How To Harvest and Wash Yeast for Homebrewing

In this tutorial video we show you how to harvest, wash, and save yeast for homebrewing. This is an important process to know if you want to save money or preserve unique strains of yeast. We're doing this in order to save some wild yeast so we can use it for future beers. The equipment needed to follow along with this tutorial is very basic and affordable. Most homebrewers should already have the equipment in this video or equipment that can easily be substituted. We learned this process largely from the Chop & Brew homebrewing channel, we highly recommend you check them out to learn more about homebrewing. This process starts with leftover beer and dregs from the bottom of a fermenter that contained a sour brown ale that was fermented with wild yeast from wood. In the next video we show you how to make a yeast starter. You have to make a yeast starter in order to use your harvested and washed yeast to ferment a beer. Check out the resources below for the second part of this series, our log beer videos, brewing equipment, and an interesting article about a yeast company that is reviving ancient and rare strains of yeast.
P2: How To Make a Yeast Starter: • How to Make A Yeast St...
Full Article: www.clawhammer...
Log Beer 1: • Log Beer - Fermenting ...
Log Beer 2: • Extract Brown Ale With...
BIAB System: www.clawhammer...
Article About Omega Yeast: www.chicagobus...
#wildyeast #brewingonabudget

[@adamr7103]

I do mine the same way, I recently grabbed a jar of washed yeast from the back of my fridge. Was sitting there for 1.5 years. I'm happy to say that it still picked up in my starter and brewed awesome beer with it.

[@Murlockingqc]

Do you have any tips on making a starter for a 1.5 gallons batch? I don't have a stir plate or lab equipment. Where should I start?

[@adamr7103]

@@Murlockingqc just use a jar , boil the starter before adding yeast . Cool down then add yeast. You don't really need a stir plate. They are nice as they will speed up the process and are like 30 bucks on amazon.

[@Murlockingqc]

@@adamr7103 Ok, thank you. Should I buy DME, LME or use the same grains in the starter that will be used in the beer? I've read quite a few time that the liquid from the starter can give off-flavors from the DME, don't want to ruin my beers. So far, only had positive results.

[@adamr7103]

@@Murlockingqc I always use dme and never had problems. You will strain as much of the dme from the starter as possible before you pour it in your batch. Basically separate the "beer" from the yeast in your starter then pour it in Never had problems there.

[@mattxander12]

Thank you for a very formal and educational video without shenanigans. That has its place, but 'yeast washing' led me to this video and it was perfectly to the point with good production value.

[@eastindiaV]

This is like the most important part of the process. Yeast seems to adapt to the way you treat it and gets better the more you use it.

[@Miodowy]

There is one more reason to reuse yeast - they are "stronger" and more resistant. Such yeasts are good for very dense and strong beers such as RIS or barley wine. In addition, they start working quicker.

[@benmartin4540]

Awesome! Very good information. Sorry for the long post... I work as sourodugh+ bread baker at a brewery in Pittsburgh, and the senior brewer gave some of their house kviek. I used it 1 month ago to brew some mead (actually cyser or honey-cider as I brew with apple juice and a local raw honey which helps add some body to the mead)(This batch: 5 gallons (dry)hopped mead, 1 gallon of basic mead for mixing, and 1 gallon of peach mead). Target was 9ish% ABV. Apple juice kicked that up a little. One batch had some peaches added in primary, and its ABV was a tad bit higher (the other flavor being a new zealand hop varietal (nelson sauvin) hopped mead; the brewery gets a ton of hop samples which they kick down to me!). Any-who. This mead home-brew project is a good candidate for yeast wash. I am a very visual learner so videos like this are awesome. Going to start my second batch this weekend. Brew-day Monday: 3, 1 gallon batches to test the washed yeast technique: 1) Mango/peach/ginger, 2) Strawberry bochet*, 3) Cherry/Hibiscus (viking blood) my goal is to make a sort of fusion of 'mead' and the ole juicy NEIPA. For home consumption. *'Jam' style mead: cook the strawberries down at 200-220 F. for an hour or so, add the honey with the buzzed/strained strawberry stuff and cook that for one hour (200-220 F). Then make your mead as you do. *Apple juice is store bought but the added fruits are whole processed and juiced, lightly strained. Pulp is fine. Cloudy mead as a home-brewer is not a problem. Will add less-acidic citruses sometimes thought the kviek flavor is fairly tropica/citrus (prefer clementines, mandarian, blood, valencia, etc) and dried fancy yellow raisins (sultanas) as yeast nutrient (plus real yeast nutrient too); but I avoid citric acid/wine tannin/back sweeteners, the like. WATER/HOPS/HONEY/YEAST.

[@user-nf6qd8mb2y]

Brewgrass homebrew louisville ky. turned me on to your channel and said your channel was good info and straight to the point, which is what I need. Thanks to both of you and keep up the great work.

[@LiveSDanielsen]

Cool, this was very helpful for me. I am brewing wild mead and have been looking for such a method. Thanks a lot!

[@urskrik6353]

That beard is pure viking gold! thanks for the wisdom, Hail Odin!

[@WhiteLabsInc]

Killin the yeast game!

[@leongonzales2697]

I just wanted to say that everyone @ clawhammer are great people and great home brewer's I hope to see more great beer Brewing videos.

[@mikeschroeder7703]

Erlenmeyer flasks are great for the initial decanting, makes it really easy to separate...

[@tomasluna6238]

Chop & brew is where I learned how to crazy

[@ClawhammerSupply]

Good Dudes for sure!

[@RedSntDK]

Awesome, exactly what I was looking for. So many different videos about yeast that it was hard to find the right one 😂.

[@tazdevil5032]

He can not make a mess...ever.

[@peepalfarm]

Why can't beer be done in continuous brew method like kombucha or water kefir?

[@cheguevara4451]

It can.

[@MikeP350]

I've washed yeast for years, and still do, but now n days, more times than not, I'll just make a larger starter, and harvest half of it into jars for future batches. Cost a little extra $ in DME, but saves me the hassle of boiling jars and the time it takes to wash yeast

[@ClawhammerSupply]

This works great for sure. We were harvesting wild yeast from a log so this was the only option to save it.

[@MikeP350]

@delreydavid yea, I usually make a 2l starter, take half of it and fill 4 1/2 pint jars. The other 1l goes into a batch. You will definitely have to buy DME more often when doing that. When I wash yeast, I will boil jars, then collect that boiled water in the jars, seal them and refrigerate overnight. I then use that water for washing. I also throw in a campden tablet before boiling to get rid of any chlorine or chloramine in the tap water, any S02 is released during the boil. The yeast seems to last a few months before it starts getting darker from the dying yeast cells.

[@MikeP350]

@delreydavid I havent, not a bad idea though! I dont see why wort wouldn't stay good in the fridge, at least for a week or so

[@andyh7537]

@delreydavid - That absolutely works. Some folks brew a gallon or two with a brew-in-a-bag technique just for use in starters. It's pretty painless with a paint strainer bag and 1.5lb 2-row per gallon.

[@pippoquota5736]

thank you, all is perfectly clear one thing I want to ask you is "how much of this harvested yeast can we use for our next 23liter batch?" bye from Sicily

[@mkeysou812]

Make a starter from one of the jars, give 20 percent to your local mafia and you're good to go!

[@vassagius]

Cool idea to save expensive turbo yeast

[@shrumby7231]

Nice and to the point. Thanks!

[@jeffgrey1566]

I culture my yeast onto agar slants. Keep it in the fridge and grab some off the slant with inoculation loop and drop it into my starter. Much more sterile. Yeast stains modify themselves if you try to wash them.

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

thanks for the vid emmet.......

[@gabrielcalca1771]

Thanks!! Loved it

[@benjaminturton4751]

Great video! Ruffly how much of the harvested yeast would you pitch for a 5 gallon batch? How best do you store it?

[@svega1100]

Always make a yeast starter when reusing. Store in refrigerator

[@muninrob]

Interesting, I always start by adding sugar or honey to the 1st rinse, shaking it up and seeing if it bubbles. If it does, I proceed as seen in this video - if there is no action, I assume the yeast is dead (exceeded ABV limit, starved too long, or over chilled) and dump it straight into the compost.

[@renswieffer2645]

how long can you store this yiest before it dies?

[@bradleypariah]

Inside of two months, just pitch a jar. Two to four months, pitch two jars, no starter needed. Outside of that, you may want to make a starter to bring the colony size back up. I've used jars that were around a year old, but I can't say what would happen beyond that. The yeast layer will darken and look like trub when the colony's health is dwindling.

[@Jarvo325]

I know there are a few variables, but how many jars on average to you use to make a starter for next beer? You think star San is fine instead of boiling the jars?

[@Actunify]

Thank you great illustration. Though seeing the soapy bubbles in the jars after sanitizing makes me cringe.

[@sebastianolaya7883]

Maybe I missed it but should I let the washed yeast come to room temp before adding it to the cooled down wort? I assume it would shock if I add it straight from the fridge .

[@steelframe]

I've never washed my yeast. I just collect the crud in the bottom of my carboy in a mason jar, put some foil on top, and stick it in the fridge until needed. Then I discard the liquid on top and throw the rest in the new batch. What am I missing? My beer is great...

[@ave80cm]

Hi! Definitely you've missed a lot of fun messing up your kitchen. You also missed bigger chance of bringing contaminants to your batch with these washed yeast.

[@oldschoolman1444]

I like to brew back to back batches and pitch directly from a newly emptied fermenter. It only takes about an hour and the new batch is going and very careful about my sanitation.

[@lancehobbs8012]

Yeah im with you, all this washing is pure bullshit , i experimented and you get the same or possibly better /cleaner result if all you do is repitch a bit of the damn slurry, job done

[@razorback1293]

@@lancehobbs8012 question from a novice. How do you know the quantity to use.

[@daleskudder8586]

How long would that washed yeast last In the fridge? Great video by the way.

[@DontStopBrent]

Good school Thx thx!

[@HomeBrewingTV]

If you want another way of doing the same thing check out our video on yeast washing.

[@Brieuc27580]

Cheers!

[@kevindeegan141]

4 jars of washed yeast, I assume this = 4 different batches of beer provided the correct starter treatments per whatever beers are being produced. Am I correct? Also, how long do the yeast survive in the fridge. Great video!

[@jerramiemiller]

super good video dude. I may have missed you saying it....how long do you think captured yeast will stay viable in a fridge?

[@adamr7103]

i used 1.5 years old one and is still worked.

[@olivierjennotte292]

Hello, thank you for this very helpfull video. I just have one question. When you re-use your harvested yeast, do you make a starter with one jar or with more jars? I assume it depends on the size of your wort, but how could I know how many jars I have to use? Many thanks!!

[@ShortCircuitedBrewers]

I know they're made to handle it but I always wince when I see hot liquid going into a flask!! Lol funny timing I have a top cropping video coming out soon! Cheers guys!! 👍🍻

[@lancehobbs8012]

PLEASE sonebody tell me, cant we just use like half a cup of slurry from the last batch pitched straight into the next batch?

[@Fabianwew]

Probably

[@juliocbp9389]

I wouldn't recommend it, since the yeast would be a bit stressed because of the alcohol-turned batch. You should harvest it, prepare a starter a few days in advance, and then pitch it once it's done.

[@jamesmnelson2565]

I didnt have defined layers between the yeast and trub. Is it ok to get some of the old trub in the next batch or how can I get it out completely?

[@TheDownshift]

Following these steps got me some nice thick yeast... cakes? at the bottom of my mason jars, so thanks for that! I'm wondering though, for calculating a starter, is there any way to estimate the cell count of yeast captured this way?

[@journeyfortwo5211]

I commando dry hopped and the sediment is all mixed with the hop material. Is it still possible to separate the yeast?

[@richardwilkinson77]

Great video. I assume you are using a 5 gallon carboy as you have that much trub left over from a 5 gallon batch. I only brew in 1 gallon batches so I could probably use a 1 gallon carboy (well we call them demijohns here in the UK) to separate the suspended yeast from the trub right?

[@angelomarcarelli35]

gave him a like for the beard

[@chrisgeorge8408]

Why distilled water instead of spring water?

[@malzundhopfen]

I really like your videos, but washing yeast is not doing anything but increasing the risk of a contamination drastically. The trub that you might get from harvesting yeast will be flocculate anyway, so you won’t have that in the final beer. I’ve been harvesting my yeast for the last seven batches without washing yeast and the beers turned out great! 🙂

[@michaela.754]

@delreydavid what he said

[@XkannsenX]

where is the first bucket from the begining ?

[@artok2435]

A quick question, how long can this harvested yeast can be kept for in the fridge? I am starting out to harvest my own yeast as it is to expensive to buy currently.

[@CarlPapa88]

So this can be done from any beer leaving primary, correct? A starter can be made from either washed yeast or a newly bought packet also. So why wouldn't I want to make a starter and harvest/wash it after making a beer with a dry yeast packet? Saving $ is still saving money, right?

[@thebrewingdutchman4268]

Be careful not to introduce too much oxygen to the yeast! This will put the anaerobic yeast back in to it's erobic state. Yeast can survive for a long time when it's in an anaerobic state (when there's no oxygen). You can see how many of your yeast cells are still alive if you mix a sample with a special dye. (I can't remember the name) Dead yeast will absorb the dye, whilst healthy yeast cells will 'reject' the dye. Just count 100 cells under a microscope, and calculate the percentage of clear cells! This is used in large breweries to prevent over or underpitching.

[@priyanshuthamb]

Methylene blue dye it is.

[@yuridanylko]

Microbiologist here, I was really interested in this claim so I looked for some studies to comfirm it. This person is actually not correct. In fact, the longevity of chronological life span was increased almost two-fold in yeast kept in aerobic conditions versus anaerobic. Meaning, get oxygen in your lees.

[@eamonquinn70]

I’ve never washed and harvested yeast, I’m about to use liquid yeast for the first time and given the expense I’d like to harvest. I tend to dry hop without using a hop sock is this going to hinder me when harvesting?

[@matthewbrown5677]

How many times can you do this....?

[@Silence975]

dont you need to wash off the sanitizer ?

[@mattashley3076]

the link to part 2 of this series is broken in this description

[@ClawhammerSupply]

Should be fixed now. Thanks!

[@samberry7805]

will this same method work with dry hopped 7% ipa yeast?

[@madmasher7385]

Great video. Do you freeze your yeast and what is your process?

[@chronomancer6665]

You can do that. I don't know a ton about it but you have to use glycerin to keep the yeast from dying.

[@williamkreth]

Could you do this with champagne yeast ?

[@brewsandbass5572]

You don't have to sanitize the flask if you're pouring boiling DME in there. The heat will kill everything

[@ClawhammerSupply]

Good call- I had a bucket full of it so I gave it a good rinse.

[@florvancleynenbreugel9621]

should you not be using an isotonic solution? instead of distilled water? @Clawhammer Supply

[@aaronk4431]

I was thinking the same thing....for sure some of those cells are feeling it. However, there may be enough nutrients and byproducts in the solution to dull the effects of distilled water.

[@benlaw5152]

What do you do with the rest of the sediment in the 5 gal carboy? I'd have thought this would have been what you would reuse...?

[@goofeybutreal4398]

😃

[@FernandoMartinez-dn4se]

Does the distilled water need to be boiled to get santized?

[@ajrwilde14]

yes

[@ernestoalonsocenicerosmarq6470]

Hi, i was try to opening part 2 but was erased, do you Will publish a new video about starter from harvested yeast?

[@ClawhammerSupply]

The link is how fixed. Thanks!

[@mitchellfite879]

I washed some kölsch yeast, stored in the fridge for nine weeks then made a 6 step starter... Fermented out fine in twelve days, cold second for three weeks... Then, two months after bottling it ain't carbed up at all! What could have gone wrong?

[@ClawhammerSupply]

I have not bottled in a while-- but sometimes you need to add some fresh yeast to the bottling bucket so there enough viable yeast to carb the beer in the bottle.

[@JeremiahT]

I'm a fan of Chop and Brew but this video comes up before theirs now when searching "yeast washing". The tutorial I saw before this one had a cockroach dart across the counter. Does not make me want to try their beer.

[@whiteapollo11]

Is the making of a starter really necessary?

[@Blackoakx2222]

Depending upon the batch volume you are brewing, and the amount of yeast you have harvested, yes. Even though you were able to pull most of the yeast off from formation, you may have some dead yest cells in their lowering the viability of the yeast you will pitch. Also depending upon how long the yeast has been sitting you would want to reactivate them prior to pitching.

[@bradleypariah]

I disagree that you need to make a yeast starter to use the harvested yeast. I never do. If you need more yeast, just use more than one jar. I just add yeast nutrient to the boil, and shake up the yeast jar with a little olive oil a half hour before pitching to aerate it and give it some lipids.

[@ArktourosUltorMaximus7600]

Now I can produce infinite number of pizzas

[@joshbent653]

Save more than a few bucks i reuse mine 8 9 times at 10 bucks thats more than a few

[@nikkiboling6219]

My dude is doing this with sanitizer on his hands and in the containers... press X to doubt.

[@TheGavranatar]

yeast *rinsing

[@kiransadventures]

sir how to make sanitizer

[@ClawhammerSupply]

We use Star San

[@beerman1957]

You can use iodophor solutions if you can't get Star San. Also, you can ask a local brewery what they use and buy it from them. I used to use Iodophor all the time, but it does stain and does require a drying time to be effective. But it is VERY effective and when it dries, there is no residue left.

[@StevenDavisPhoto]

Too much time and cleaning involved to save a few bucks. I'll just buy more yeast. Thanks for the video though.

[@gadgetsage]

I have deduced this man has no children or pets or at least they are forbidden from his vlogging studio.

[@jeremiahconnelly6656]

sanitized funnel for a slurry full of spiddle and beard hair

[@superslyko123]

Too many steps......... this is beer we're brewing, not rocket fuel. After you brew beer for a year or two, this will not work.

[@Philmoon69]

This guy would have some serious yeast in that beard! Yuck!