Yeast slurry - how many times to keep using?

[homesteader26]

My question is when making skeeter pee or dragonblood is there any drawback to keep using the slurry from one batch to start the next? Does it get any off taste? I am so impressed at the ability of the yeast slurry to take off again in the next batch! The colony must grow and grow? I started some skeeter pee (this will be the third batch - 1 dragon blood and now two skeeter pees) and in a day it went from 1.084 to 1.040! Is this a bad thing at all? I was shocked at the action in the primary. Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[richmke]

IMHO, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

I would use the same quantity of slurry from batch to batch. If you use all the left over slurry, soon you will have more slurry than juice.

In theory, there is some mutation of the yeast over time. After a lot of generations, it may not be as good (or could be better). The Yeast Makers control for that.

 

[homesteader26]

Just started batch number 4 from my EC-1118 on a tea based skeeter pee. Batch #2 tastes great - #3 I may thieve a glass from tonight but so far no off taste or issues other than fast fermenting the first couple of days - complete in 7.

 

[barbiek]

I have a pee made from D-47 slurry in secondary and put the slurry from that in the fridge was wondering if I could start another pee with that slurry? I'll give it a try and see what effects it has on it. Any comments or advise to this would be much appreciated

thanks

 

[homesteader26]

I was wondering the same thing! I am going to try this also as I have a slurry that has fermented 4 batches now and I really don't need so much. Batch #4 fermented dry in 4 days! Amazing! Guess the only thing we would lose is a few days of fermentation if it doesn't pop back to life after a nap in the fridge for a few weeks. Let me know if it works out for you please and thanks!

 

[Arne]

We have had this discussion before. Most wound up saying if you reuse the slurry too many times it may start giving off flavors to your wines. I have only used it for the second time, then throw it out. After all, a new pack of wine yeast is only about a buck. No sense in taking a chance on a new batch having problems. If you keep reusing it, keep us informed how it goes. Good luck with it, Arne.

 

[Arne]

I have a pee made from D-47 slurry in secondary and put the slurry from that in the fridge was wondering if I could start another pee with that slurry? I'll give it a try and see what effects it has on it. Any comments or advise to this would be much appreciated

thanks

You shouldn't have any probs. with keeping it in the fridge for a while. I know some have even talked about freezing it and not having problems. Arne.

 

[homesteader26]

Arne reusing for me is more about the can this be done wonder of seeing a new batch come to life and not about saving the dollar. The science behind this new hobby is so intriguing to me. I have to say that the flavors that carried from batch #1 Dragonblood into batch #2 Skeeterpee made a very tasty pee that I will recreate because it was so good. Not a blood and not a pee - we called this batch Pink Lightening as I also raised the SG to make it a 13% wine.

Batch #3 with the yeast is a regular SP that is also pink but tastes like a traditional SP no residual fruit taste but a lighter pink than the batch before.

Now that ferm is complete on batch #4 I'm going to give it a nap and bring back to life when my DB supply runs low.

 

[richmke]

In learning about wine, there is an optimal pitch count for viable yeast cells. Not enough, and unwanted bacteria could establish themselves before the yeast.

Too much yeast is also a problem. Something about early autolysis. I still need to research that. Seems like if the wine ferments to completion in 2 days, and you rack off, that should work. Maybe it doesn't give enough time for the "complexity" of the wine to develop. I can see if you have skins, that you need time for them to give up their goodness.

My point being: Too much of a good thing (yeast slurry) can be a bad thing.

 

[barbiek]

homesteader26
the yeast will continue to multiply. But when does the off taste begin because your adding the dead yeast also. That was my concern. But I think I might try the pink lightening that sounds awesome! Let us know when the off taste starts. Thanks arne
thanks

 

[beano]

I would use the same quantity of slurry from batch to batch. If you use all the left over slurry, soon you will have more slurry than juice.

By my experience, this is true. I re-used the slurry from a Red Star Premier Curvee five times and the last batch of wine had a full gallon plus of slurry. Wine was good though. I put the slurry in a gallon milk and put an airlock on it and left it set and it just keep right on going.
After a couple of weeks I finally poured it in the toilet and flushed it.
Septic tank is alive and fermenting, HaHa!!

Beano Joe

 

[richmke]

Septic tank is alive and fermenting, HaHa!!

Let us know how it tastes

 

[beano]

Let us know how it tastes

I'll send you a bottle!!

Beano Joe

 

[homesteader26]

Richmke I ended up putting the yeast on hold in the fridge with airlock for the past two months and decided I would try to bring it back to life on a new batch of DB. I never got enough life after I warmed it up and added some sugar so I didn't end up adding it to the new batch. It was a fun experiment. The DB and then pink lightening were both amazing. The 3rd batch was what I called pink thunder and I do think that the thunder began getting off taste. The twisted tea was just not good - not sure if it was the yeast or the tea or just a bad idea - lol. My favorite though was the pee after making the batch of DB. It pulled just enough fruit flavor to give it a neat taste and softened the lemon. I am actually looking forward to recreating it