I’ve read that it’s better to reuse yeast from lighter colored beers into darker and not the other way around. I’ve got an Oatmeal Stout with Wyeast 1318 that’s just about done fermenting. I am planning on brewing a NEIPA in my new Mash and Boil. I am going to use the 1318 from the Oatmeal Stout for the NEIPA.
What do you think? Should I bother to wash the yeast (which I haven’t done in years ) or just scoop out the appropriate amount and pitch that into the NEIPA?
Some people pitch right onto the old yeast cake. That doesn’t seem like a good idea to me but washing it might remove most of the dark beer’s flavors.
Reusing 1318
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- Dawg LB Steve
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Re: Reusing 1318
I would wash just to remove the dark coloring, for the future overbuild your starter and save half in a sanitized jar and pitch half. This way your are keeping a first generation strain going off of one yeast packet. Much easier than washing and separating.


MONTUCKY BREWING
Actively brewing since December 2013Re: Reusing 1318
I normally overbuild but I wasn’t planning ahead on this batch.Dawg LB Steve wrote:I would wash just to remove the dark coloring, for the future overbuild your starter and save half in a sanitized jar and pitch half. This way your are keeping a first generation strain going off of one yeast packet. Much easier than washing and separating.
I’ll wash it.
Re: Reusing 1318
I've gone from a Porter to a Pale Ale with Wyeast 1968 and could not pick up any Porter flavors with my palette or color Chang in the pale. I tipped the fermentation bucket and allowed what little beer was left to drain to one end out of the way (the Porter had been cold crashed so the yeast cake was compacted and stayed in place), reached in with my sanatized measuring cup, scoped out about 1 cup and plopped it in 6 gallons of 1.055 wort.
Blow off, Blow OFF, BLOW OFF TUBE if you try this with 1318!!
Blow off, Blow OFF, BLOW OFF TUBE if you try this with 1318!!
Naked Cat Brewery On Tap
Re: Reusing 1318
I've read the lower to higher (SRM/ABV/IBU) thing also. But I've been reading a lot more lately that indicates that the impact may be overblown.
I'd probably err on the side of caution and wash the yeast, but it might be interesting to save some of the yeast slurry as-is and wash some and do two batches of the same beer with it, just to see whether/how much it changes things.
I'd probably err on the side of caution and wash the yeast, but it might be interesting to save some of the yeast slurry as-is and wash some and do two batches of the same beer with it, just to see whether/how much it changes things.