re-using yeast

so this brewing thing has created a curiousity about yeast.

Do I have to buy a new pack every time? Can’t I just use some of the stuff off the bottom of the fermenter that I just emptied to seed my new batch?

I start a new batch immediately after removing the fermented batch out of the fermenter every time.

Yep, repitching is pretty common. Things to note:

1. Have to be more careful with sanitation, or so I’ve heard, I’ve never had a problem with it, but it makes sense. More careful in keeping them happy too.

2. Don’t overpitch. For most beers, using the whole cake is overpitching. Look it ’yeast washing’

3. They usually say don’t go past the 5th generation, I’ve never gone near that far so I don’t know first hand. But since you get say, twice as much yeast from a yeast cake as you need for a batch, then you have 2 more beers from your original one vial, and you will have 2 pitches from each of those beers. So 3 generations in you already easily have 1+2+4=7 pitches. That’s enough for me, but you could easily increase that with starters and such.

not to mention all those pitches have a way more apropriate yeast count generally speaking.

A good resource is Mr. Matly’s yeast pitch calculator, just google it. this gives you an idea of how much yeast, or slurry, or starter to pitch based on you gravity.

There is also a great, though somewhat simple, book "first steps in yeast culture". It describes in detail how to store and reculture yeast indefinately. Using the simple techniques described in the book I have kept yeast cultures alive and well for over four years now and have been able to wake them up when I need em for brewing. It does take a bit of time to do all the work plus you end up spending almost the same amount buyin DME to make sterile wort (though you could use second runnings from your mash) so it’s not neccisarily that cost effective. However, if your techniques are sterile, you will always have healthy yeast on hand to brew with, and it will be the proper amount to pitch unlike throwing one pack of wyeast in a 1.100 OG barley wine.

i haven’t purchased any new vials of my house (american ale) yeast in probably about a year, and i brew twice a month.

wash your yeast at the bottom of the carboy and collect it in sterilized (pressure cooked) mason jars. you can usually collect 5-10 pitchable jars. even going only 3 generations that’s 25-50 batches worth of yeast if you wash and collect every time.

and then when you ante up and start freezing your yeast you’re pretty much set for years with as many varieties as you like. i’m only up to three but it’s kept me going.

Awesome link!!!

Thanks for that...

Here’s a link to a thread with pics that makes it extremely EZ to do.
The last time I did it, I washed 1/2 of my cake and pitched on the other 1/2. worked great.
http://www.homebrewchatter.com/board/f18/another-washing-yeast-thread-with-pics-t340/

Pour slurry on pancakes.