Guide to Making a Frozen Yeast Bank - Page 8

Ryan_PA · 12-21-2007, 06:47 PM

So the glycerine does not prevent freezing the liquid, rather it protects the cell walls from damage, correct?

FlyGuy · 12-22-2007, 03:24 AM

Correct. It helps prevent the crystallization of water within the cell walls of the yeast.

DRAGGER · 01-02-2008, 04:36 AM

You can get the vials at the link below they have all type of bottle and vials.....

http://www.specialtybottle.com/

D

**conpewter** · 01-16-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bellybuster

Not that Flyguys write up isn't good enough, it's excellent.
CD Pritchard put out another great article on freezing yeast. This is how I got started and the kit linked to on that site is a great cheap way to get started without layin out much cash.

http://home.chattanooga.net/~cdp/freezyea/freezyea.htm#Sources-maybe

An update to this. I went to the linked site and found the country wines link to buy a pre-made yeast bank but could not find the item on their online catalog. I emailed them and got the following response:

Quote:

Hi Dave,

Country Wines was bought by South Hills Brewing Supply in September. We are in the process of straightening things out. Yes we have Yeast Bank, but it just hasn't made it's way onto the website yet. I hope to do it this afternoon.

Sincerely,
Jon Benedict, Owner
South Hills Brewing Supply
Country Wines

scottfro · 01-18-2008, 05:33 PM

so are you just pitching the entire vial including the glycerin or is it possible to just swirl a sterile loop in the vial and transfer that to a small container to start growth?

FlyGuy · 01-18-2008, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottfro

so are you just pitching the entire vial including the glycerin or is it possible to just swirl a sterile loop in the vial and transfer that to a small container to start growth?

I pitch the whole vial. You could just grab a smaller amount, but then you would have to refreeze the remainder and that would hurt the yeast.

scottfro · 01-18-2008, 07:01 PM

yeah i'm curious how much it would hurt them to refreeze. maybe i'll give it a test run sometime. would be nice to be able to have just a few vials of each strain and be able to dip into each one 2 or 3 times before tossing the remainder.

i have yet to save yeast this way, up till now i've just done slants in the fridge. so that will be the first step, then some experimenting can happen

Finn · 02-08-2008, 05:32 AM

Wow. This is great info. But I'm wondering -- is it possible to chemically sterilize? For instance, could a feller drop a bunch of salvaged White Labs vials into a strong bleach solution for 20 minutes and then rinse them by dropping them into a pan of boiling water?

FlyGuy · 02-08-2008, 05:33 AM

Yes, you don't NEED to autoclave/pressure-cook. It is just a precaution. Thorough cleaning and proper use of a good sanitizer is probably just fine. But I would be tempted to use something like Star San that is rinseless.

knowltonm · 02-10-2008, 04:57 PM

Great write-up on this, flyguy, you made me want to try it out! Do you know how long the yeast will stay viable if properly stored? We don't brew nearly as much as I would like and I'm afraid the hard work would be wasted by not being able to use it in time.