Let's say I have a White Labs vial that is nearing or just past the "Best By" date. If I know I'm not going to be able to use it for a while, can I add glycerin to the vial and freeze it or would I be better off making a starter and then using that use to fill several smaller vials for freezing?
I'd say make a starter for it and then split it. Mainly just to check that it's still viable. And also you'd end up with up to about 10 times the amount of yeast after stepping up the frozen vials.
I'd say make a starter for it and then split it. Mainly just to check that it's still viable. And also you'd end up with up to about 10 times the amount of yeast after stepping up the frozen vials.
also they would be new yeast cells with a new expiration date.
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primary- Tangerine Dream, SWMBO slayer,
serving- amber ale hop experiment #6, Roggenbier, apfelwine
planning- Cru?
conditioning- 9/9/09 barleywine
Drink water?... Never, fish fornicate in it.--- W.C. Fields
Most problems can be solved with the proper application of force.
ok, i'm about to do this. quick question. i'm going to be sanitizing my plastic vials in starsan, not boiling them or anything. is the glycerin already sanitary? or should i pour out a mixture of the glycerin, and water, and boil them together before i add them to the vials, or just boil plain water, then add the unboiled glycerin, or what?
thanks.
brian
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I'm gonna leave them in the fridge a few days then put them in the freezer. A few weeks from now I'm going to make a starter with one of them to make sure everything is working correctly. If all goes well my days of buying yeast are soon to be over.
Why isn't this a sticky? Would make it much easier to find.
I think boiling the glycerin/water mixture is a good idea. The boiling point of glycerin is over 500 degrees so it shouldn't boil off or change properties. I'll do that with my next harvest (London ale yeast). I also have some irish ale yeast that needs to be recultured as it is about 9 months old. I don't have a recipe for it so I suppose I'll just make a starter to re-culture.
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Primary: Nothin Secondary: Shady Lord RIS, Water to Barleywine, Pumpkin wine, burnt mead Kegged: Crappy infected mild Bottles: Apfelwein, 999 Barleywine, Oatmeal Stout, Robust Porter, Robust smoked porter, Simcoe Smash
The problem with this hobby, is that there is too much thinking involved to work up even a good buzz. You just can't wash or freeze yeast if your $hi* faced...
I know there is a way to enjoy both aspects of this hobby, but NOT until you quit doing/trying/making/learning/tinkering/experimenting/reading new things. At some point you just have to stop logging in to HBT. You kid yourself into saying you're just going to answer some poor noob's questions. But you're not fooling anyone. (by the way, I'm certainly not referring to myself here...) Of course, we all know that it's absolutely NOT about saving money or time.
When I started this hobby, I expected to see three toothed inbreds living in outhouses. What I ultimately found though is an amazing hodgepodge of highly motivated scientists, mechanical/computer/chemical engineers, chemists, professors and all around great guys.
If I wasn't so damn busy trying to build a wort chiller and stir plate, modify my freezer thermostat, wash & freeze some yeast all while trying to keep my wife from divorcing me.... I'd raise my glass to you all.
I've realized that this is a lifestyle, not a hobby and I LOVE every part of it, it's just that I've had 4 mondays this week and just need to RDWAHACHB (RDWAH a case of HB).
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Primaries: Wit Power, Alaina Rose Ale
Secondaries: nada
Bottled: EdWort's Apfelwein, First cider, MAOM, Celebration clone, Papa Neuner's Porter, PoopChute Porter, Morning wood, Morning Wood Ale, Ryep Victim Ale
Kegged/On Tap: Meat and 2 Veg ale
Planned: Allagash white clone, Alaina Rose Ale, 60 min. clone
For vials on the cheap, go to your local wal-mart or other photo processing store and ask for 35mm film canisters (usually the little black jars, gray lids). They seem to be somewhere around 40 ML, I sanitize them in star-san for a while (I actually keep them full of star-san when not in use).
I've got a bit of concern over using used film canisters. Film has some nasty heavy metals that I've no idea or confidence star-san will totally get out. You could be risking contamination at best and poison at worst. Why risk it.
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