 ltr batches for my 19 ltr corny)

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[alexlark]

Looks enough for half a dozen starters to me.

In the past I've saved W34-70 slurry and stored it in a few 500ml bottles. I re-pitched direct without doing a starter. Had good results!

[Kev888]

If that is all good quality yeast then you likely wouldn't need a starter even after a few weeks; job done. If it included lots of early stuff (dead cells and break etc) then one may be worthwhile.

Though.. I got the impression it might be yeast that have settled out early. If so, and if the next load of yeast collected in the new ball amount to a reasonable quantity, then I would go with those by preference. (If not, then ignore this).

[orlando]

I've been doing this for years now and I've found that pitching 1/2 of what you collect performs superbly, I'm not convinced that you can pitch "too much" yeast, particularly harvested like this. Leaving it 3-4 weeks in the fridge will mean it settles out very well. What I would do is decant most of the spent wort, leaving just enough to get the mass into suspension, then on the morning of your brew swirl it up and pitch 1/2 into a 1 to 1.5 litre starter, shake and then shake every now and again until pitching into wort that is within a few degrees of your new wort. What this does is revive the yeast and gets it ready for the new fermentation so that it takes off very quickly, protecting the new brew from any small amount of infection it may have picked up. Doing it like this has often meant that even a 1.050 wort can be done in 5 days, couple of days to clear up, 5 to 7 days cold crash. Means you can be drinking super fresh Beer in 2 weeks start to finish. Look up Charlie Bamforth on "fresh Beer", he's a big fan, so am I.

[StrontiumDog]

You guys are all amazing. Thank you so much for your advice

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[StrontiumDog]

Hi guys, hope everyone had a great Christmas.

So fermentation has finished and after crashing I have transferred to the keg.

I've pulled off the collection ball and this is what I have on the bottom, is this going to be enough to make starter with?

I have also included a photo for comparison of the 2. One the left of the collection I made near the end, on the right is the one after crashing. Questions I have are;

1. Would you keep/use both?
2. Is it worth mixing them together?
3. How much of the slurry would you use for a 1 litre starter on a 23l batch?

All the best,

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