Homebrewers - Whats in the fermenter?

This thread makes me sad. I sold all my home brew equipment last year in favor of family.

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

Always looking for a good way to lug around my homebrews and had an empty banana box lying around. They fit 7 6-packs very neatly just have your friends save their 6pack holders. Not quite an entire batch but almost and thay're cheap and readily available too.
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I would reinforce the bottome with some packing tape (the stuff with fiberglass fiber in it) or just hold the bottom when your carrying it.

[BeerAdvocate]

Last night I racked a basic Blonde on a Hefe yeast cake.
I have never reused a yeast cake before, hopefully it will turn out good.
This morning it was bubbling away.

[kenstogie]

Wow, my Local B+M manager gave me his beer brewing kit. SWEET! Now I can brew even more beer!

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

Last night I racked a basic Blonde on a Hefe yeast cake.
I have never reused a yeast cake before, hopefully it will turn out good.
This morning it was bubbling away.

Okay, hang on, I'm trying to understand what you did--did you just rack a new batch of wort onto the leftover yeast & trub sitting in the bottom of a fermenter? And it worked? That's genius!

I've been brewing for a lot of years, and I've salvaged/washed a lot of yeast--in fact, I have about 6 bottles of re-used California ale yeast sitting in my fridge, waiting to be pitched into something. But I've never just started a new batch off of a completely spent yeast cake. Sure would save me a lot of effort!

[kenstogie]

I heard of this, reusing/repitching yeast but...
How is this done?

[BeerAdvocate]

Originally Posted by kenstogie

I heard of this, reusing/repitching yeast but...
How is this done?

Very simple!
You usually only want to do this if the next brew you are brewing is similar(in color) to the one that is done fermenting.
All you do is rack your beer to your keg or bottle like you normally do, then simply pour your wort in from your new beer you just brewed and shake like hell.
You dont have to worry about cleaning your carboy or sanitizing or anything.
And all the sediment and used hops still drop to the bottom.
You have to do this within 24hrs of racking your beer from the carboy. You cant let the yeast cake sit in there too long before you put the new wort in.
I currently have a Bells Two Hearted Ale clone in primary right now, that I used some WL California Ale yeast, the day that I keg it, I am going to brew a PaleAle and pitch it right on the Two Hearted Ale yeast cake.
I have been reading about this for awhile now and have always been scared to do it, but alot of people on Homebrewtalk.com do it.
Some people use the same yeast cake up to 3 times!
I want to start washing too, but if I am going to be brewing something that uses the same yeast that I just used previously, why not just rack it on top of that yeast cake!

[kenstogie]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

Very simple!
You usually only want to do this if the next brew you are brewing is similar(in color) to the one that is done fermenting.
All you do is rack your beer to your keg or bottle like you normally do, then simply pour your wort in from your new beer you just brewed and shake like hell.
You dont have to worry about cleaning your carboy or sanitizing or anything.
And all the sediment and used hops still drop to the bottom.
You have to do this within 24hrs of racking your beer from the carboy. You cant let the yeast cake sit in there too long before you put the new wort in.
I currently have a Bells Two Hearted Ale clone in primary right now, that I used some WL California Ale yeast, the day that I keg it, I am going to brew a PaleAle and pitch it right on the Two Hearted Ale yeast cake.
I have been reading about this for awhile now and have always been scared to do it, but alot of people on Homebrewtalk.com do it.
Some people use the same yeast cake up to 3 times!
I want to start washing too, but if I am going to be brewing something that uses the same yeast that I just used previously, why not just rack it on top of that yeast cake!

That's pretty easy, Thanks!

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by BeerAdvocate

I want to start washing too, but if I am going to be brewing something that uses the same yeast that I just used previously, why not just rack it on top of that yeast cake!

Travis:

Here's the basic method that I use to harvest & wash yeast, I think Papazian has a write up in one of his books, too:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yea...strated-41768/

The only difference is that I don't use mason jars to store my yeast, I use beer bottles topped with an airlock. They take up less room in the frig and I can keep them in a 6-pack holder. The advantage of this method is that the yeast goes dormant but stays fresh for up to...6?...months, I think. I've re-used yeast that was 12-18 months old before, it just takes the starter longer to get going.

[BlackDog]

I re-used yeast recently for the first time. I washed it and put it in a bomber-sized beer bottle, capped it with a bottle cap, and stored it in the refrigerator. I used it within a month. A couple days before I brewed I made a starter and put the yeast in to get it "rejuvenated" again.

I want to make a Belgian Trippel, and may make a batch of lower abv saison first, so I can use the entire yeast cake for the higher abv trippel.

[kenstogie]

How do you "wash" yeast. Isn't it just mixed up with the trub?

[WyGuy]

Just bottled my first home brew last weekend, it was from the Brewer's Best kit, German Oktoberfest, cracked open a bottle last night to test it out....not bad at all! Not sure what I plan on brewing next, any recommendations? I'll probably just stick with the Brewer's Best kits for now though.

[BlackDog]

FWIW, the Midwest Supply kits are excellent, and right here in the Twin Cities. I've done several of their extract kits with good success. I'm drinking their Ferocious - a Surly Furious clone - right now. The clone was made with the help of Todd Haug, the head brewer at Surly.

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/

[WyGuy]

I'll have to stop by the next time I'm up there, looks like they have some good stuff! Thanks for the link.

[BeerAdvocate]

I kegged a BlondeHefe and Bells Two Hearted Ale clone today. And also brewed a Pale Ale.
Im getting a nice pipeline going!

[St. Lou Stu]

Completed the new setup today!
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlael/...eat=directlink

Next Sunday is the first brewday with it.

[BeerAdvocate]

Very nice setup! Congrats!

Originally Posted by St. Lou Stu

Completed the new setup today!
http://picasaweb.google.com/timlael/...eat=directlink

Next Sunday is the first brewday with it.

Wow, talk about jumping in with both feet. What are you using for a MLT?

[St. Lou Stu]

Originally Posted by Scimmia

Wow, talk about jumping in with both feet. What are you using for a MLT?

Thanks Travis and Doug!

I have a 54qt Igloo that I'm planning on converting soon.
For now, I'm sticking with extract/kits until I get that done.

Do you think the 54qt would be suitable for a MLT?

How about that 7.5 gallon pony for the HLT? Should I keep that or convert another 1/2 barrel? I have one sitting around.

Sorry, I guess when I see a setup like that, I just assume all grain. Not many people go that far for extract setups.

The 54 qt should be fine for 5 gallon batches, and even 10 gallon batches of most beers. I run a 52 qt Coleman Xtreme.

7.5 gallons at 1.25 qt/lb is enough strike water for 24 lb of grain, which is quite a bit. I usually mash thinner than that, but 7.5 gallons should cover you in most cases. A 1/2 barrel would simplify things, as you could just heat everything at once, though. I just use a 5 gallon pot and heat my strike water in two batches if I need to, and heat the sparge water during the mash rest.