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  • Recycled yeast

    With beer I have always taken a cupful the sludge after primary fermentation (about day five) unfrozen it to reuse later. which has always worked.

    I have been reading a book which suggests taking the foam (on or around day three) and freezing that. which, as most beer yeasts are top fermenting makes perfect sense.

    Is there any benefit?
    Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

  • #2
    I have used an expensive yeast and grown my own culture and washed and frozen that. I then use one vial of yeast to start my beer and have another beer ready to go when I am done with the first and get it going before bottling the finished one but I always use the secondary drop out not the trub from the primary as there is too much crud in it and the flavor is never the same as a fresh yeast. I will do this three times per vial then the yeast will go wild and start to change the flavors. This works well I have never had a problem doing things this way. When I first set out on this venture I did what you have done and was just never satisfied with the results. The book you are reading is explaining how to harvest yeast to use in a batch to have the yeast profile from that. IE where you purchase beer may have some unfiltered natural beer that you can start a culture from. If you find a yeast that you are particularly fond of harvest that and you can then culture that and always have it available to use. There should be a bit about washing and growing your new culture in the book.
    http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby

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    • #3
      The book I have just read is "How to brew" by John J. Palmer.... and I have to say it is brilliant.

      Excellent idea. Using the sediment from the secondary. thank you.

      I have used the primary sediment,(my thinking being, it was liveliest). After freezing I restarted in a wine bottle (to about half a litre) and then once it was going poured off the liquid leaving the crud behind. I think the secondary is a better idea.

      Certainly when you start using more expensive yeasts, it is worth getting an extra run out of them, particularly when I only do 19 L batches.

      I have not quite got my head around the benefits to washing the yeast?
      Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

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      • #4
        The washing of the yeast leaves only the yeast it's self behind you therefore get a pure flavor profile from the strain used. When you use the more expensive yeast like a live culture you use a molasses or very light unhoped malt mix and grow your yeast culture in that medium then after the harvesting you wash the yeast sterilize everything and divide the culture out to have a starter yeast. Freeze your starters and you now have a good lot for a reasonable price of the strain you want. John Palmer is one of the easiest reading how to books and he also has the science behind what he is saying. Very good book for sure.
        http://www.winensuds.com/ Gotta love this hobby

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