anyone have a source for bulk US-05?

I would like to get the price down to at least $2.00 a pack including shipping. A seller on Ebay offers it for 2.50, I was just wondering if I could get it lower buying a dozen packs or so

Have you looked into yeast washing? If you're re-using yeast, you are effectively greatly lowering your yeast cost.

I had a place locally where untill about a month ago I was buying 05 for $2 a pack, now they doubled it.....

bottlebomber said:

I would like to get the price down to at least $2.00 a pack including shipping. A seller on Ebay offers it for 2.50, I was just wondering if I could get it lower buying a dozen packs or so

Click to expand...

I would really start yeast washing...you could take one yeast packet, and thru the process of washing and reusing could get over 20 brews.
Great video on how to do it:
http://billybrew.com/yeast-washing
After you do this a few times and get a better understanding of yeast washing, this will be a great reference for you:
http://www.wyeastlab.com/com-yeast-harvest.cfm

I do want to get into yeast washing, and plan to give it a shot for the first time when the two carboys im using now are empty. Is it possible/practical to divide the washed yeast into "doses" using baby foor jars or something, or would you just salvage a whole jar and use it as needed?

NickN72 said:

I had a place locally where untill about a month ago I was buying 05 for $2 a pack, now they doubled it.....

Click to expand...

Bummer..

The only ways to push the costs down are by yeast washing or by buying the yeast in a 500g bulk pack and re-packaging it under sterile lab conditions into individual vacuum-sealed or inert-gas filled satchels. Considering that doing that is a pain and most people don't have access to sterile equipment to do that, you're probably stuck with buying it a la carte.

Nottingham and Coopers yeasts are much cheaper, but the quality is also a bit more questionable.

bottlebomber said:

I do want to get into yeast washing, and plan to give it a shot for the first time when the two carboys im using now are empty. Is it possible/practical to divide the washed yeast into "doses" using baby foor jars or something, or would you just salvage a whole jar and use it as needed?

Click to expand...

When you pitch the accurate amount of yeast and then wash it, you should have enough yeast for 2 batches...the reason being that yeast multiply. In the video, the guy divided it in to four small jars...in which he would probably need two of those for a 5 gallon batch. So to answer your question, Yes you could divide it in to any size container you choose to, just make sure you pitch the right amount in to your next beer....I would recommend using http://www.mrmalty.com/ to determine how much yeast you should pitch every time you brew (even is you use dry yeast).

Yeah, between making starters and reusing the yeast you can make plenty of beer. If money is the issue this the way to go. If time is the issue, buy the yeast.

Mikethepoolguy said:

Yeah, between making starters and reusing the yeast you can make plenty of beer. If money is the issue this the way to go. If time is the issue, buy the yeast.

Click to expand...

The issue isn't really time or money, but convenience. I just want to be able to have an ample supply of long lasting yeast for those occasion where you need a lot, I.e. a huge barleywine. Although filling the cheese drawer with $7 white labs vials isn't really an option either

SD-SLIM said:

When you pitch the accurate amount of yeast and then wash it, you should have enough yeast for 2 batches...the reason being that yeast multiply. In the video, the guy divided it in to four small jars...in which he would probably need two of those for a 5 gallon batch. So to answer your question, Yes you could divide it in to any size container you choose to, just make sure you pitch the right amount in to your next beer....I would recommend using http://www.mrmalty.com/ to determine how much yeast you should pitch every time you brew (even is you use dry yeast).

Click to expand...

It seems like you'll get a lot more than 2 batches worth... I just did a hefe and pitched a one liter starter, and its basically done and there's an inch of yeast in the bottom of the carboy. Only an ounce of hops and its an extract brew so I know it isn't trub. That should be many vials worth, right?

I have to buy more than 50 packs to get a 15c savings that's buying wholesale

like everyone else has said, I have a large stockpile of US-05, as well as other yeast strands, from yeast washing. I would go that route.

A little bit of yeast will go a long way. Those little buggers multiply like rabbits, or better yet, they multiply like yeast. Just make a starter before you pitch so you have the correct amount of yeast.

bottlebomber said:

It seems like you'll get a lot more than 2 batches worth... I just did a hefe and pitched a one liter starter, and its basically done and there's an inch of yeast in the bottom of the carboy. Only an ounce of hops and its an extract brew so I know it isn't trub. That should be many vials worth, right?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't estimate your yeast cell count by the size of your trub...your trub will contain your hops (which increase in mass as they absorb water in the wort), as well as various other ingredients and fats that come out during the process.
In regards to you Hefeweizen...if you use Mr Maltys Pitch rate calculator, you should have started with a 1.35 liter starter, which would give you 168 billion cells....they cells would now be called mother cells, as they ferment they will create daughter cells at a rate of 2 for 1 which should give you 336 billion cells...which is enough for two batches, if pitched directly in to wort...or you could create another starter and step it up which would turn this in to four batches.
I hope I explained this clearly and accurately, if anyone wants to jump in please do.

I wash yeast using the instructions that are a sticky at the top of the Yeast & Fermentation section. I love his method, if only because I already had all the materials- he uses canning jars. There's also the fact that with yeast washing, there's none of the pricey +/or specialized equipment like Erlenmeyer flasks, stir plates, etc.

I follow his directions and end up with three pint canning jars of yeast. There is quite a bit of yeast in one jar. I use one jar for beers 1.050 and below, and two jars above that. Pitch two, and the fermentation takes off in 3-4 hours, tops.

And, as has been stated in this thread, the economics are clear. Take your $6 Wyeast Activator and step on it 10 times (around the minimum recommended number...it varies, depending on who you read), and your yeast cost just dropped to sixty cents a batch.

SD-SLIM said:

I wouldn't estimate your yeast cell count by the size of your trub...your trub will contain your hops (which increase in mass as they absorb water in the wort), as well as various other ingredients and fats that come out during the process.
In regards to you Hefeweizen...if you use Mr Maltys Pitch rate calculator, you should have started with a 1.35 liter starter, which would give you 168 billion cells....they cells would now be called mother cells, as they ferment they will create daughter cells at a rate of 2 for 1 which should give you 336 billion cells...which is enough for two batches, if pitched directly in to wort...or you could create another starter and step it up which would turn this in to four batches.
I hope I explained this clearly and accurately, if anyone wants to jump in please do.

Click to expand...

How do you figure that the cells will only divide once during the whole fermentation process? Basically if you added 200 billion cells into a 5 gallon starter (pretty much what you are doing) shouldn't you end with a lot more than twice what you started with?

bottlebomber said:

How do you figure that the cells will only divide once during the whole fermentation process? Basically if you added 200 billion cells into a 5 gallon starter (pretty much what you are doing) shouldn't you end with a lot more than twice what you started with?

Click to expand...

The cells could continue to divide more and more or they could not divide as much...factors that would determine more cell growth would be: how old is the strain, how good was your sanitation, did you store your yeast properly, did you get enough oxygen in the wort, etc...so if you accurately wanted to determine how many cells you have (short of using a microscope) you could estimate there are about 4.5 billion yeast cells in 1 milliliter of yeast solids (solids with no excess liquid) or that 25% of your slury is viable yeast solids.

SD-SLIM said:

The cells could continue to divide more and more or they could not divide as much...factors that would determine more cell growth would be: how old is the strain, how good was your sanitation, did you store your yeast properly, did you get enough oxygen in the wort, etc...so if you accurately wanted to determine how many cells you have (short of using a microscope) you could estimate there are about 4.5 billion yeast cells in 1 milliliter of yeast solids (solids with no excess liquid) or that 25% of your slury is viable yeast solids.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks... that sounds like a good rule of thumb

If you have a local small brewery, try and ask them to get some yeast for you. I buy mine for $50 for 500g. Makes it about 86 cents a batch.