Yeast banking

[Adel M]

Hello Everyone

I wish i could explain the situation I'm going throw.
i have few packs of Dry yeast like MANGROVE JACK’S
M41
M44
each packs 10gr
so i would like to make a 2-3 step starter from each and then divided just the yeast ( not the whole starter) in few 25ml tubes and keep them in the freezer so i can make again a starter for pitching.
so i was wondering is it a good idea or not ? cause i may make a starer from 2gr each time and not just the whole package but i think this way the chance of contamination of remain dry yeast is less!
another thing is i would be one step ahead by doing the whole pack sarter thing.
another thing is :
if i use 2 liter starter with 10gr dry yeast how ml of good stuff will settle down after cold crush?

thank you so much

 

[Donoroto]

Hello Everyone

I wish i could explain the situation I'm going throw.
i have few packs of Dry yeast like MANGROVE JACK’S
M41
M44
each packs 10gr
so i would like to make a 2-3 step starter from each and then divided just the yeast ( not the whole starter) in few 25ml tubes and keep them in the freezer so i can make again a starter for pitching.
so i was wondering is it a good idea or not ? cause i may make a starer from 2gr each time and not just the whole package but i think this way the chance of contamination of remain dry yeast is less!
another thing is i would be one step ahead by doing the whole pack sarter thing.
another thing is :
if i use 2 liter starter with 10gr dry yeast how ml of good stuff will settle down after cold crush?

thank you so much

Freezing yeast kills it, so do not do that.

In general, it is a good idea, but many would think it not worth the effort for a $5 pack of yeast. @Trialben re-uses his yeast often, but I tend to just buy a new pack each time. That being said, I do use the stir plate every so often. In my latest batch, I suspect the yeast was a source of some infection. Whether it spoiled the beer or not remains to be seen.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Hello Everyone

I wish i could explain the situation I'm going throw.
i have few packs of Dry yeast like MANGROVE JACK’S
M41
M44
each packs 10gr
so i would like to make a 2-3 step starter from each and then divided just the yeast ( not the whole starter) in few 25ml tubes and keep them in the freezer so i can make again a starter for pitching.
so i was wondering is it a good idea or not ? cause i may make a starer from 2gr each time and not just the whole package but i think this way the chance of contamination of remain dry yeast is less!
another thing is i would be one step ahead by doing the whole pack sarter thing.
another thing is :
if i use 2 liter starter with 10gr dry yeast how ml of good stuff will settle down after cold crush?

thank you so much

I'm sure @Ozarks Mountain Brew did this year's ago?

I think you need to put gliserine or something with the yeast to stop the cells rupturing when you freeze them.

@HighVoltageMan! Also found so info on a "Chemical "¿? Which provided some better long term storage of yeast in the refrigerator - I think up to 6 months from memory.

Me personally I just propagate my yeast batch to batch in a erlenmeyer flask and keep some yeast in a jar in the fridge.

 

[Josh Hughes]

Wasting the nutrients and really the purpose f dry yeast by doing that.

 

[Minbari]

unless you are trying to make a yeast mix, not sure the point of this. dry yeast will keep a LONG time in the fridge.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Look into over-building a starter. Brulosophy has a couple articles on it.
So yeah...don't freeze yeast, look into dosing with nutrients and oxygen when building starters.
You too can be a yeast wrangler! Yippy Kai Yay! Git along little Saccharomyces!

 

[Mark Farrall]

I wouldn't do freezing with dry yeast. It's probably cheaper to buy more than build up via starters and then freeze. Certainly if you factor in the effort involved.

I would do it for liquid yeast or some unique blend though. You need to add something, like glycerine, to your yeast to allow it to survive being frozen. And you need a consistently low temperature to avoid the yeast thawing and refreezing as that kills a few each time.

This video has info on freezing about 2/3 way in

.

 

[Brewer #405103]

I very much support your idea. However, it should be noted that dry yeast will keep for a long time in the refrigerator. free games

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

Hello Everyone
if i use 2 liter starter with 10gr dry yeast how ml of good stuff will settle down after cold crush?

First, I wouldn't bother banking dry yeast as the other replies note. If you have a supply problem, I'd just crop or save yeast from a batch in the fridge.

With starters and with saving cakes, I crash until the beer on top clears as much as possible. This will compact and drop out most of the yeast at the bottom of the flask/jar. I then decant until there is an equal volume of beer left above the yeast. Thus achieving approximately a 50:50 beer:yeast slurry. I mix this throughly via swirling, transfer to a jar and store in the fridge. Depending on the strain, I will then build a starter before brewing. (some yeasts like WY3944, WLP300 and most Kviek don't need it, or even like it.)

As for knowing how much yeast you'll have, the Stater Calculator on Brewers Friend can estimate it for you.

A final note - you can build a starter with as little as a single cell. (which you can't even see—even one grain of dry yeast is many, many, cells) The strongest starter is to start with a smidge of yeast and 50ml of wort. When that is done, multiply that wort by 5 and repeat. (thus 250ml the second build) Do it at least once more at 1.25L. Go a third round or more if doing a big pitch or Lager as needed. (you'd need small flasks to pull off the smaller step 1 size)

 

[Brewer #405760]

Look into over-building a starter. Brulosophy has a couple articles on it.
So yeah...don't freeze yeast, look into dosing with nutrients and oxygen when building starters.
You too can be a yeast wrangler! Yippy Kai Yay! Git along little Saccharomyces!

you are right!

 

[Mont Y. Märzen]

I'm sure @Ozarks Mountain Brew did this year's ago?

I think you need to put gliserine or something with the yeast to stop the cells rupturing when you freeze them.

@HighVoltageMan! Also found so info on a "Chemical "¿? Which provided some better long term storage of yeast in the refrigerator - I think up to 6 months from memory.

Me personally I just propagate my yeast batch to batch in a erlenmeyer flask and keep some yeast in a jar in the fridge.

The Brülosophy Show just covered this last week:

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

I'm sure @Ozarks Mountain Brew did this year's ago?

I think you need to put gliserine or something with the yeast to stop the cells rupturing when you freeze them.

@HighVoltageMan! Also found so info on a "Chemical "¿? Which provided some better long term storage of yeast in the refrigerator - I think up to 6 months from memory.

Me personally I just propagate my yeast batch to batch in a erlenmeyer flask and keep some yeast in a jar in the fridge.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2050-0416.1955.tb06256.x

This is the paper that talks about preserving yeast with potassium dihydrogen phosphate (kh2po4). It works well and yeast is preserved for 4-6 months or longer.