[Badger4Life2013]

Not too long ago, I started rinsing the dirty yeast on the bottom of my fermenter(s) in order to remove most of the trub with the intent to repitch/freeze the clean yeast. However, sending the dirty yeast slurry through a very fine filter sounds like a much better way to achieve mostly, if not completely, clean yeast instead of allowing the dirty yeast slurry to stratify by cold-crashing in the refrigerator. That said, has anyone had any success in filtering out trub from yeast slurry? What size filter did you use? I think a #200 (75 micron) or smaller sieve would work pretty good but damn are they spendy.

[S. cerevisiae]

There's little need to separate the viable yeast cells completely from the break at the homebrew level.  It's a waste of time as well as way to infect one's culture.  All one needs to do is to collect between 1/4th and 1/2th of a gallon more wort in one's primary fermentation vessel than one intends to rack as green beer when fermentation is complete.  This small amount of  green beer is used to resuspend the yeast cells after racking is complete.  Break material and dead cells settle quickly after being roused, allowing mostly clean yeast to be decanted as thin slurry.  The cropped yeast culture remains in the protective ecosystem that it built for itself during fermentation.

[denny]

Agreed.  I find that the people who rinse yeast are those who haven't tried reusing it without rinsing it.

[klickitat jim]

Dirty yeast looks bad and smells. Folks on YouTube and pod casts talk about yeast washing and show pictures of how to do it (guilty). But storing it on its own beer makes so much more sense and its easier and it works great. If its got a lot of trub, just use less of it by making a starter instead of straight re pitching.

[Badger4Life2013]

Sorry, I suppose I should have elaborated on what I meant by 'dirty yeast.' I meant to say that the yeast slurry contains trub.

Indeed, I have read quite a bit about yeast rinsing, and I have also watched several videos about it. I'm about 90% sure that I'm doing it correct. However, I like S. cerevisiae's suggestion of simply decanting and storing the yeast in whatever beer remains after racking. The method eliminates many of the steps required in the yeast rinsing process. What's the best way to transfer the slurry from a fermenter to a bottling bucket? For lack of a better way, I have somewhat carefully been dumping the slurry into the bottling bucket as the liquid level is too low for an auto siphon.

To press the subject further, has anyone else tried to filter trub from yeast slurry? I have this grand scheme in my head that incorporates an inline #200 or smaller filter with one end attached to a hose connected to the spigot of the bottling bucket and the other end attached to another hose routed to a container or attached to a pump if gravity is not sufficient enough to pull the slurry through the filter. Will it work? I have no idea. I suppose I will get around to trying it someday.

[tommymorris]

Sorry, I suppose I should have elaborated on what I meant by 'dirty yeast.' I meant to say that the yeast slurry contains trub.

Indeed, I have read quite a bit about yeast rinsing, and I have also watched several videos about it. I'm about 90% sure that I'm doing it correct. However, I like S. cerevisiae's suggestion of simply decanting and storing the yeast in whatever beer remains after racking. The method eliminates many of the steps required in the yeast rinsing process. What's the best way to transfer the slurry from a fermenter to a bottling bucket? For lack of a better way, I have somewhat carefully been dumping the slurry into the bottling bucket as the liquid level is too low for an auto siphon.

To press the subject further, has anyone else tried to filter trub from yeast slurry? I have this grand scheme in my head that incorporates an inline #200 or smaller filter with one end attached to a hose connected to the spigot of the bottling bucket and the other end attached to another hose routed to a container or attached to a pump if gravity is not sufficient enough to pull the slurry through the filter. Will it work? I have no idea. I suppose I will get around to trying it someday.

I think your filter would get clogged very fast.

I too just siphon slurry and beer into a bottle and store that until the next use. I decant the beer and repitch an approximation of what ever Mr. Malty tells me I need for the next batch. It is so much easier than rinsing!

[klickitat jim]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

[erockrph]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

Amazingly, I seem to have come to the same solution as well. Except I pour it into multiple pint mason jars. I now have a shelf in my fridge of yeast pickled under beer

[Joe Sr.]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

Amazingly, I seem to have come to the same solution as well. Except I pour it into multiple pint mason jars. I now have a shelf in my fridge of yeast pickled under beer

Is that extraction process patented?  Because I've been using it, too, for years.

The only difference is I pour my yeast into tupperware containers.  I find that pressure will usually build up in the container and I prefer bulged tupperware to broken glass.

I store the yeast like this for extended periods of time and use it to create starters for brew day.

[HoosierBrew]

+3.  Small mason jars for me. Pretty scientific.   

[reverseapachemaster]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

This highly scientific process is also in use at my house.

[denny]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

Same here, except that I've had glass jars explode so I use a plastic container with a snap on lid.

[leejoreilly]

I use a very specific procedure of picking up the fermentor and moving it in an orbital fashion until the remaining beer has swirled up the yeast cake into the liquid, then I pour it into a sanatized half gallon mason jar.

Same here, except that I've had glass jars explode so I use a plastic container with a snap on lid.

I use mason jars of various sizes, too - I just don't tighten the lids so any pressure can escape, while keeping any nasties out of the slurry.

[klickitat jim]

Right. Loose lids save kids. Plus I use it pretty quick. Normallly the next day. If I its more than a week I take a little and make a starter. I dont store for long periods any more. Not that its a problem,  its just what I do.

[quattlebaum]

i know this isnt a storing yeast question but this is what i use instead of jars. O and i really dig the 64oz $10 great growlers for on the river:) Hard to find these for a reasonable price. Shipping isnt the greatest but hell it's a hobby:) Merry X-Mas

http://www.outdoorpros.com/Prod/Nalgene-2015-1000-Square-Bottle-Pc-32-Oz/33884/Cat/1474