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SO...

I want to use the yeast cake from a brew I put in the fermenter a week ago, assuming I get a decent FG reading that stays stable for two days.
can I rack off to a secondary fermenter and then use the cake? I figured I would give the secondary vessel a blast with co2 to minimise potential oxidization before racking.

I was talking to Chris at grain and grape and he said that if I use the whole cake, it can lead to a less flavoured beer as I miss out on flavours created by the yeast as it builds it's numbers, has anyone found this to be true?

it's US-05 so it's more of an experiment I guess than a need to be a tight ass.

I want the first beer into the keg asap as I have friends coming over on the 11th Jan and currently have no beer on tap, with the secondary racking slow down the process/time frame? either way it is going to be a young beer on tap.

Hi Rob,

FYI (you may remember this), the TTL that we made at the pub was dumped onto an entire Wyeast 1968 London ESB yeast cake from a bitter I'd bottled at home earlier that day. And it came up "real nice", as they say.

And given you're doing it onto US-05, which is a clean-fermenting yeast anyway, I don't think you need to worry about missing out on any yeast flavours, as suggested by G&G guy.

I don't think the racking will have any effect on the timeframe to the beer being drinkable. But it frees up the fermenter.

Cheers,

Oliver

Thanks mate, I do remember the TTL but was curious if we missed out on some awesome flavours, happy as I was with the beer.
And I believe in forming habits from good practices because I can be a bit lazy some times so even though I consider us-05 to be "un-stuff up-able" yeast I guess I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

I was going to pitch straight onto the whole cake until the conversation in GG. Probably will anyway.

Instead of using the entire yeast cake, scoop out a cup full (sanitised jug) and add that to a clean, sanitised fermenter (or clean the current fermenter). No CO2 required.

drsmurto wrote:Instead of using the entire yeast cake, scoop out a cup full (sanitised jug) and add that to a clean, sanitised fermenter (or clean the current fermenter). No CO2 required.

Exactly what I still do when I have a liquid or decent yeast on hand.

I even put mine in the fridge for a couple of weeks** and re-use them with no ill effects. **Caveat, I chill all my beer in the fermenter before kegging so the yeast cake is cool before throwing into a container.

Cheers

Boonie

I just used the scoop method from wyeast 1056 ale and scooped it into three new batches which are currently happily fermenting away after 4 days. Thanks for the advice.

Would it be an issue to wash the yeast after I bottle these batches?

Pogierob wrote:I just used the scoop method from wyeast 1056 ale and scooped it into three new batches which are currently happily fermenting away after 4 days. Thanks for the advice.

Would it be an issue to wash the yeast after I bottle these batches?

No issue, it would be fine IMHO. I only re-use a yeast about 4 times and then buy a new one.

Don't forget to mark them as I have a bottle in my fridge and I am stuffed if I can remember which yeast it was ....never keg/bottle disorganised and/or pissed.

Just teaching my mate this trick. Make sure that the stored yeast is put in a starter to make sure that the yeast is still ok....oh and that it is room temperature.

Cheers

Boonie

Sweet Cheers for the advice