The Yeast Propagation Experimentation Files

I've been a tad dormant in my home-brewing efforts since my last go round (13 Homebrew Labor Day Weekend Extravaganza). With a new location to set up my rig - and some new interested parties looking to join in the fun - we've worked up a good project.

We're making SMaSH brews essentially of a bunch of varieties for the sake of notating and commentating on the subtle differences of Malts, Hops, and Yeasts. Awesome.

I've always been interested in learning more about yeasts - but I didn't have the time or biology degree to get dirty into it. I usually shake, unscrew, and pour. I've done some basic reading, but I'd like to ask the community who knows it all...

We're targeting 1-Gallon batches for experimentation. I've been playing with MrMalty's Calculator for required cells,#of vials/packs, etc. Since we're focusing on 3 specific yeasts at first, I think it's time to pick up a vial or two of each, and propagate them to get enough to utilize across 10 individual 1 Gallon batches or so.

I've created the perfect scenario to force myself to learn more about yeast.

Any ideal recommendations for turning 1 vial of yeast into 30 vials of yeast?

Any ideal tools or methods for doing such a seemingly daunting task?

I'll share what I've done.
My best trick to getting good cheap yeast is to buy a bottle of commercial beer that has been bottle conditioned. Start with a 1 cup DME pre-hopped, boil it with 1 to 2 cup of water, cool to room temp. Now keep clean, I use a beaker and a foam stopper but is past a beer bottle worked just fine. Now back to bottle of beer that you bought. Pour into glass reserving yeast on bottom. Flame the top and pore into your room temp DME. Now if you let that ferment just like beer it will double in no time. If you have a stir plate it will do faster, in about 3 days or so you should have enough good yeast to do it again but this time double the volume of DME and water. Remember Yeast need air to start and now the need it even more. Try this as for experiment and see for yourself.

Interesting.

We plan on using 3 different WLP strands - so I wouldn't be opposed to getting some lab-type equipment and making 1 vial turn into 10 somehow ... if thats possible.

These guys know what's up:

Yeast Propagation and Maintenance: Principles and Practices | Maltose Falcons

You could make ten vial but what I said is true and can be use to make and yeast starters. I leave out some item only to shorten the answer. More research on your part is needed to inprove your yeast handling ability. I post on another yeast question today.

1 vial = 100 billion cells, grown to 10 vials = 1000 billion cells
Use this to calculate your steps.
You didn't mention if you have a stir plate or not, so I am going to assume you don't. Hopefully you can get your hands a fresh vial of yeast, otherwise you will have to tweak the following settings. Set the aeration method on all the steps to intermittent shaking, then enter 1.5 liters for the initial starter, then 3 liters for the 2nd step, then 6 liters for the 3rd step. This will grow your vial to 1000 billion yeast cells.
If you have a stir plate, that's even better, cause you can get there with an initial starter of 1 liter, then a 2 liter second step, and then a 4 liter third step.

Good luck with your SMaSH experiment, sounds like fun.

Sulli said:

1 vial = 100 billion cells, grown to 10 vials = 1000 billion cells
Use this to calculate your steps.
You didn't mention if you have a stir plate or not, so I am going to assume you don't. Hopefully you can get your hands a fresh vial of yeast, otherwise you will have to tweak the following settings. Set the aeration method on all the steps to intermittent shaking, then enter 1.5 liters for the initial starter, then 3 liters for the 2nd step, then 6 liters for the 3rd step. This will grow your vial to 1000 billion yeast cells.
If you have a stir plate, that's even better, cause you can get there with a 1 liter initial, 2 liter second step, and 4 liter third step.

Good luck with your SMaSH experiment, sounds like fun.

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This looks perfect. Now I need to get some research under my belt on these steps.

And no, I don't have a stir plate.

Yet.

Any recommendations?

I have two from Brewers Hardware (in the vendor listing). They are real workhorses and have survived some... messes

You can order them prebuilt, or just get the guts and build it yourself if you're handy with a soldering iron!

Plus, Derrin is a really nice guy who builds great gear.

I guess I never really accurately calculated but when I do 1 gallon batches as experiments I split one vial between two 1 gallon batches. You should only really need 5 vials worth. You could probably get away with making about a 3/4 gallon "starter", chill, decant, repeat.

BillyVegas said:

This looks perfect. Now I need to get some research under my belt on these steps.

And no, I don't have a stir plate.

Yet.

Any recommendations?

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Read this book it makes all things yeasty, easier to understand.