[redrocker652002]

OK, so I have a batch that I used WLP001 Dry just getting ready to finish.  I was thinking of trying to save this yeast for another batch coming up in the next week or two.  My thought was, just leave a tiny bit of beer on the yeast, swirl it around to get everything up and running then save it in a mason jar.  Put it in the fridge and, when ready, bring it up to room temp and pitch it into the new batch.  I know some are going to recommend starters, but I have not had good luck with that the first time I tried.  Is it possible to just pitch the yeast without a starter?  Am I wasting my time if I do?  I am thinking of trying this next week once I bottle the batch, so I have some time to rethink this.  As usual, any input is welcomed and appreciated. 

[denny]

OK, so I have a batch that I used WLP001 Dry just getting ready to finish.  I was thinking of trying to save this yeast for another batch coming up in the next week or two.  My thought was, just leave a tiny bit of beer on the yeast, swirl it around to get everything up and running then save it in a mason jar.  Put it in the fridge and, when ready, bring it up to room temp and pitch it into the new batch.  I know some are going to recommend starters, but I have not had good luck with that the first time I tried.  Is it possible to just pitch the yeast without a starter?  Am I wasting my time if I do?  I am thinking of trying this next week once I bottle the batch, so I have some time to rethink this.  As usual, any input is welcomed and appreciated.

Divide it into 2-3 sanitized containers and store in the fridge. An entire slurry is too much for a 5 gal. batch unless the gravityis very high..  I pitch a jar directly if it's been maybe 3 weeks or less. More than that I make a starter with a bit of it.

What happened with your starter  before? One bad experience is no reason to write off the procedure. It's just a small batch of beer, and you know how to make beer.

[Drewch]

Divide it into 2-3 sanitized containers and store in the fridge. An entire slurry is too much for a 5 gal. batch unless the gravityis very high..  I pitch a jar directly if it's been maybe 3 weeks or less. More than that I make a starter with a bit of it.

I do half batches (about 2-3 gallons), but I've had good success storing slurry in sanitized pint and half-pint mason jars for up to several weeks in the fridge. Just don't tighten to lid too much in case they're still producing CO2.

[Village Taphouse]

I reuse yeast all the time but I don't like to store it for any real length of time.  Denny's 3-week rule is good and that's not just a random suggestion .. it seems to be pretty consistent with others that I talk with.  For me, I use the yeast and harvest it at the end of fermentation and store it in a sanitized flask in the fridge and if I only need half of it on the next pitch I'll add half and maybe use the other half on another beer (if brewing activity is HIGH) or toss it and then harvest from the last pitch and do it all over again.  I just used 1056 on eight consecutive batches.  Also, what is WLP001 dry? 

[BrewBama]

WYeast says, “Pitch ~ 1 fl oz per gal harvested Ale yeast slurry or ~2 fl oz per gal harvested Lager yeast slurry in < 1.064 wort. Pitch ~3 fl oz per gal harvested yeast slurry > 1.064.”

[Richard]

Also, what is WLP001 dry?

White Labs now makes a dry version of WLP001.
https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=101&type=YEAST&style_type=1

[ScallyWag]

I have reused yeast that has been sitting in the fridge for 2 or even 3 months, and they've ended up being great beers despite it.  And that's with never making a starter to revive it. 

Some strains seem to be better than others for surviving long dormancies, and I certainly didn't intend to go that long between re-uses, but since I split-batch almost all my fermentations, once in awhile I feel that I can afford to gamble on a fraction of my wort.  It works out fine (until it doesn't). 

I generally try to re-use yeast slurries in 2 weeks or less.  It's way easier than I had imagined, and my beers from nth-generation slurries seem to be better than 1st gen pitches, for me at least.

Now that Lallemand has discontinued their Koln dry yeast, I am going to attempt to keep that line alive as long as I can via re-used slurries.  I love that yeast.

[denny]

WYeast says, “Pitch ~ 1 fl oz per gal harvested Ale yeast slurry or ~2 fl oz per gal harvested Lager yeast slurry in < 1.064 wort. Pitch ~3 fl oz per gal harvested yeast slurry > 1.064.”

However they have no idea of the age and viability of your harvested slurry. 

[HopDen]

I also collect yeast and repitch it. I can tell you from my experience that you can keep stored in a mason jar, loose lid, for a few months w/o a starter and w/o issue. I keep mine in the keezer that is between 35*-38*. When the beer that's kept on top of the yeast turns a dark color, I will do a SNS starter, no rhyme or reason for that except that I can see activity before pitching. I also keep plenty of dry yeast options just in case the starter fails.
Good Luck & Cheers!

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Also, what is WLP001 dry?

White Labs now makes a dry version of WLP001.
https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=101&type=YEAST&style_type=1

Also WLP066 (London Fog) /2/.  And, at WhiteLabs site, WLP860 dry (Munich Lager) is currently listed as 'coming soon' /1/

FWIW: My first impressions of WLP001 (dry) are positive.  And I need to match a recipe with the sachet of WLP066 that I have. 

eta: link to WLP066 @ white labs /2/

------------------------------
/1/ https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=230&style_type=2&type=YEAST
/2/ https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=134&type=YEAST

[BrewBama]

I like the idea of White Labs dry yeast but it’s price sux.

[redrocker652002]

OK, so I have a batch that I used WLP001 Dry just getting ready to finish.  I was thinking of trying to save this yeast for another batch coming up in the next week or two.  My thought was, just leave a tiny bit of beer on the yeast, swirl it around to get everything up and running then save it in a mason jar.  Put it in the fridge and, when ready, bring it up to room temp and pitch it into the new batch.  I know some are going to recommend starters, but I have not had good luck with that the first time I tried.  Is it possible to just pitch the yeast without a starter?  Am I wasting my time if I do?  I am thinking of trying this next week once I bottle the batch, so I have some time to rethink this.  As usual, any input is welcomed and appreciated.

Divide it into 2-3 sanitized containers and store in the fridge. An entire slurry is too much for a 5 gal. batch unless the gravityis very high..  I pitch a jar directly if it's been maybe 3 weeks or less. More than that I make a starter with a bit of it.

What happened with your starter  before? One bad experience is no reason to write off the procedure. It's just a small batch of beer, and you know how to make beer.

It just never seemed to take off.  I used your SNS method, but the yeast I used may have been DOA as it was shipped and might have gotten warm.  I wil try again with part of the yeast I can save.  I have a couple of mason jars, one is a cup I think and the other two are bigger.  I am going to give it a try, why not, right?  LOL

[erockrph]

I like the idea of White Labs dry yeast but it’s price sux.

Since there are other options that are quite similar to what they're offering and plan to offer, I agree. The day they offer something like WLP002 dry, I will be all over it even at that price.

[John M]

I also collect yeast and repitch it. I can tell you from my experience that you can keep stored in a mason jar, loose lid, for a few months w/o a starter and w/o issue. I keep mine in the keezer that is between 35*-38*. When the beer that's kept on top of the yeast turns a dark color, I will do a SNS starter, no rhyme or reason for that except that I can see activity before pitching. I also keep plenty of dry yeast options just in case the starter fails.
Good Luck & Cheers!

But aren't cells slowly dying off over time? I know that you would still have enough viable yeast to commence a fermentation, but after a couple months you're pitch rate would need a major adjustment, right?

[HopDen]

I also collect yeast and repitch it. I can tell you from my experience that you can keep stored in a mason jar, loose lid, for a few months w/o a starter and w/o issue. I keep mine in the keezer that is between 35*-38*. When the beer that's kept on top of the yeast turns a dark color, I will do a SNS starter, no rhyme or reason for that except that I can see activity before pitching. I also keep plenty of dry yeast options just in case the starter fails.
Good Luck & Cheers!

But aren't cells slowly dying off over time? I know that you would still have enough viable yeast to commence a fermentation, but after a couple months you're pitch rate would need a major adjustment, right?

I assume so but I really don’t calculate pitch rates. Couple of months out, make a SNS starter.


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