I have a batch that I want to bottle and I want to do another batch the next day. Can I leave the cake in the fermentor overnight and brew the next day and pitch on top of it? Or should I pull a couple of mason jars , refrigerate them , and then pitch them the next day ?
Do you have another carboy or bucket?
If yes, just reverse what you’re doing on each day…brew the new beer on day 1, and siphon the “old” beer into another vessel…then dump the “new” wort onto the “old” cake.
Then bottle the “old” beer from the second vessel the next day.
If that won’t work for some reason, I think you’re good to leave the yeast overnight. I’ve done that before with fine results. I always try to leave maybe an inch or so of beer on top of it…obviously dump that before you use the yeast.
I would recommend only using 1/2 the cake at most.
I’d just wait to bottle until brew day. You could chill as you bottle, that way once you’re done you just dump the cooled wort right on the cake. We are talking about an ale yeast right? Which one? How deep is the cake and what was the OG of what it was used for?
I did this last week, in one session but in a different order.
- Brew & chill wort.
- Rack to bottling bucket. I would prepare priming solution right before this step, not earlier.
- Poured wort onto yeast cake (I did all of it.)
- Bottle
My LBS guy suggested that because the yeast will stay healthier with less exposure.
Make sure the priming solution is mixed well with the new beer. I had made the solution early, and it had cooled and some settled to the bottom.
You really should use Mr. Malty for proper pitch rates…however i’ve racked off to bottle and left a yeast cake sit overnight plenty of times. Just leave a tiny bit of beer on top and seal your carboy/bucket back up. Depending on OG of the new brew, i’d only use about a cup to cup & 1/2 of the old slurry. I’ve done this into many beers in the 1.070+ range with fine results.
