Washing yeast

[Vossy1]

How would you go about washing a yeast free of trub, that has a permanent head of thick yeasty froth....just pour off from under it and discard the head ?
I'm not talking acid washing btw

 

[Wez]

Is that from a yeast cake or have you grown it :shock:

 

[Vossy1]

That's most of the WLP 023 cake from the forum bitter, but some got away :lol:...and lots escaped via the blow off tube

 

[delboy]

I've just started a 2L culture of WL023 in a 3L flask, i hope it isn't going to climb out of it :shock:
Im planning on either doing another clotworthy dobbin clone to see how it compares with the winsdor yeast version or im going to use it in a hopback complete stout clone.

How did it work out in the bitter you made vossy.

 

[Vossy1]

How did it work out in the bitter you made vossy

I only racked it on Sunday, it was my attempt at the forum brew but I overshot the OG badly
Anyway, I've not used this yeast before and J_P said it imparted a badger ale type taste to ales.
To me, on first tasting, it has a pepperiness to it just like badger. I hope it clears up with time as I wanted a cleaner taste TBH. There was some sulphur but not as much as in the starter :hmm:
It fermented like a rocket, though only in yeast head size not reducing OG. I lost a load of yeast through the blow off tube fermenting 60 ltrs in a 70 ltr max volume fv...at least 2" of yeast and trub across a 6" diameter base bucket :shock:
I've bough some anti foam for the next brew...we'll see how it goes

 

[Oblivious]

How would you go about washing a yeast free of trub, that has a permanent head of thick yeasty froth....just pour off from under it and discard the head ?
I'm not talking acid washing btw

Here are some good links for yeast washing, I do something very similar

http://hbd.org/carboy/yeast_washing.htm

http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/yeast ... st_way.htm

 

[Vossy1]

Thanks O, I'll have a look at those sites later :thumb:

 

[Vossy1]

I've just started a 2L culture of WL023 in a 3L flask, i hope it isn't going to climb out of it

It won't...but wait ti'll it hits the fv :shock:

Have a mop handy :lol:

 

[Vossy1]

Just washed the yeast and got a good 500ml of trub waste,
It's presently chilling in the kegerator then I'll pour a load of the water off and harvest the yeast.

I've had a good look at many sites about storing the washed yeast and opinion seems to vary.
What's the best way to store it...longish term...is it under sterile water?

I was slightly perplexed by my WLP 004 on Wednesday. It had been grown on to a 4ltr starter and saved, stored under sterile water. On Wednesday the clear water above the yeast became cloudy and the yeast started fermenting again :shock: :hmm: ...to the extent where I had to re rack it as it was flowing out of the original 500ml bottle!
I washed it again and it seems to be behaving itself, although the water above the yeast is still very cloudy.

 

[Vossy1]

OK, I'm getting slightly concerned now.
My WLP 004 yeast is starting to develope 'dark' patches in the yeast layer.
Is this normal ?

 

[Oblivious]

I could be coagulated protein, any chance of a pic?

 

[Vossy1]

Not the best pic in the world!
I tasted the murky water above the yeast and it's slightly carbonated, though tastes of little...at least it's not sour...phew.
I guess some residual sugars got carried over after washing.
It just surprises me that the yeast settles, kicked off again and it's remained murky since.

 

[Oblivious]

looks ok, maybe make a starer with some of before you need it to make sure it ok

 

[subsub]

That's why I don't bother washing yeast. The effort does not outway the likelyhood of it going wrong. Hope it turns out ok Vossy

 

[J_P]

J_P said it imparted a badger ale type taste to ales.

I think I said Brakspear however if you're getting Badger Ale tastes then that's a result!

 

[Vossy1]

Sorry J_P, my mistake