I like the safale us-05 taste and the notty works good too. I am trying to get my costs down and it seems the yeast it the biggest factor. I am not sure I am ready to harvest yeast yet but thought buying in bulk would be better. Have not found anyplace that does yeast by the bulk yet. Any suggestions?
trying to save cash
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I wouldn't even know where to start... ... ...
Yeast is the biggest factor?? Really? US-05 is like 4-5$! Liquids are 10-11$ but you have so much more variety... Harvesting is so easy... If you brew the same beer, you could just throw the whole sediments (yeast+trub) and it wouldn't even be that bad... You can AT LEAST do it once then it's half the price...
Buy in bulk??? How often do you brew? Every day? You do know yeast go bad eventually right?
Yeast is the biggest factor?? Really? US-05 is like 4-5$! Liquids are 10-11$ but you have so much more variety... Harvesting is so easy... If you brew the same beer, you could just throw the whole sediments (yeast+trub) and it wouldn't even be that bad... You can AT LEAST do it once then it's half the price...
Buy in bulk??? How often do you brew? Every day? You do know yeast go bad eventually right?
Even if a vendor would give a quantity discount on yeast, harvested yeast is free. It doesn't get any cheaper than that!
CityOChampBrew
Well-Known Member
try coopers that stuff is dirt cheap
don't take that advice!
Varmintman
Well-Known Member
Come on now I like Coopers. Low fermentation and it is clean, warmer and you get some English bitter flavor. Good yeast all around
bja
Well-Known Member
Don't take this advice ^^^. There's nothing wrong with Coopers yeast. I've used it many times and was quite happy with it.
There is nothing difficult or expensive about harvesting yeast from a previous batch. You can follow the instructions for "rinsing yeast", "yeast ranching", or "washing yeast" and collect the best of the previous batches cells for further batches.
You can use the same yeast for several batches before you start running the risk of selectively modifying its characteristics. So instead of spending $4-5 for each batch, you spend $4-5 for like 4-5 batches! And the number of times you can do this depends on the yeast strain, your rinsing process, and how you personally think the beer tastes over time.
If you split the yeast up into several small samples and store properly you can even avoid having to replace your entire stock of yeast by simply building successive starters from your slants. This takes more time and more work, but it could theoretically be years before you bought yeast again.
With all of this, sanitation, and sometimes sterilization, is key.
You can use the same yeast for several batches before you start running the risk of selectively modifying its characteristics. So instead of spending $4-5 for each batch, you spend $4-5 for like 4-5 batches! And the number of times you can do this depends on the yeast strain, your rinsing process, and how you personally think the beer tastes over time.
If you split the yeast up into several small samples and store properly you can even avoid having to replace your entire stock of yeast by simply building successive starters from your slants. This takes more time and more work, but it could theoretically be years before you bought yeast again.
With all of this, sanitation, and sometimes sterilization, is key.
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
Anybody know what the shelf life is for a properly stored packet of dry yeast?
I dislike the cooper's ale yeast- it's very "woody" tasting to me and I can't recommend it.
Reusing yeast is as easy and simple as it gets. I get a lot of batches out of a $3 package of yeast.
Varmintman
Well-Known Member
Hehe I just have a better palate than you
Or like my wife would say since I am a blockhead I would like a woody taste
atreid said:
Know what's more expensive then buying yeast in single serving sizes? Contaminating a whole batch with bad yeast and making the beer over again.
Be careful with this advice - it completely depends on how good your sanitation practices are. Lots of people do it with success. However, a small contamination in the first batch can easily grow in fresh wort.
Additionally, you run the risk of grossly over pitching (read: beers that lack character for the style). You'd need to guess how many yeast cells were there and weigh out the proper amount.
If you are following sterile practices (sanitization != sterilization) washing and saving yeast is a great idea. Another option is to make friends with your local brew pub/brewery owner and see if you can get a pitch of yeast from them once in a while. It's free (beer consumption non withstanding) and you can probably get a few batches out of it if you brew quickly.
Like I said: IF he brews the same beer... It shouldn't be overpitched if he brews the same recipe and the same volume.
Plus about sanitation, obviously doing the barbaric trub+yeast repitch implies less manipulations and less risks of contamination. After all, yeast washing also has the disadvantage of possible cross contamination from batch to batch... Of course, there could be trouble with off flavors and everything and that's why I recommend doing it only once...
My whole first response was based on the 2 following premises:
- The guy is as cheap as Mr. Burns
- The guy is as lazy as Homer Simpsons
Plus about sanitation, obviously doing the barbaric trub+yeast repitch implies less manipulations and less risks of contamination. After all, yeast washing also has the disadvantage of possible cross contamination from batch to batch... Of course, there could be trouble with off flavors and everything and that's why I recommend doing it only once...
My whole first response was based on the 2 following premises:
- The guy is as cheap as Mr. Burns
- The guy is as lazy as Homer Simpsons
Dude - LMFAO
. Sorry I was a little harsh ... I had a boss who used to use triple question marks for emphasis. It still drives me nuts.I think I was overly annoyed by the OP, maybe I was tired or something... ;-) (combinations of laziness, cheapness and cluelessness tend to do that to me) (omg there I go again...!) B-)
Your comment made me come up with those smart ass comparaisons about the Simpsons so it's all good..
Your comment made me come up with those smart ass comparaisons about the Simpsons so it's all good..
highgravitybacon
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You can buy 500g blocks of the Safale products. You'll get 43 11.5 gram packages out of it for an average cost of $2.50 per 11.5 grams. But figure the risk involved in storing a block of yeast. It's not like some smelly cheese you can just set and forget. Then there's the whole parceling it out thing. And in the end you save may a buck per 5-6 gallon batch. And if you're really short a dollar and it makes or breaks you, then I'd just drink water.
Reusing a yeast cake that has been washed isn't free exactly, as it works out to basically the same cost and just going with a dry pack of yeast and tossing it. Now if you use it 3-4 times you're getting into the profit zone. But most home brewers have pretty ho hum sanitation, me included, so you run an increasing risk of a contaminated batch which will totally kill any savings you once had. But it's done all the time without ill effect. Just a risk to consider.
If you do slants, or liquid slurries, there's some cost and time and hassle with making and storing the cultures. Plus the cost of DME for a starter.
Unless it's a rare, limited release, or one off yeast, I don't know that it's quite worth the trouble. If you brew the same beer all the time, or in a rebrew a beer using the same yeast in a reasonable time (maybe 2 weeks or less) then it might work.
But if you enjoy playing Yeast Papa and nurturing your army of yeast minions, that's got some entertainment value. At least I think so.
Reusing a yeast cake that has been washed isn't free exactly, as it works out to basically the same cost and just going with a dry pack of yeast and tossing it. Now if you use it 3-4 times you're getting into the profit zone. But most home brewers have pretty ho hum sanitation, me included, so you run an increasing risk of a contaminated batch which will totally kill any savings you once had. But it's done all the time without ill effect. Just a risk to consider.
If you do slants, or liquid slurries, there's some cost and time and hassle with making and storing the cultures. Plus the cost of DME for a starter.
Unless it's a rare, limited release, or one off yeast, I don't know that it's quite worth the trouble. If you brew the same beer all the time, or in a rebrew a beer using the same yeast in a reasonable time (maybe 2 weeks or less) then it might work.
But if you enjoy playing Yeast Papa and nurturing your army of yeast minions, that's got some entertainment value. At least I think so.
I think I was overly annoyed by the OP, maybe I was tired or something... ;-) (combinations of laziness, cheapness and cluelessness tend to do that to me) (omg there I go again...!) B-)
Your comment made me come up with those smart ass comparaisons about the Simpsons so it's all good..
So you are calling me lazy and cheap? You know nothing about me so keep your off topic comments to yourself. I never said I brew the same beer over and over.
Thanks to the others for their helpful comments.
I had a friend of mine, who now brews on a large local scale in Switzerland, say this about yeast re-usage, "I would not sacrifice one of my batches just because I used bad yeast." Then again, he's brewing in 300 gallon batches. So bad yeast would mean A LOT of lost product. Either way, if you want to ensure that you have good yeast, buy liquid and use a starter. If you feel comfortable that your sanitation techniques are great, wash your own yeast. I've gone to re use a batch of yeast only to find out it was contaminated. I smelled horrible and looked incredibly dark. I almost just pitched it in my cooled wort...I'm back to buying yeast again.
Don't be so melodramatic...
You want to buy 4$ yeast packs in bulk dude come on you have to admit that was a bit of a ridiculous idea don't you think?
You want to buy 4$ yeast packs in bulk dude come on you have to admit that was a bit of a ridiculous idea don't you think?
So many times I am late to a thread. I start reading, then I start thinking, "hey, I have a suggestion...". I read on and see many informing responses and pick up some great tips. I'm about to add my 2 cents, then someone, usually in jest, pokes at the OP and the OP comes back with a snarky comeback. Then I put my 2 cents back in my pocket.
To the OP,
Please don't let my prior post dissuade you from post additional posts. If I stopped posting the first time some fat gut in a rat suit called me out, then I'd have less than a dozen posts.
LRB
Please don't let my prior post dissuade you from post additional posts. If I stopped posting the first time some fat gut in a rat suit called me out, then I'd have less than a dozen posts.
LRB
Haha sorry dude I was doing laundry and I was left with only my rat suit to wear....
