Maximize yeast

Ok, I have searched and have not found the answers that I am looking for. I had the idea of using white labs yeast vials and pitching half(or less) into a starter and building it up. Then I would re-close the vial and save it for next time. I figure I can get at least two uses out of the vial. I saw some threads of people asking this question but everyone seemed to add in the way that THEY reuse yeast and no one ever really had any experience doing this. I am interested in hearing from someone who might have done this, or from some very respected brewers about the viability of doing this. Of course I would take sanitation very seriously so as to not contaminate the yeast vial.

I'm a dry yeast brewer and many here will know much more. But I'm guessing the contamination risk would be substantial.

I'm a dry yeast brewer and many here will know much more. But I'm guessing the contamination risk would be substantial.

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I don't think it would be any riskier than cultivating yeast into slants. As long as you work very carefully I don't see a problem.

According to the Mr. Malty yeast pitch calculator from Jamil you should be ok to do this as long as the starting gravity of the beer is below 1.052. This was calculated by doubling your batch size to 11 gallons which will theoretically reduce your pitch rate by half of what you normally do. This is ALSO assuming your yeast was produced 11/1/09 and your starter was on a stir plate.

In short, you could use the same vial of yeast millions of times over as long as you start from a small enough starter and step your starter up accordingly. Of course you need good sanitation or possibly even sterilization when working with very small yeast numbers.

Note: Make sure you pay attention to how quickly the yeast viability drops in a short amount of period based on the production date.

Right, my idea was to get 2-4 uses out of a vial. $6 at the LHBS for a vial. If I can get a couple uses out of it, the cost would be cut down.

Sure you could get 2-4 uses but your would have to start with a smaller starter and work it up to the pitching starter like you mentioned in the OP. The size of that first starter would depend on how much of the original vial you use in it.

If you are brewing very often with the same yeast viability won't be much of an issue but if you're leaving the same vial in the fridge for months it could become a factor. If this is the case you could consider slants or sterile distilled water storage. Just something to think about.

Plus, you have to factor in the cost of the DME that's needed for the stepped up starters into your yeast saving calculation.

Washing harvested starter would be more cost effective.

Another possibility is to make a bigger starter than what you need and saving that - which is what I did in my last batch.

Plus, you have to factor in the cost of the DME that's needed for the stepped up starters into your yeast saving calculation.

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I was planning on bottling up some of the wort from my brewday to use in future starters. I am planning on brewing what will be a house beer that will be on tap all the time.

It would be similar to using a "propagator" pack, I guess. A 1/2 vial should have 35-50 billion cells, which could be built up with a starter.

I'd suggest trying yeast slants instead. It would be sterile, and the cost savings would be substantial, plus there wouldn't be any contamination issue.

I just wash my yeast, so I haven't bought liquid yeast in a couple of years, except for a new lager strain I wanted to try.

YooperBrew said:

It would be similar to using a "propagator" pack, I guess. A 1/2 vial should have 35-50 billion cells, which could be built up with a starter.

I'd suggest trying yeast slants instead. It would be sterile, and the cost savings would be substantial, plus there wouldn't be any contamination issue.

I just wash my yeast, so I haven't bought liquid yeast in a couple of years, except for a new lager strain I wanted to try.

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Yooper, how long do most of your washed yeast samples stay good and at what temp do you keep them?

I'd suggest trying yeast slants instead. It would be sterile, and the cost savings would be substantial, plus there wouldn't be any contamination issue.

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Yeah, that where I am headed. Don't have all the equipment yet for it, so I was going to do this right now. My wife works in a clinic, so she might have access to extra plates and slants.

Note to self to ask her.

Scut_Monkey said:

Yooper, how long do most of your washed yeast samples stay good and at what temp do you keep them?

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I keep them in the fridge. I've used them up to about a year later, and just made a starter to check viability. I've never tried to keep them any longer, though.

YooperBrew said:

I keep them in the fridge. I've used them up to about a year later, and just made a starter to check viability. I've never tried to keep them any longer, though.

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Do you get a good fermentation and subsequent beer with an old washing that's say 9-12months old? Just curious to try it with a beer I have fermented right now. I currently do sterile distilled water storage but wouldn't mind trying different techniques.