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Author Topic: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?  (Read 1599 times)

Offline SilverZero

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Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« on: February 28, 2017, 01:28:44 pm »
I used some WY1764 on a small 1.25 gallon pale ale. Long story short: I saved the slurry (which also probably had a fair bit of trub in it) and got about 16oz of it into a jar. I let that settle for most of the day while I brewed another small batch (1.25 gallons). After that, I siphoned off the beer from the slurry in the jar and took 1/4 cup of the remaining slurry out to pitch. Since I dumped that inch of beer, there wasn't much more to settle out in the jar, but I want to keep the slurry for another day. So I added some prepared StarSan and swirled it up. It's now settled out with about 2 inches of liquid on top of the slurry.

My question is: If I want to pitch another portion of this slurry (not the whole amount) can I decant the liquid and take just a part of what's left, and then put another dose of StarSan on top of it again?

Offline denny

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2017, 02:56:07 pm »
Yes, you can, but I think I'd add beer, not StarSan.
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Offline stpug

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2017, 03:43:50 pm »
Same way I harvest the slurry: Use a sanitized spoon and take out what you want, everything else remains in the jar (beer included).

Offline SilverZero

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2017, 11:28:35 am »
Yes, you can, but I think I'd add beer, not StarSan.

Cool, that's what I was considering: taking a bit of the current fermenting batch when I bottle it and put that on the yeast instead.

Same way I harvest the slurry: Use a sanitized spoon and take out what you want, everything else remains in the jar (beer included).

Well now I wish I actually had used a jar and not a flip-top bottle. ;)

Offline stpug

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2017, 11:32:33 am »
Same way I harvest the slurry: Use a sanitized spoon and take out what you want, everything else remains in the jar (beer included).

Well now I wish I actually had used a jar and not a flip-top bottle. ;)

Yeah, I guess flip-top bottles and spoons are pretty incompatible.  Not much help I guess.

Offline denny

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2017, 11:36:06 am »
I use 1/2 gal. plastic tubs with snap on lids.  Easy to use and no worries about exploding!
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline SilverZero

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Re: Harvested Yeast - How to Pitch Only Part of the Harvest?
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2017, 12:11:06 pm »
Well, in my defense, I didn't lock the flip-top lid down and I don't screw the lids down on my jars, at least not until they've chilled for a couple of days. :)