growing yeast

[oliver]

I got a vial from the White Labs vault, and I'd like to cultivate it. I THINK I have an understanding of what to do, but I want to make sure I'm 100% so I don't have to learn the hard way.

1. boil and sterilize a mason jar, let it cool.
2. Sterilize a pot, dissolve DME to about 1.030, and boil for about 5-10 min, let it cool down.
3. pitch some yeast from vial into the DME solution, and let it chew for about an hour?
4. Once I notice separation of trub and yeast, carefully pour out the liquidy yeasty part into a new sterile jar.
5. label, put in freezer.

then when I need it, just defrost and pitch another starter on it?

Any specifics or steps that anyone can clue me in on?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Number 3 needs more than an hour more like over night without a stirplate

 

[dankbrewing@gmail.com]

Well, here is my yeast ranching process, if that helps. To make wort (although a little extra from your last batch is the easiest and cheapest option):
100g of light DME per 1 liter of water, easiest to place in a large borosilicate flask. I usually make about 2 liters and add 1/2 tsp of yeast nutrient, boil on stove right in the flask with the stir bar already in it for 7-8 minutes (try not to boil over, your wife will not like that) and then cool outside, covered with foil, overnight. You can refrigerate that prepared starter solution until you need it.

To make your starter: 24 hours before brew day, take your wort in the flask from the fridge, add your liquid yeast starter (from a new pack or from your set aside yeast) and place on a stir plate. Spin until you need it for your cooled wort in your fermenter the next day. When ready to pitch, take the flask off the stir plate, pour about 800cc into a sanitized mason jar and the rest into your fermenter. Use a magnet to hold the stir bar in the flask when pouring all the yeasties into your fermenter. The mason jar goes into the fridge or keezer, labeled with the type of yeast until you need to make another starter from it.

Options: If you didn't plan far enough ahead to have the 24 hours to grow a new batch of yeast, just take your prepared starter, put the yeast strain you want in it and leave on stir plate for 4 hours or so, then pitch the whole batch into the fermenter. You won't get the extra to place back into the fridge, but they yeast will be active and vital and ready to go for your beer. This will mean you have to re-purchase a new starter batch to propagate, but not the end of the world.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I've just been saving slurry lately with great success not the best option in case of infection but it works a treat.

I've been using your method pretty much Maddog in the past for many yeast generations.

 

[oliver]

I did it!

watched a few videos, really thought out my process beforehand, and got 4 pints of yeasty liquid out of my London Fog IPA brew. just need to do a starter for next brew, and I've got IPA yeast for a while now.