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I think I have saved yeast from every brew I have done so far.
Top shelf of my fridge is starting to look a bit weird. o_O

Just re-pitched a cider yeast from a MYO kit I did early last year. Drained it off 3 days ago and fed it some apple juice and 2 days later was active and fizzing away, so pitched it on a fresh batch, and is doing just fine.

If you doubt the viability of stored yeast give it a few days with some fresh wort/ juice to see if it is still alive. Still learning about washing yeast and making up starters.
 
Reading this has inspired me to try this on my next brew as I was planning on using the same yeast as in my current brew acheers.
 
Update I started this brew Monday 2-2-20 got up this morning no activity so took a reading its down to 1008 from if I remember 1046 4.99 abv, had a taste of sample it will be a nice beer, if the hops I ordered come today ekg, and fuggles I may do a dry hop but which one ?
 
Taking this a step further, would there be any downside to using a cocktail of different yeast slurries or could that introduce off flavours and competition between the yeasts?
 
Taking this a step further, would there be any downside to using a cocktail of different yeast slurries or could that introduce off flavours and competition between the yeasts?

I've never been brave enough to try it out; sorry.

The taste would be unique to the mixture, which in turn could be something that you didn't like or plan for.
 
If you let it settle for a day or so you will discover three layers.

The top will be a liquid. This is the beer and it will be sat on top of two layers of yeast.

The top layer of yeast is lighter in colour and normally thinner that the one at the bottom. These are the live yeast cells.

The bottom layer will be darker in colour. They are the dead yeast cells.

If you pour off the liquid and then take a sanitised spoon you can recover just the live yeast cells. These can be saved in a clean and sanitised jar, stored in the fridge (and save a lot of space) for up to six months and used either direct or to make a yeast starter for the next brew.

Hope this helps.
Does this look OK, I only see 1 shade off slurry

20200210_183841.jpg
 
Does this look OK, I only see 1 shade off slurry

View attachment 23094

It will become better if you wash it as follows:
  • Let it settle out.
  • Gently pour off the top liquid.
  • Re-fill the jar with cold boiled water and shake it up.
  • Let it settle again.
The second time you will see the fine line of lighter coloured yeast in the middle. It looks like this ...
IMG_1005.jpg
 
Does this look OK, I only see 1 shade off slurry

View attachment 23094
Don't worry about it.
I would sanitise the rim of the jar, then pour off the beer layer and then pour or spoon in the top third to half as pitching yeast, giving the wort a good stir with a sanitised paddle/spoon to mix it in.
I'm sure it's not an exact science due to the variable nature of the trub.
 
I am on my second brew doing this, how many times can you use it

Apparently, some people just keep using it ...

... but as a devout coward, I've only used the recovered yeast from trub only once: and even then it was because I was making the same brews back-to-back.

PS and I've never tried it with Lagers! Just Bitters and Milds.
 
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I tend to use it once or twice and the advice usually is given to go darker each time beer wise and not to use it off a hoppy beer to say a golden, blonde lager type
 
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