Grewing Yeast from the last drops left in a vial

I've been told that all yeast needs is 2 molecules to reproduce..not sure if its true. So I have 3 used vials of White labs yeast in the fridge all of them have a small ammount of yeast left over. Its the small ammount that settles after pitching probably just a few drops worth of yeast. I'm wondering if its possible to make a starter and pour some liquid from the starter into the vail shake it up and pour it back into the main starter and if in a week or so I would have the same potent ammount of yeast as a new vial would? Has anyone tried to grow yeast like that or is it not that simple?

Theoretically you could probably do that but you'd have to step it up several times and it could take a while.

Your best bet would be to wash the yeast after the beer is done fermenting and you'll end up with multiple samples. If you search the forum for yeast washing plenty of threads should pop up.

oh, thats what yeast washing means. I thought it was odd people washing yeast, now it makes sense thanks DrinkNoH2o

No problem.

BTW, the best thread is actually stickied at the top:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

tenchu_11 said:

I've been told that all yeast needs is 2 molecules to reproduce..not sure if its true. So I have 3 used vials of White labs yeast in the fridge all of them have a small ammount of yeast left over. Its the small ammount that settles after pitching probably just a few drops worth of yeast. I'm wondering if its possible to make a starter and pour some liquid from the starter into the vail shake it up and pour it back into the main starter and if in a week or so I would have the same potent ammount of yeast as a new vial would? Has anyone tried to grow yeast like that or is it not that simple?

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I'm interested in your results. (not in yeast washing, but in stepping up the tiny little bit of yeast you have). Will you give it a try and let us know?

I've done that, using the residual yeast in the vial. I just fill it with wort, let it go for a day or 2, then either pitch into a bigger starter, or cap and put back in the fridge for later.

well i'm wondering if i put it into 1L starter with O.G of whatever brew i want and let it go for 48hours and repeat the process maybe until its been pitched into two or three starters. To make it that much more potent and brake it up and pour it into vails and refridgerate for later use.Or pitch it directly to a wort if either will work. Wondering if it will work.

spriolo said:

I'm interested in your results. (not in yeast washing, but in stepping up the tiny little bit of yeast you have). Will you give it a try and let us know?

Click to expand...

This is the same thing we do when using slants. Basically starting with a drop of yeast and stepping it up to a pitchable rate.

I actually just did this with a white labs vial. Started the starter last Wednesday. I left a tiny amount in the vial....maybe the amount you could get from one Belgian bottle. I poured some of wort I had just made for the starter into the vial, closed tightly and shook. Then I loosened the cap until I heard air escape and left it at that tightness. I repeated the tightening, shaking and untightening whenever I walked past. And I also added more wort whenever I stepped up the starter. There was about a half inch to inch of yeast in the bottom of the vial after a few days.

I assume there wouldn't have been much difference than just filling it up with the starter, but I was interested in seeing how little yeast I could get away with as I'll probably try it with a Belgian bottle at some point.

maybe a half gallon starter after 4 days or so might actually be pitch able..if not the time and money using DME might not be worth it. Might be cheaper to buy a new Vial of white labs. Incase i sound like a retard how much DME would a 2L starter use and how much would that be worth? The money would be the only detterant

Most DME is about 45 "points per pound per gallon". No? So if you were aiming to have have 1/2 gallon starter at 45 points (that's SG of 1.045) you'd use about 1/2 of a pound of DME (i'd use less and shoot for about 1.030).

From what I saw in the Northern Brewer catalog DME is about $5 per pound.

The math says it would be about $2.50 for a 1/2 GAL starter.

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By the way, the Northern Brewer catalog has White Labs California Ale yeast at $7.00 AND you have to use a starter anyway (tack on the $2.50 in DME). So your first pitch with a new bottle would be around $9.50 (not including shipping... LOL)

Keep it Simple.