Hi all

I just put together a few pic of my method of yeast harvesting, this was done for my last brew a Saison with WLP550

After racking the beer to the keg pour the remaining liquid, trub and yeast into a sterilized contain. I find one around 2liter to be good and place in the fridge for a few hours.


The trub been heaver will settle out fast as it the liquid part we are interested in as this will have a greater concentration of viable yeast to trub.Pour this liquid off into a new sterilized container, this can be of a smaller than the first and palce in the fridge over night to a day.



As the liquid we place in the container is yeast rich we want the sediment in this container. Decant of the majority of the liquid and transfer the yeast to your storage vessel, I use sterilized 50ml tubes.



An finally decant off the majority of the liquid and pout the yeast in to your selected container. I find there is enough to in each of these tubes to pitch into a starter fro a month ore so. Over that it I would add two if the tube to a starter.

A good clear easy to follow how to

Thanks for posting it Oblivious

You've made clear somthing I've always wanted to do!
Where do I get the 50ml containers?

Try HERE

Many thanks TS

Hi prob a stupid question but when its all done do u kep it in the fridge? also how long will it keep.

According to Dave Line's "Big Book of Brewing" it will keep for months in the fridge.
Other members on this forum say a few weeks.
I've experimented putting it in the freezer!
If it fires up when I come to use it I will have a storage means that will last at least a year.
Will keep you posted.

Thx for the quick reply and very helpfull, so lets say you have kept some 3 months and you go to use it can you tell if its still ok? or is it just by adding to the beer you can tell. Im just thinking that if i added some and it dont work so i have to add freash yeast would the beer taste yeasty? also if it dosnt has it like gone off? and infect the brew? sorry to sound so thick but if you dont ask lol

PB
This is actually Oblivious' topic so I may be stepping on corns here!
My personal opinion is if it looks and smells ok, it should be ok.

As Oblivious says in his original post he uses the stored vials to make up a starter before brewing (best practice ), if the starter ferments and smells ok it'll be ok
If it doesn't all you have lost is some spray malt and half an hours time making up the starter, not the cost of the ingredients for a full batch and the day spent brewing it

Well cheers guys, it has been a great help thx again

It's surprising how long the yeast will survive storage like this.

I harvested some WY1469 in January this year. I made a small starter on the weekend, and although it took about 24 hours to show any activity, it eventually rocked along very nicely. It's crash chilling at present to drop the yeast out, and I'll use that slurry to build it up to a full size starter, in readiness for a brew day this weekend.

This method is a great way to preserve yeasts which are otherwise now unavailable.

You could keep going to the doctors and ask for a urine sample bottle