I read through the section on top cropping yeast from a carboy in Yeast. I use ale pales, and there has to be an easier way. The way presented by Jamil and White sounded borderline dangerous. I also don't recall if they mentioned anything about that affecting yeast count. How do you guys top crop yeast for your next batch? Do you try to account for cell loss by overpitching in the beginning of fermentation?
I've done it a few times - times when I have a batch at high kraussen and I want that variety of yeast for another batch. I just sanitize a large spoon, scoop it into a sanitized container, and pitched it directly into the new wort. I feel that if a batch is at high kraussen there is plenty of yeast throughout the donor beer column and I don't worry about lowering the count. I should also mention that I am relatively care-free about pitching rates and this method is definitly guess-work as far as volume goes. I just scoop up 1/2 of the kraussen or so. It has always worked for me in starting a new fermentation, and has not affected the donor fermentation in any way I can measure.
I too am pretty relaxed in brewing. I don't own a microscope and don't overly count yeast. Good to hear that you don't see any ill-effects of taking a few spoonfuls.
i'm not sure what they heck they're telling you and i don't remember reading anything dangerous...but here is my steps. 1) Lift pail lid 2) With sanitized stainless spoon, scoop maybe 50ml of krausen (maybe half or so) into sanitized jar or pitch directly into new wort 3) replace lid If placing krausen in fridge for more than a week, then I make a starter. Less than a week, I'll usually just direct pitch. Top cropping provides the healthiest, most viable yeast with fewest mutations & undesirables like trub. Edit: the 50ml of krausen is usually where is settles down to...it's probably closer to 150ml when freshly scooped and is loaded with bubbles.
In a carboy, you can use CO2 to push yeast out: + pressure in a carboy can make it explode. Not a concern for me, but maybe worth mentioning. Thanks for the volumes, this helps out a lot.
So like a positive pressure vacuum...yeah, probably wouldn't go there. I once tried fermenting in a 5gal carboy with small headspace and collected the yeast in a growler with airlock on it...but ended up being too much set-up & clean-up for me (read...lazy)
