So I've read that the rule of thumb for repitching is don't repitch anything that's fermented over about 6%, but how hard and fast is this rule? We are using Wyeast 1728, which has a reputation for being a highly alcohol tolerant strain. I've read of guys using this strain as high as 15%. I want to brew my brown ale, which is typically around 7.5%, then reuse the cake in a 14% barleywine. Does anyone have experience trying this?
That should be fine I would say just try to get the brown ale off the yeast cake rather quickly which shouldn’t be hard as 1728 floccs really well. If it was a 4th generation highly hopped IPA at 7.5% I’d be a little more hesitant.
+1 to the above advise. 8 abv is my rough limit. Getting beer off the cake quickly will help a lot to ensure a good ferment.
You will not have any problem with this. Leave your yeast on your Brown ale for three weeks then dump your Barley Wine on top. Have fun!
There is absolutely no reason to leave a beer on a yeast cake for that long... it’s doing absolutely nothing to help the beer, just harm it.
Oh really.... I must love to harm my beer as I let every beer I make sit for three weeks. Big beers four. Take care!
So my challenge is that we have been fermenting in a Spike Conical for about 6 months, but I haven't yet tried to harvest yeast. How does this factor into the equation? Should I harvest the yeast and trub and then wash it and repitch? Or just let it settle out into the bottom, rack the brown off until I suck trub, then pitch the barleywine into the fermenter? Will the yeast get back up and get to work if they are buried down in the drain tube? I can't really stir them up for the most part.
I'd harvest then repitch. I do not wash yeast. For my self, I use pale or ipa cakes for those beers and stout or brown ales for those beers. Otherwise I would have some flavor crossovers that I don't want. Brown ale yeast onto a barley wine should be ok if your using some dark grains in it. Good luck
So no concern for the trub releasing off flavors? I think the brown will be ok, it's a pretty mild one. 25 ibu's and only 22 SRM. The darkest malt in it is pale chocolate at 200. a lot of the color came from an extended boil. No roast flavors.
Not for me and mine tastes. I have used cakes in the same fermenter up to 3 times with no truoble, all times was for pales or IPAs. If there is a lot of hop residue on the fermenter sidewalls I will wipe it off with a clean star San soaked rag. After 3 uses I will just save yeast in a sterilized beer bottle or 2. ****** note, I do not let fermenter sit around for much time, like no more than 1 hours. When the wort of yer barley wine is cooling, I'd be transferring the brown to a keg or bucket. Good luck
