Did a wash from my primary after bottling. Quick question. Is all the "cream" at the bottom of my jar yeast? This was in my fridge overnite.
Looks like a successful harvest to me. The cream is a combination of trub, dead yeast and live yeast, and that's what you're after. I think the lightest little band at the top is the healthiest yeast.
The lightest, creamiest layer (if it does layer) will be the best yeast. This layer will typically (but not always) be on top.
Yes . . . this is your yeast if you washed correctly. The "rest" period after mixing in your sterile water is to allow the undesirable trub to settle first (dead yeast, protein, hop debris). Ideally your active yeast is still in suspension and that's what you pour off and chill. Did you allow the settling to occur twice? If so, the majority of the solids remaining will be healthy yeast but it's always possible to have some of the nasties make their way over. It can be "washed" again if you think necessary. It's rare for me to have layers in the captured yeast, usually just a solid mass of cream-colored yeast. Also, it will continue to settle out for a week+. If you use Mason jars there are graduation marks to estimate quantity, otherwise some math will be involved.
Basically I poured off whatever beer was left. Poured in about a gallon of boiled and chilled water and swished the bucket to suspend/mix everything. Waited about 30 minutes and poured off the top layer of stuff into a sanitized 1 gallon glass jar. I then let that settle out for an hour and poured the top layer into 3 sanitized pint size jar jars. Put the lids on loosely and popped in the fridge. So I will take these out and pour off the "beer" looking layer, let warm and pitch. Or, do I need to make a starter? Would these be approx the same as a smack pack? Thinking I need to make a starter regardless of gravity in this case. Yeast is 1056
If you can estimate the volume of your slurry, I think the Mr. Malty calculator has a tab for estimating the amount of yeast in it.
You definitely need to make a starter if you store more than a week (complete settling takes a week+). But to make a starter you really must know how much yeast you have and that's not easy. It's easy to figure the quantity of slurry, but how dense is it? Wyeast estimates yeast slurry is 1.2 billion cells/ml, but you can go to White Labs and get a 1-3 billion/ml estimate. My technique is to estimate on the low side. You also need to estimate the loss of viability due to time (~21% month) as you plug the numbers in the calculator. An hour of settling may be a little on the long side. Also, consider filling 4-6 jars as this will give you more yeast. After about two weeks of settling you can consolidate all into one jar. It may not be necessary, but I fill the jars to the brim, reduces air co-mingling with my yeasties. Of course label everything with date . . . it's really easy to mix these guys up.
I bottled last night and brewing tomorrow. I dont brew weekly so I think I will use all of it and make a 2L starter for my 1.071 beer. 2 weeks ago it was a smack pack into a 2L starter. Made the night before and pitched at full krausen. Man did it rip.
I throw it all in the next starter or next beer. There'll be some trub in there too. No biggie. Just avoid off flavors from the previous batch to the next. I.e. don't reuse fruited yeast, don't reuse oaked yeast (unless desired in the next beer).
