How to re-use yeast from the trub

Yeast trub and how to re-use it

We've talked a bit about how vital yeast is to the beer brewing process which got us thinking about how many brewers choose to mix and match yeasts to the different kinds of beers they want to make.

This comes at a cost though - yeast can be a fair cost component of brew day.

So to save some cash money some brewers choose to re-use the leftover yeast that remains in the 'trub'.

You might think, that stuff at the bottom of the fermenter is just a whole lot of gunk and no good to anyone.

You'd be wrong.

There's usually plenty of viable yeast still left and it would love nothing better than to feast on some more sugars...

Cashed up commercial breweries recycle and re-pitch yeast, so why don't you?

How to 'wash' your leftover yeast for reuse and repitch

Washing your leftover yeast to reuse it in another batch is a great skill to have in your back pocket as a homebrewer. Yeast washing is actually a fairly simple process where the goal is to separate the remaining live yeast from the residue of the trub being mostly hops and spent grain.

Your final goal is to make a yeast starter so that you do not need to purchase yeast every time you brew.

Washing your yeast cake

You are not really washing the yeast, you are basically decanting it from the other hops and residue in the trub. 

Mix the trub with about 1500 mls of water in an easy to pour container such as a conical flask. Let the slurry settle and it will settle - the yeast and water will form a layer over the top and the debris will fall to the bottom. 

Decant the 'creamy' yeast level into a clean container. 

This 'washed' yeast can now be stored in the refrigerator for many months until you wish to use it as part of a yeast starter

There's a more simple method where you don't wash the yeast or make a starter...

Draw or harvest your yeast sample from your primary fermenter as it contains more active yeast than what would be in a secondary fermenter (if you actually used one).

Once the beer has been racked for kegging or bottling it's time to begin the harvest. There will be a  layer of trub and it needs to be liquefied somewhat to make it easy to work with, so add some clean and sterile water.

Take your 'slurry' swirl it up the slurry and decant it from the fermenter it into sanitized containers. Properly cover them tight and store those in the fridge.

Each container should enough yeast to ferment an average 23 litre batch of beer.

If you use one of the containers in the next 3 weeks or so, you can use it directly without any other preparation as the yeast will still be quite active. Pitch in the normal manner.

If you are using yeast beyond a three or four week period, you'll do well to rouse the yeast from its slumber.

Place the slurry into a starter container and add a quart or litre of fresh wort to "wake it up" before using. Warming it to room temperature will help too.

If you're thinking that washing yeast sounds like too much work, feel free to ask if:

Can I just add fresh wort to the trub?

You sure can, but if you intend to recycle yeast over and over, you're going to get a lot of trub left at the bottom right?

So this practice might work better if you add a properly cooled fresh wort over the trub of a secondary fermentation. 

Give the new solution a bit of a stir so that the yeast finds its mark.

Why should I recycle my yeast?

The big commercial breweries do it to save money and it's an efficient process. For the homebrewer the best reason to do this is so that you 'jump start' your next brew with a much larger pitching cell volume. This means you will give your beer an excellent start at fermentation and a likely reduction in the occurrence of strange smells and flavours in your beer.

How many times can I recycle my beer yeast?

Many commercial brewers reuse yeast for several fermentation cycles - and we've heard stories of going through to 40 or 50 batches.  How they do this is by pumping the residual yeast via the bottom of one fermenter into the waiting and ready lump of steal and repeat.

Trial and experience will dictate how well you go. The better you sanitize your equipment and care for your yeast, the more viable it will be.

Conical fermentors make access the trub easy. Given it collects at the end of the cone, you can simply remove it by opening the valve and emptying it into a clean collection vessel.

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How to use yeast nutrient for beer brewing

Yeast, that magnificent beast of an organism that converts sugars to alcohol, is the key to fermentation 

Fermentation itself is a fairly straightforward process but there are a lot of variables at play to ensure that you get a good tasting beer, let alone a brew that tastes like you intended!

Temperature, time, pH levels and oxygen are key factors.

An overlooked one is often yeast nutrition.

Does your beer yeast need nutrients? 

The malt in your beer is usually enough to sustain the yeast cells but in order to thrive (and thus efficiently ferment your beer wort and achieve a high attenuation) other elements such as levels of free amino nitrogen, fatty acids, and even vitamins and other minerals come into play and become factors in a successful brew. 

The truth is though, you could do a hundred brews and never need it but if you a looking for high attenuation rates (how much sugar is consumed by the yeast) or a brewing a beer with a high ABV, it may help as you need a strong yeast to achieve those two goals.  

When should I use a yeast nutrient?

You may also consider using a nutrient if your water is lacking in calcium, magnesium, and zinc as these metals. 

Zinc can help with the cell count while magnesium helps with cellular metabolism.

If your beer is using a high proportion of 'adjuncts', you'll want to consider supporting the yeast too. Sugar alone does not support the yeast so if there's a higher concentration of sugars in your beer, then a nutrient may assist yeast development. 

If you are making wine or cider or mead, you would be more likely to use nutrients as there is less for the yeast to make do with than in the malty beer wort. Honey, for instance, contains no nitrogen.

To cover some of these factors off, many home brewers choose to add yeast nutrient to their beer batch.

The other benefits of adding a yeast 'energizer' include the shortening of the 'lag phase' of fermentation can contribute to a reduction in off-flavours in beer or wine.

Yeast food may also help reduce the final gravity by invigorating the yeast pushing it to a more complete fermentation leading to a reduction of diacetyl or acetaldehyde (that apple flavour). 

There are three modes of yeast nutrition:

• Nitrogen supplements -  usually in the form of di-ammonium phosphate which is a water-soluble salt and or urea, this should be used when there's a lack of free amino nitrogen. Can be used for mead, cider, wine, and beer. Fermax and Fermaid are popular brands used by brewers as it contains the phosphate as well as magnesium sulfate and autolyzed yeast
• Yeast hulls - dead yeast of which the residue acts as a home for live yeast. Live yeast will eat the hulls and feed on the nutrients contained therein. 
• Yeast energizers are used to stimulate or restart a stalled fermentation.

Can I add yeast nutrients to my starter?

You sure can. Brewers will often add about a quarter teaspoon to their starters.

Bread bakers have been known to add it to their sourdough starters!

When should I add yeast nutrients to my brew?

It should usually be added at the start of fermentation. If you are using an energizer you will most likely be adding it when fermentation has failed or halted. 

How much yeast nutrient should I add?

Manufacturers typically recommend 1 gram per litre or 1 teaspoon for 5 litres/1 gallon. There should be instructions on the packaging.

What are Servomyces?

This is a yeast supplement produced by the famed yeast developer, White Labs. They boast that 

"Servomyces enables any yeast strain’s ability to incorporate essential nutrients into its cellular structure. It is propagated in a micronutrient rich environment and then killed off prior to packaging.  

Boiling incorporates the servomyces into the wort. The benefit of servomyces is that micronutrients, e.g., zinc are able to pass through its cell walls to your live cell yeast cell, thereby delivering the micronutrients without toxicity."

Check out what White Labs have to offer on Amazon.

So if your beer batch is short of zinc, then using Servomyces may be the right option for you. If you are doing a boil, it is recommended you add one capsule ten minutes prior to the end of the boil. If doing a kit brew, you can open the capsule up and add the Servomyces directly to the wort. 

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What every beginning beer brewer should think about

If you're a home brewer looking to up your game, you've come to the right place! We've gathered some valuable insights from seasoned brewers that can help you perfect your backyard brewing game.

Our collection of tips is designed to provide you with a wide range of ideas and tricks to improve your brewing skills. However, it's important to remember that not every suggestion may be the right fit for your particular brewing needs. Brewing is a process that requires experimentation and patience, so don't be afraid to try new things and find out what works best for you.

By following the tips shared by our expert brewers, you'll learn valuable insights that can help you fine-tune your brewing techniques and create better-tasting beer. With a little bit of practice, you'll be able to produce beer that rivals even the most popular craft breweries.

• If you're a kitchen-based brewer, bottling your beer over your dishwasher door can make clean up a breeze. Once you're finished bottling, simply close the door and any spilled beer or equipment can be easily cleaned up later.
• When it comes to cleaning out your "Boil in a Bag" brew bag, shaking it out is a good start, but turning it inside out and holding it under the shower can help to remove any stubborn residue. This can help to ensure that your bag is thoroughly cleaned and ready for your next brew.
• Pouring the contents of your brew bag into a bowl before adding it to boiling water can also make the process much easier. This can help to ensure that you're able to scrape out every last bit of extract, without any of it getting stuck to the bag or utensils.
• If you're using dry malt extract, it's important to be aware that the steam from boiling water can cause significant amounts of extract to cake onto the sides of the bag. To avoid this issue, try adding the DME to the water first, before it starts boiling.
• Adding rice hulls to your grain mash can also be a helpful technique to prevent the sparge from blocking. This can help to ensure that you're able to extract as much sugar as possible from your grains, without any unwanted blockages or complications.
• Rehydrating dry yeast can also be an important step in the brewing process, especially if you've saved yeast from a previous batch. To rehydrate your yeast, simply pour it into a plastic bottle of water at the correct temperature, cap it, and shake gently. Be sure to burp any excess gas by gently opening the bottle before pitching the yeast into your wort.
• Placing a packet of silica gel in your hydrometer case can help to absorb any residual moisture that may be left after using it. While this may not be a necessary step, it can be a helpful technique for brewers who are concerned about keeping their equipment in top condition.
• Use a ph Meter to test your mash. When it comes to brewing beer, achieving the correct pH is critical. This is where a pH meter comes in handy. A pH meter is a device that measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. For homebrewers, pH measurement is particularly important during the mash stage, as the pH level of the mash affects the beer's flavor and fermentation process.Using a pH meter to test your mash is a simple yet effective way to ensure that your beer is brewed to perfection. Ideally, you should aim for a pH level of between 5.2 and 5.5 during the mash. This range provides the optimal conditions for the enzymes responsible for breaking down the malted grains to work effectively.
• When it comes to making a yeast starter, it's important to be prepared for any potential mishaps. One common issue that can arise is an overflowing starter, which can create quite a mess. To avoid this, you can take a simple precaution by placing the flask inside a plastic grocery bag before putting it on the stir plate. This way, if the starter does overflow, the plastic bag will contain the mess and make cleanup a breeze. Additionally, using a stir plate can help increase the number of yeast cells in your starter, leading to a healthier fermentation and better tasting beer.
• We love this idea. Put a book or other wedge under the back of your fermenter after sealing it up. On brewing day, gingerly slide the book/wedge to the front of the fermenter and you'll have a slanted yeast cake and a nice "deep end of the pool" in the back side of the fermenter to rack from.
• A few marbles, glass beads, or large SS ball bearings will reduce the risk of boil over dramatically. It works by providing nucleation points at the bottom so that large bubbles rise up and pop and less small bubbles are available to form foam. Of course, if you use foam inhibitor such as Fermcap-S, you probably don't need any other hacks!
• Using a spray bottle of Star San solution seems like a good hack. Doesn't waste time with dunking everything in a bucket when you can just spray it liberally and get good coverage.
• When transferring out of a fermenter into a keg, fill 1 pint mason jars with the slurry, and refrigerate them so that you can use it as a yeast starter for another brew.
• Buy hops in bulk to save money. Make sure you are going to use it though! You can store excess hops by keeping it frozen.
• Instead of hand cleaning your bottles and dunking them in sanitizer put them in the dishwasher bottom rack. USE NO DETERGENT, and put the dishwasher on the hottest cycle. The temperature is hot enough to kill the nasties that could infect your beer (we also add the dish washer is handy for removing bottle labels).
• You can add extra fermentables like DME on top of what your recipe asks for to increase the ABV of the beer.

These are some pretty simple homebrew hacks that make the preparation and brew day a bit easier - it's always best to do your brew as best you can however!

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