yeast cultivating, "growing" multiplying question

can i make a really, really thick/high gravity starter, like for example use triple or quadruple the amount of DME as i usually do, and then add a whole smackpack into it, let it ferment, then let all the yeasties settle to the bottom, pour off the liquid from the top, then make another super high gravity wort, pour the multiplied yeast on top of that, repeat, maybe two or thrree times, and get a ****load of yeast, then split it up to many different vials for future usage, and use one vial for a new, normal gravity starter, and brew like usual?

is it possible to make a starter too high gravity, so that the yeast won't know what to do with it? i'm just thinking that the higher the gravity of the starter wort, the more the yeast will multiply, is that correct?

i know all the usual washing, putting wort on top of yeastcake in a primary, and i've done both. but washing yeast is kind of a hassle, and to me, it would be easier to "grow" the yeast before i ever use it to brew anything.


thanks,

brian

I really don't know- but I've heard that the reason you do a starter in the 1.040 range is because that's optimum for yeast propagation. A very high sg would probably stress the yeast and that's the opposite of what you want. Still, I hope someone with first hand knowledge chimes in since I didn't really answer your question!

Wyeast says to make a starter no higher than 1.060 in O.G. The best way is to stick to the 1.040 range and step it up each time during kreuzen phase. I do that to propagate liquid yeast up to a gallon growler, then let if ferment out finally, then bottle and store in the fridge for later use. I've gotten 7 batches of HefeWeizen out of one smack pack this way.

EdWort said:

and step it up each time during kreuzen phase.

Click to expand...

thanks edwort.

i'm not sure what you mean by this though. can you explain in dummy terms?

Hi! Brian.

>>can i make a really, really thick/high gravity starter, like for example use triple or quadruple the amount of DME as i usually do, and then add a whole smackpack into it, let it ferment, then let all the yeasties settle to the bottom, pour off the liquid from the top, then make another super high gravity wort, pour the multiplied yeast on top of that, repeat, maybe two or thrree times, and get a ****load of yeast, then split it up to many different vials for future usage, and use one vial for a new, normal gravity starter, and brew like usual?<<

Yeast usually remain most healthy, and have less mutations in a wort about 1.040 sg. because they are less stressed. I would also suggest that you use a separate starter, each haveing about 2l wort and then divide your SP over them, then fill your vials from them. The yeast would have gone through one iteration instead of several. The vessels should be covered loosely with sanitized aluminum foil, and swired and gently shaken frequently to provide oxygen for growth.

Your yeast vials will keep 39f for about three mo, then they will need to be fed again.

Sudbuster said:

Yeast usually remain most healthy, and have less mutations in a wort about 1.040 sg. because they are less stressed. I would also suggest that you use a separate starter, each haveing about 2l wort and then divide your SP over them, then fill your vials from them. The yeast would have gone through one iteration instead of several. The vessels should be covered loosely with sanitized aluminum foil, and swired and gently shaken frequently to provide oxygen for growth.

Your yeast vials will keep 39f for about three mo, then they will need to be fed again.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice Sudbuster. This was a concern of mine as well.

Any thoughts on yeast/wort volumes for "storage" of the cultivated yeast? Could you take the one smack pack, spit into 2 Erlenmeyer flasks with ~600-700 ml of wort, then start both. After the yeast has had time to reproduce, decant off some wort and swirl up the 2 flasks, then split equally between 4 Erlenmeyer flasks adding more fresh wort?


Thanks, ZB

I use a more simple and practical method of basically putting a few tablespoons of trub from the secondary into in a bottle with some DME and yeast nutrient then putting it in the fridge. The only problem is transferring a small amount of alpha acids from the hops in the culture to your new beer if you're using hop pellets.

1. Buy specialty yeast that you want to use continuously.
2. Make beer with that yeast.
3. After racking, transfer about five tablespoons of trub/yeast at the bottom of the primary or secondary fermenter to a sanitized plastic soda bottle.
4. Add water to the top of that bottle.
5. Add a few tablespoons of DME (or sugar) and a pinch of yeast nutrient.
6. Cap, shake and refridgerate.
7. When making a starter, extract only the upper, lighter-colored sediment layer as that is most likely pure yeast.

amercuric said:

I use a more simple and practical method of basically putting a few tablespoons of trub from the secondary into in a bottle with some DME and yeast nutrient then putting it in the fridge. The only problem is transferring a small amount of alpha acids from the hops in the culture to your new beer if you're using hop pellets.

1. Buy specialty yeast that you want to use continuously.
2. Make beer with that yeast.
3. After racking, transfer about five tablespoons of trub/yeast at the bottom of the primary or secondary fermenter to a sanitized plastic soda bottle.
4. Add water to the top of that bottle.
5. Add a few tablespoons of DME (or sugar) and a pinch of yeast nutrient.
6. Cap, shake and refridgerate.
7. When making a starter, extract only the upper, lighter-colored sediment layer as that is most likely pure yeast.

Click to expand...

I've made many batches of beer but still consider myself a beginner. Looking at cultivating yeast and want to confirm a few things at the verge of sounding stupid.

1. So the sludge at the bottom of the primary after initial fermentation is your multiplied and now dormant yeast due to sugar being used, correct? You are saying you can also use the sediment, which contains a smaller amount of yeast, from your secondary as well? As I understand this has gone already one iteration and isn't preferred but will work.

2. You can take an initial volume of liquid yeast, add DME and yeast nutrient, when it's done what would be the part you want to keep? It should look similar to an initial primary fermentation right? With your sludge on the bottom, that's what you keep and store?

3. Once it has fermented you can just store in a sanitized bottle or flask right?

I ask because the closest brew shop is an hour away. Last time I mail ordered liquid yeast and it did not survive the trip. So not only would I like to save a little bit of money by cultivation but limit driving trips being that's the only way liquid yeast makes it to my beer.

This thread is pretty old. Try this one.

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

Thanks for the link, that is exactly what I was looking for!