Harvest Yeast from Blow-off bucket

I just switched from the Blow-out tube to a bubbler and noticed a bunch of nice clean yeast in the bottom of the blow-off bucket.

Has anyone harvested yeast at this stage?  Any thoughts?  Do I discount this yeast's work ethic because it left the job early?

David

I am sure that if not contaminated it would work. I regularly just reuse the yeast cake left in the bucket. In other words. After I draw off the fermented beer. I just pour a new wort into the bucket on top of the trube. You can reuse the bucket of yeast as long as it conforms to the type you need. Good luck

Bob
I haven't been able to brew that often, usually only about once a month or 6 weeks.
I have been harvesting yeast out of the primary and separating it from the trub.  But that is a lot of handling and opportunity to mess up.  The yeast in the blow off is very clean. 

I use a plastic gallon jug for the blow off and the whole thing is in a chest freezer.  After a good fermentation there is NO oxygen left in the freezer so I'm thinking it should be fairly uncontaminated.

David

It might be contaminated with wild yeasts floating around or bacteria.  Unless the blowoff vessel is air tight or has an air gap system like a fermentor, you run the risk from open air.  Plus you would have to sanitize everything first.

dharalson,

            I am a BIAB brewer with N/C. That is to say, Brew in a Bag with No Chill. I sometimes forget that having a 19L batch of wort sitting around is not the norm! With No Chill I run the hot wort into a "Cube" that is built for boiling liquids. I let it cool and I can store the wort for months. Whenever I have finished fermenting something I can just pull the wort off the shelf and pour it into the bucket. That is assuming the yeast is the right type and I have not abused it. (Example High gravity, dark strong flavored beer or more than 3 times of reuse).

          So for me I thrive on careful reuse of yeast and the beer comes out just fine. Good luck and good brewing!

BobBrews said:

I am sure that if not contaminated it would work. I regularly just reuse the yeast cake left in the bucket. In other words. After I draw off the fermented beer. I just pour a new wort into the bucket on top of the trube. You can reuse the bucket of yeast as long as it conforms to the type you need. Good luck

Click to expand...

How would you know it isn't contaminated? Presumably a bubble bucket is an open system- so it seems like a crapshoot to me.
You know what they say about opinions (I'm referring to mine here)...  I've read other brewers who say the practice of over-pitching yeast can lead to off flavors (just as under-pitching can). But if it works for you, as they say in Ozzie: "Good on ya mate"

Ive never considered using the yeast out of my blow off as it most likely is contaminated in some way but who knows you may get lucky. But something you may find of use if you want to reuse your yeast is yeast washing. Not a real big pain and I have been able to reuse my yeast up to 4 generations with out any problems. Here is a site that you may find of some use if you want to save a little money or just have a yeast that you really like or don't have the time to make another batch to reuse your yeast cake. 

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/07/25/yeast-washing-reusing-your-yeast/

I feel pretty confident that the yeast is not contaminated.
I use a gallon jug with a small opening.  The fermentation occurs in a Chest freezer.  The fermentation during the blow-off period is very active.  Very soon all of the free space in the freezer is full of CO2.  (I put my head in there ONCE to look at a thermometer; I nearly choked.  ).  I have been yeast washing for the past year; storing in test tubes with glycerin and freezing.  The yeast in the blow-off is very clean with no washing required.

Thanks for the comments.

David

I wouldn't risk it to many variables to deal with that F your brew up

I just finished Chris White's, Yeast book (from White Labs). It was a real eye opener. In fact, I would say it was a "come to Jesus revival" for brewers. Sounds funny but I found myself saying, "oh crap, I gotta stop doing that and start doing this", "I'm changing my ways today!" "I never realized that before, this will change everything." etc.
 Before I say, "hell no, don't use the blow off yeast"; I would strongly suggest getting a copy and read for yourself. Meanwhile, the best way to harvest yeast is during fermentation, just below the surface of krausen. Ya really got to see the example in his book.
  I'm even embarrassed to say that I thought I was slick dumping fresh wort on a yeast cake (PLEASE! No offence).
 

@Ziggy

Absolutely none taken!

I just bought the "Yeast" book yesterday at the local LHBS.
I have only read a few selected sections.
I think that collecting in the Blow-off is equivalent to Top Cropping.

I am now looking to change the blow-off system to better protect the yeast and improve the sanitation and hopefully use this method instead of bottom collection and rinsing.  The yeast I collected was very clean with almost no trub.

Thanks for your comments

Build a Burton Union...http://www.byo.com/stories/projects-and-equipment/article/indices/20-build-it-yourself/354-build-a-burton-union-system-projects

You can certainly use that yeast, it is some of the most vital and viable in a fermentation. But you need to either to crop or build a closed system such as the Burton Union to collect it. I HIGHLY recommend "Yeast" as well...best $20 I have spent on brewing since my first kit!!!

More fundamentally, what is your goal?  harvesting yeast from a blowoff is possible.  but why?

Are you trying to save money?  The most common reason to harvest yeast is to save money.  There are three more I can think of. 1. see how your beer changes with multiple generation of the yeast. 2. Capture you special yeast. 3. Because you can.

I harvest for the first and third reasons.  I find generation 3 or 4 to be best on my system.  There is no way to safely harvest and slant yeast in most home environments.  There will be contamination. the question is how much.  I also do it because I can.  My system has proven to be successful for me.  I harvest from the yeast cake (risk #1) into a flask of boiled water (covered, boiled 20 minutes, cooled to room temp).  I let it settle, decant off most of the water and let it settle again (risk #2).  I carefully decant off the yeast layer into another flask of boiled water (risk #3). Before pitching, I decant off the water (risk #4) and pitch into the carboy (risk #5).  I have not yet had a problem I can attribute to the repitching this way.

If you are trying to save money, keep in mind that there is a solid risk of infecting the beer with bacteria or wild yeast.  A bad batch is going to cost you 4 or 6 vials of white labs yeast.  Many of us have been successful harvesting yeast one way or another.  many of had infected beers.  Many are not entirely forthright in how many infected beers they had. 

I only use sanitizer in the blow off container to prevent any infection if it gets sucked into the ferementer (it has happened).  The yeast in there is dead (I tried to revive them but they were dead).  If you use a sterilized container, properly sterilized water and an airlock system then you have a decent chance of some healthy, pitchable yeast. You are better off top cropping the happy yeast from your ferementer though.