Friday, March 25, 2011

Homebrew Digest #5815 (March 25, 2011)

HOMEBREW Digest #5815 Fri 25 March 2011


FORUM ON BEER, HOMEBREWING, AND RELATED ISSUES
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Contents:
RE: Reusing yeast (Gabe Toth)
RE: RE: Reusing yeast (Stephen Jorgensen)


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Projected 2011 Budget $3271.04
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Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 15:23:40 -0600
From: Gabe Toth <gabetoth at hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: Reusing yeast


Thanks David (Houseman). Usually what I hear about yeast washing is
that it's mostly just another opportunity to introduce contamination, that
it generally contributes little to the actual performance of the yeast.
With numerous re-uses, though, it makes perfect sense to wash.
I'm looking forward to finally picking up Yeast (White & Zainasheff);

I'm sure there's some great info there, and it's been sitting at the top
of my "to read" pile for some months now.

David (Huber): I usually rack one beer off of a yeast cake immediately
before running off the new wort onto it, with the yeast left sitting
open to the air in the carboy for literally less than a minute. Over
many batches, the cake can build up to an inch thick or more, and

sometimes I'll dump some off before adding the wort, if it's getting
too thick. It certainly doesn't make for a pretty carboy, though;
depending on how much krausen develops and how dark your beer
is, several batches will leave a great deal of sediment on the upper
walls and the shoulders of the carboy. I just pour off some yeast
into a flask and clean it up if it gets too bad, but it doesn't affect
the flavor as long as you don't pitch a pale ale into a stout-residue-caked
fermenter.

I've also heard and wondered about the potential dangers of
overpitching, but I've never had any issues with the overabundance
of yeast, just a much shorter lag time before fermentation takes off.

Regarding the HBD and posting difficulties, I agree that the format
encourages more thoughtful posts. I was a big fan of TechTalk and
moved over to the HBD after the shutdown. I'll use the AHA forum
sometimes, as well, but as many users noted during the "death of TT"
discussions, the "signal-to-noise" ratio seems much better on the email

forums, even if the number of responses is fewer. I just wonder about
the antiquity of HBD's software, if it's incompatible with standard
email programs and formats.

Perhaps it's a financial issue. I don't know. I just know it's frustrating.

Gabe


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Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:56:01 -0500
From: Stephen Jorgensen <stephen at ultraemail.net>
Subject: RE: RE: Reusing yeast

I have always used a two stage fermentation and regularly reuse my yeast
up to 4 times. Nearly all the trub and dead cells fall out by the time
I rack to a secondary carboy leaving a clean and healthy sediment in a
fermenter free from kraeusen muck up top. It does mean packaging on
brew day but I rarely bottle so it's no big deal.

Good sanitation procedures should keep infection out, I wet the stopper
and neck with alcohol before opening one I intend to reuse. The only
other major concern is stress mutation of the strain, keeping it to 4
rebrews max I have never had a problem.

Agree with previous posts re: higher grav and more hops in the later
generations. I find it's a great way to build up to a really big beer,
like making a 5 gallon yeast starter you get to drink instead of pour
down the drain.

Stephen Jorgensen
Chicago, IL


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End of HOMEBREW Digest #5815, 03/25/11
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