HOW TO COLLECT YEAST TO USE AGAIN

Summary

In this instructional video, Jorge demonstrates the process of yeast collection and reuse from corn fermentation. He explains how to siphon off the fermented liquid, clarify it using Turbo Clear, and then cold crash it to separate the yeast. The technique, borrowed from beer brewing, involves diluting the yeast mixture, refrigerating it to encourage sedimentation, and carefully siphoning off the clarified liquid. Jorge emphasizes the benefits of reusing a specific yeast strain for consistent results in distilling and provides tips for maintaining equipment cleanliness throughout the process.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is a follow-up on corn fermentation and focuses on yeast collection and reuse.
• 📝 Jorge, the host, explains the process of siphoning fermented corn into water jugs to separate the liquid from the yeast and other solids.
• 🍺 The terms 'trub' (for beer makers), 'lees' (for wine makers), and 'junk' (for moonshiners) are used to describe the settled yeast and other solids at the bottom of the fermentation container.
• 🚰 Jorge uses 'turbo clear' to help clarify the liquid and demonstrates how to siphon off the clear liquid, leaving the sediment behind.
• 🧊 The technique of 'cold crashing' is introduced, which is borrowed from beer brewing to clarify beverages by lowering the temperature, causing impurities to solidify and settle.
• 🌡 Jorge discusses the freezing points of different alcohol by volume (ABV) percentages and notes that high ABV solutions are harder to freeze.
• 🍾 The purpose of collecting yeast is to reuse a specific strain that produces desirable results in fermentation.
• 🔁 Jorge demonstrates the process of washing and separating the yeast through multiple cycles of dilution, shaking, and refrigeration.
• 🧪 The script includes practical tips, such as cutting the siphon hose at an angle to improve siphoning efficiency and cleaning equipment as you go to maintain hygiene.
• 📈 The video shows the progression of yeast separation over time, with visual evidence of the yeast settling and the liquid clarifying.
• 🍾 In conclusion, Jorge outlines how to store the collected yeast in a refrigerator with distilled water until ready for use in a future fermentation process.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is the process of fermenting corn and collecting yeast for reuse, as demonstrated by Jorge.

Why is the viewer encouraged to subscribe and click the bell?

The viewer is encouraged to subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications every time a new video is posted.

What is the significance of the two buckets Jorge mentions?

The two buckets represent two different types of corn fermentation: popcorn and regular corn, both of which are being used to demonstrate the yeast collection process.

What does ABV stand for and what is its relevance in this context?

ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume, which is a measure of the alcohol content in the corn fermentation process.

What is the term used to describe the settled yeast and other solids at the bottom of the fermentation bucket?

The term used is 'junk on the bottom,' which can also be referred to as 'trub' in beer making or 'lees' in wine making.

What product does Jorge use to help clear the fermentation liquid?

Jorge uses a product called 'turbo clear' to help clear the fermentation liquid.

What technique does Jorge introduce for clarifying the yeast?

Jorge introduces the technique of 'cold crashing,' borrowed from the beer brewing industry, to clarify the yeast.

Why is the freezing point of the alcohol solution relevant in the yeast collection process?

The freezing point is relevant because it helps determine whether the yeast can be separated by freezing out the water content, leaving behind the yeast.

What is the purpose of diluting the yeast with distilled water during the cold crashing process?

Diluting with distilled water provides a medium for the yeast to separate from the solids and other byproducts, facilitating the collection of clean yeast.

How does Jorge ensure the collected yeast remains dormant and does not continue fermenting?

Jorge ensures the yeast remains dormant by cold crashing the mixture in the refrigerator, which slows down yeast activity and prevents further fermentation.

What is the final step in storing the collected yeast after the cold crashing process?

The final step is to add clean distilled water to the collected yeast, shake it, and store it in the refrigerator until ready for use in the next fermentation run.

Outlines

00:00

🍻 Introduction to Corn Fermentation and Yeast Collection

In this introductory segment, Jorge welcomes viewers back to his channel and encourages them to subscribe and enable notifications for new content. He outlines the day's agenda, which includes a follow-up on corn fermentation and a demonstration of yeast collection and cleaning. Jorge explains that the corn fermentation process has reached a specific gravity of 1.000, indicating completion, and that the alcohol by volume (ABV) is approximately 12.5-13%. He plans to transfer the fermented corn into water jugs, leaving behind the yeast and other solids, referred to as 'junk' in distilling. Jorge also mentions the use of 'turbo clear' to help with the clarification process.

05:02

🧊 Cold Crashing Technique and Yeast Separation

Jorge introduces the concept of 'cold crashing,' a technique borrowed from beer brewing to clarify beverages by lowering the temperature, causing water-soluble substances to solidify and settle. He explains the science behind the freezing points of different ABV solutions and how it affects the process. Jorge demonstrates the dilution of the fermented corn with distilled water to facilitate yeast separation. He emphasizes the importance of allowing gravity to work in favor of separating the solids from the yeast and plans to refrigerate the mixture to initiate the cold crashing process.

10:05

⏱️ Progress Update on Yeast Collection and Clarification

In this update, Jorge shares the results of the cold crashing process after four hours, showing the separation of yeast and sediment in the jars. He discusses the use of 'turbo clear' in the clarification of the fermented liquid, noting the difference in clarity between the two types of corn used. Jorge also provides a practical tip on cleaning the siphon hose to maintain its efficiency and cleanliness. He concludes by stating the plan to continue the yeast separation process the next day.

15:05

🍿 Finalizing Yeast Collection and Storage

Jorge concludes the yeast collection process by demonstrating the final steps of siphoning off the distilled water, separating the clean yeast, and storing it for future use. He uses an ice cream scooper and a soup spoon to transfer the yeast into smaller jars, emphasizing the importance of cold temperatures in keeping the yeast dormant and preventing further fermentation. Jorge also shares a tip on cleaning the siphon hose effectively and plans to repeat the process to ensure a clear, clean yeast collection. He wraps up by showing the clarified liquid and the thick layer of sediment at the bottom, indicating a successful clarification.

Keywords

💡Fermentation

Fermentation is the process of converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeast. In the context of the video, it's the fundamental process for creating alcoholic beverages from corn. The script mentions the fermentation of both popcorn and regular corn, which have reached an alcohol by volume (ABV) of approximately 12.5-13%.

💡ABV (Alcohol by Volume)

ABV refers to the volume of alcohol present in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage, usually expressed as a percentage. It is a key measure of the strength of the beverage. The script discusses the ABV of the corn fermentation process, indicating that both types of corn have reached an ABV of around 13%.

💡Siphoning

Siphoning is the process of transferring liquid from one container to another without allowing air bubbles to enter. In the video, siphoning is used to transfer the fermented liquid into clean water jugs, leaving behind the 'junk' or sediment at the bottom of the fermentation bucket.

💡Trub

Trub, short for 'true brewing,' is the term used in beer making to describe the sediment that forms at the bottom of the fermentation vessel. In the script, the term is used interchangeably with 'leas' in winemaking and 'junk' in distilling to describe the yeast and other solids that settle after fermentation.

💡Turbo Clear

Turbo Clear is a product used to help clarify fermented beverages by settling out the yeast and other particles. The script mentions using Turbo Clear to clarify the fermented corn liquid, demonstrating its effectiveness in speeding up the clearing process.

💡Cold Crashing

Cold crashing is a technique borrowed from beer brewing, used to rapidly clarify a fermented beverage by lowering its temperature, causing water-soluble substances to solidify and drop to the bottom. The script introduces this technique as a method to separate the yeast from the fermented corn liquid for collection and reuse.

💡Yeast Strain

A yeast strain refers to a specific variety or type of yeast, which can influence the flavor and characteristics of the fermented product. The script discusses the potential benefits of collecting and reusing a particular yeast strain that has produced desirable results in a previous fermentation.

💡Clarification

Clarification is the process of removing solids and haze from a liquid to make it clear. In the context of the video, clarification is achieved by using Turbo Clear and cold crashing to separate the yeast and other particles from the fermented corn liquid, resulting in a clearer final product.

💡Refrigeration

Refrigeration is the process of cooling something to a temperature at or below the freezing point of water, typically to preserve it or slow down chemical reactions. In the script, refrigeration is used during the cold crashing process to facilitate the separation of yeast from the liquid.

💡Siphon Hose

A siphon hose is a flexible tube used to transfer liquid from one container to another, often used in brewing and distilling. The script provides a tip on modifying the end of a siphon hose to improve its function, allowing for more effective siphoning from the top down.

💡Distillation

Distillation is the process of purifying a liquid by heating it to create vapor and then cooling the vapor to condense it back into a liquid. Although not the primary focus of the video, the script mentions distillation in the context of the overall process of making alcoholic beverages from corn.

Highlights

Introduction to the video with a reminder to subscribe and enable notifications.

Follow-up on corn fermentation with an additional step of yeast collection for reuse.

Demonstration of transferring fermented corn to water jugs to separate the liquid from the yeast and solids.

Explanation of the terms 'trub', 'lees', and 'junk' as byproducts of fermentation.

Use of 'turbo clear' to help clarify the fermented liquid.

Tips on siphoning techniques to avoid disturbing the settled yeast and solids.

Introduction of 'cold crashing' technique borrowed from beer brewing to clarify the liquid.

Explanation of how cold temperatures affect yeast and the benefits for yeast separation.

Process of diluting the yeast mixture with distilled water to facilitate separation.

Instructions on how to siphon off the water and collect the yeast without disturbing the sediment.

Demonstration of the yeast separation after cold crashing in the refrigerator.

Use of household items like an ice cream scooper for yeast collection.

Importance of cleaning equipment as you go to maintain hygiene and efficiency.

Final steps of yeast collection, storing it in the refrigerator, and its potential for reuse.

Results of the clarification process and the thickness of the yeast layer collected.

Conclusion summarizing the yeast collection and storage process for future use.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome back I'm Jorge again as always

we're so glad to have you here so don't

forget to comment subscribe and if the

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notice every time we post a new video

today we're gonna do the one we promised

it's like a follow-up but also there's

an additional step we're gonna add to it

but it's the follow-up of our corn

fermentation and Bobby Claiborne out

there in Tennessee who's been on the

phone with me and back and forth really

wanted to see us collect some yeast you

know clean it and so we can reuse it yes

so we're gonna do that but I'm going to

show you how to do that it's a real

simple process it's a little laborious

takes a little while but it is very very

possible so I've got my two buckets

remember the popcorn and the regular

corn they both started out at 1.09 for

they are both now down at 1.000 so I

have what is calculated out to be what

twelve and a half maybe thirteen percent

ABV and each one of these okay so that's

what we've got for our alcohol by volume

makes no difference right now but we

just need to know that what I'm gonna do

is I'm going to transfer this into two

of my I got water jugs sitting here that

I've already cleaned sanitized turned

upside down just let them sit there for

a while I'm gonna transfer it into there

and that's gonna leave us with the gunk

on the bottom now if you're a beer maker

it's trub if you're a wine maker it's

leas if you're a moonshiner it's junk on

the bottom so it can be any of those

terms but all of that yeast and

everything is settled out I've still got

some solids and some other stuff I need

to settle out and I'm gonna use turbo

clear I'll show you you I I'll show you

how I use that works extremely well so

without further ado let's get down to

business and I'm gonna just use a

regular siphon hose I'm gonna siphon

from here into the you know that's a

simple product I'll be back as soon as I

get that done

oh by the way I'm not gonna use vacuum

distillation or a vacuum transfer right

now I'm not trying to do gas I'm not at

this point I'm just trying to get it out

so I'll be back with you shortly

now we've got it transferred and I

didn't spill a drop

I'm amazed I want to give you a couple

real quick tips you know no siphon hose

is ever going to stay straight you see

what I did to the end of that I cut it

off on an angle cut it off on the angle

as where it bends in so cut it off and

what that does is that when it gets

inside that bucket it'll stick inside

that bucket and it'll siphon from the

top instead of trying to suck things up

from the bottom see just it's just a

simple adaptation to a hose and what you

do is you'll hold the hose out here you

know that's about that deep and then

that way you hold your finger here when

you put it in you know you're right

there almost at the bottom and yours

actually siphoning from top down into

the hose and then out got it good now

I'm going to show you what I've got left

here we've got a lot to work with so

when I come back I'll have these two up

here I'll have these two down here and

then we'll get started I'm gonna

introduce you to a new technique that I

haven't shared with you yet

um and it's all about cold crashing and

it's a technique borrowed from our beer

brewing industry mmm I know I've got you

teased into it right now so stand by

we're set popcorn on this side and again

the regular corn on this side now you

notice there is a there is a visual

difference between these two although

they're both equal this one's a little

bit darker and this one's a little milky

er so we're gonna find out what the

result of that is it at the very end on

another video now I wanted to show you

what I've got here and let me get set

there now you'll see this this nastiness

on this side this is the popcorn this is

the regular corn and it's just a like a

slop in the bottom I got some of my

fingers there there and you'll notice on

this one I had a really good Crowson

where it fermented and you're bubbled

all the way up this one was a little bit

cleaner and it dropped so we're gonna

see if that makes a difference as well

all right here's what I did now I've

already cleaned my buckets to set them

aside you know

my stars' and put it on miss and I give

both buckets oh just a couple of squirts

is a mist and just let it sit there that

ensures that while they're in storage

and not being used nothing will grow

alone you know always all I gotta do now

is rinse them out clean them and start

to use them again so what you'll need

here is just a couple of containers and

I've got some mason jars that I'm using

now we're going to do what we call cult

crash let me explain that real briefly

because what cold crashing is and it's

used a lot of times in our beer brewing

industry and it's used to clarify beer

in a quicker manner and what that means

is is that is see if you can take a beer

that is already fermented and you're

ready to clear it or even a wine a wine

works extremely well and if you lower

the temperature drastically what happens

is is anything that is water soluble

that is a fatty or of a protein will

start to solidify and it starts to drop

to the bottom and that's called cold

crashing now and it happens rather

rather quickly it can happen overnight

and so we've adapted that into our

distilling practice for for collecting

yeast it okay before you decide to put

it in a freezer I know somebody's gonna

stay a while to just freeze it well what

you could all right

of course that's that's how the your

original apple pie or apple jack was

made that you know big old barrel and it

would freeze and then there was just

nothing but alcohol left in the center

cuz everything on the outside froze and

then they tasted they're like whoa good

that's the very beginning the roots of

that um a 20% alcohol by volume which is

a little higher than you know we've got

12 12 and 1/2 it that alcohol level in

water your freezing point for for that

solution is like 15 degrees of

Fahrenheit or negative 9 degrees Celsius

if it was a 40% ABV it would be negative

10 degrees Fahrenheit or negative 23

degrees Celsius and of course it 80 look

if we're talking 160 proof 80

cent it's gonna be hard to freeze that

stuff because you got to go down the

negative 75 Fahrenheit or the negative

59 Celsius all right

so don't worry about it if you've got a

really high alcohol by volume there you

put it in a freezer it's not gonna

freeze I mean that's why our antifreeze

he's got a lot of it glycol and ethanol

in it all right we've got these here so

what we'll do is we'll add some

distilled water once we had this

distilled water now you'll see this is

really mucky so this is going to take

probably several generations in order to

get it to clarify because what we wanted

to do we want to separate out and we'll

ship which should separate out should be

our clean ye so what I'm doing you

notice here we're just diluting like

like crazy to give it a medium in which

to separate now why don't I use a turbo

clear on this well because I don't want

all it see if you use a turbo clear

everything just settles out together

I want gravity to work in our favor and

I want to separate those solids that I

know are gonna do something yeast

because they're gonna fall all the way

down to the bottom you follow me it's

really a simple process after that we've

got it in there give it a good shake and

then I will put this into the

refrigerator and we'll be back several

hours or maybe even another day and

Bobby after about three or four these

runs like this we should have some clear

clean yeast saved to use over and over

again now why would you do this there's

really two good reasons uh one good

reason is if you find a yeast strain

that you've developed that you've worked

in a mash and it really really turns out

good and you know you could point your

fingers at the development of that yeast

colony and you go may enough I wish I

could do that again well collect that

yeast save it and do it again all right

I mean if you it if push comes to shove

and it's just really really hard to get

to wherever you got to go to

get some yeast this also works well in

your favor but for most of us and me in

particular is I just talk about myself I

just used fresh yeast almost all the

time it only because first I haven't

really found that specific strain I

wanted and to its it's relatively

inexpensive now if I was to save this

because of it being a specific strain I

probably wouldn't use these because

remember we only used about five pounds

of the corn and 19 liters here and we

had to put a bunch of sugar in it so I'm

really not getting anything specific or

special this is just for a demonstration

but here later on we're going to get

together and we're gonna do an all grain

where we have to add absolutely no sugar

we're going to develop our own recipe

we're going to put it together we're

going to firm in it we're going to

clarify then we're going to move on now

it's time as promised before we go any

further I'll there we go my turbo clear

I got packet a and packet B so in my

jugs here I'm just going to squirt it in

packet a the whole packet wait for an

hour and then squirt it in package B and

then by tomorrow afternoon or so this

should be just about clear so stick with

us and we'll give you the update as it

comes well we're still here out of the

man cave and I've got a quick update for

you it's been four hours

Bobby it's been four hours so I'm we're

getting ready to take our first look at

cold crashing and trying to separate

that yeast so that we can collect it and

reuse it all right now in the meantime

you know I put I use by turbo clear in

these two and I know you can see it from

there but if you look here you'll see

there's my sediment level on the bottom

of this when it's starting to clear up

really good it's only been four hours

and you can see there's a larger

sediment base in this one and it's still

a little cloudy so that's gonna take

probably a good 24 hours but this one

might clear up before tomorrow morning

oh let's

let's get to what I was talking about

now cold crashing remember we borrowed

the term and we borrowed the the the

process from our beer brewers so you

know one of your questions made me

george'll why don't you just go crash

the whole thing can you do that why

certainly but now you're gonna need a B

a F a big freezer and a controller in

that a PID controller would work or an

analog controller or some sort to

maintain the right temperature because

you don't want to put you well you could

put it in freezing if you got it at

least at 20% alcohol by volume but yeah

you could put this whole thing in there

and but that C that becomes almost not

economical in a way when you can use key

assault and shido-san which is in the

turbo clear and and clear it out anyway

but or you could if you've got a freezer

sitting by or you got one of them huge

walking refrigerators

by all means cold crash your mash that

rhymes let's pull it out and look at our

yeast well there it is folks that's four

hours in the refrigerator cold crash and

you can see that it has had a definite

effect uh matter of fact and I'm gonna

bring it close to show it to you but

there's our sediment level there's a

sediment level there's a sediment level

in a sediment level and they're

different only because they were there

are different volumes in these jars to

start with when he came to the slurry

they came out the bottom of the bucket

so don't let that don't let that confuse

you it has nothing to do with what we're

doing it just happens to be how much

came out of the bucket um I'm gonna show

you this on a close-up oh you got to be

careful not to disturb her too much

because you don't want to resuspend all

this stuff that you've already separated

and let's take this larger jar and I'll

try to move slowly with this so that you

can see this now if you look here you

can see the light color here this is

yeast this is the yeast that is settled

out now look way down at the bottom and

you'll see there's there's you should be

able to see that I don't want to tilt it

too much see that darker layer in there

okay now that's all the byproducts and

all the things that you're not going to

want let me see if there's a better view

of that on this one it is if you look

straight up underneath it but there you

got a good view there you see that that

dark that that is the that's there's a

dark sediment in the bottom here it's

darker than this and the same thing goes

for these I hopefully didn't mix it up

too bad and so what now what we're going

to do is I'm going to carefully take a

small hose and I'm going to siphon off

this water all the way down to here and

then especially in this one because this

one's really profound as well as this

one is and then we're going to scoop

this out and leave that dark stuff

behind we're going to put that into

another jar then we're going to add some

more distilled water we're gonna shake

it up we're gonna put it back in the

refrigerator then we'll come back here

tomorrow

and go through this process again there

and then hold your fingers so that you

don't get all the way there and then oh

that tastes good there see now that

one's pretty good so now we're suck all

that out siphon it out and when it gets

down to that bottom down there we're

gonna be really really careful I don't

want to really disturb much of that

yeast it wouldn't matter cuz there's

plenty there okay now we're ready to

separate I've got two items here look

you can use a whole bunch of different

things the best I could find right off

hand was up an ice cream scooper and a

big soup spoon so I'm gonna use both of

those to try to accomplish it I just

sprayed it with stars' and oh you know

and another reason why we put it in a

refrigerator wise we're cold crashing

what does that do to our yeast you know

it they go dormant so if there is if

there are any fermentable sugars in

there you don't have any refirm

intention taking place you get your

yeast is just sitting

there so that's another reason why the

cool temperatures are to your advantage

so let's get some of this out of here

okay now we're back to step one again

I'm gonna add some more distilled water

then we're gonna and you'll see what I

ended up with when it came to jars I'm

downsizing the jars so it makes it's a

source a little bit easier for me to

mess with and really these I think I got

these jars just maybe just a little bit

too full but you can see the volume that

I started with as opposed to the volume

that I have now is different so well

remember what we didn't collect is we

didn't click anything it was all way way

on the bottom because that was the solid

particulates and the excrement things

like that that that yeast produced as

well so now it's just nothing more than

putting the lids on them shake them and

stick them back in the refrigerator this

is the popcorn and this is the regular

corn and we'll probably end up with

about the same amount who knows of yeast

there we go and I'm just pop the lid on

shake them and then put them back in hey

one last tip for you before I put these

in a refrigerator and that is cleaning

out the hose and I've learned that this

is a hard lesson to learn is about your

clean as you go so you know as I finish

you know I clean put my jars back there

just just clean as you go it makes it so

much easier especially if you're using a

hose for siphoning and like I did with

the large hose that I used to cyclin

from the bucket down into the bog

bottles or into these jugs run water

through them real quick then you walk

outside you grab one end you let the

other end go and remember one use again

you did the helicopter thing you know

you just roll it a whole bunch of times

does two things one it'll cause a minor

vacuum in here so it'll suck off the

water and old by the way centripetal

force forces the water out that way

anyway see cuz you have a difference

Airport don't worry about that it's just

basically yes centripetal force will

cause all in order to come out of the

inside of your hose and

make it last a whole lot longer and stay

a whole lot cleaner that's enough for me

tonight I'll see you tomorrow morning

and we'll go through this again all

right day two and I came out here late

last night I did this one more time ice

I just I get in the role in the mood and

I just keep on rolling with it so let me

show you what I've got now this is the

corn this is the popcorn and you'll see

just I see how white that is that's

clean yeast so what we'll do yeah so

what we'll do now is that I use the same

process I'm going to siphon off that

distilled water off of that I'm gonna

make sure I get two separate there's

nothing left in the bottom I don't have

to do anything else I want to get all of

that water off and then I'm gonna

introduce some more distilled water and

all of those containers because I've

still got the other ones in the

refrigerator and then I'm gonna give it

a good shake and let it settle one more

time and that time when it settles I'll

put clean distilled water in it and I'll

just store it in the refrigerator it

when I'm ready for my next run I could

just as easily reach in and pull that

out and use that as a yeast starter see

simple here's the results of my

clarification this one has gotten real

clear and I can still see that thick

sediment in the bottom this one has

definitely cleared out and I've got a

really thick one of us about an inch and

a half of set them in here so I need to

rack these off transfer them into

something else get them cleaned up and

I'll store them away now remember I just

put the cap on here and as long as you

leave it sealed it's a natural

preservative it cannot turn to vinegar

and there you have it

Bobby Clayburn at a Tennessee that's how

we separate collect and store yeast

happy distilling