Advantages of Rinsing Yeast with Water

If I siphon enough beer out of the fermenter along with the yeast cake (1L or so), is there any advantage to adding in water to “rinse” the yeast? I’m thinking that if I have enough beer, I can use it to do the separation of bad yeast/trub and avoid having to add water.

But I’m also thinking that maybe the water is needed to do the “rinsing”… maybe to get rid of crap coating the yeast cells.

It defiantly is not needed. It may be of some use to reduce the flavor and color carried over.

I do not add water - just leave a little beer, swirl well, let sit for about 20 min. I then fill qt mason jars, decant the beer before using the yeast. Several batches this way, so far no problem.

Looks like everyone so far agrees with my view on it…it’s just not necessary.
Plenty others I’m sure will weigh in with a differing opinion.

However, after trying it both ways (rinsing the yeast with distilled water or leaving it on some of its own beer until the next use), I’ve found the rinse contributes nothing to the longevity or viability…and I’ve taken my yeasts through more than a dozen repitches.

Do it if it makes you feel better. But it isn’t a necessity.

[quote=“The Professor”]Looks like everyone so far agrees with my view on it…it’s just not necessary.
Plenty others I’m sure will weigh in with a differing opinion.

However, after trying it both ways (rinsing the yeast with distilled water or leaving it on some of its own beer until the next use), I’ve found the rinse contributes nothing to the longevity or viability…and I’ve taken my yeasts through more than a dozen repitches.

Do it if it makes you feel better. But it isn’t a necessity.[/quote]

I agree with all of this…and I love the sig line, Al!