Efficient yeast usage

[thaefathan]

So I would like to brew a PA or IPA, divide it into 5 (1) gallon jugs and compare 5 different yeasts. I've been trying to think of THE BEST way to save the remainder of the yeast packets. I can think a couple different ways to do it, but I was hoping to get some feedback from some people with more experience.

I think saving the initial yeast would be easier than washing each of the 5 (1) gal batches, so maybe make a 1 L starter, decant the starter wort, and grab a sanitized spoon to measure by weight the appropriate amount of yeast into the beer, then save the remainder in a jar in the fridge?

*also, I'm thinking about using Nottingham, Wyeast 3522 (Ardennes), Wyeast 1187 (Ringwood), Champagne, S-04, and maybe a saison or something. If anyone has any cool ideas for something original, Thanks

 

[eluterio]

I would brew a pale ale instead of an ipa if you wanted to do a yeast test. I think having soo much hops there is a chance that it will hide the yeast character with all the hop additions. Also, It depends on how old the package of yeast you are using and the starting gravity of your wort. a 1.060 beer will need 42 billions cells for 1 gallon according to yeast calculator on brewersfriend.com. 1 fresh pack = 100 billion cells. If the yeast is a little dated like a two months theres no need to make a starter just pitch the entire 2 month old smack pack into 1 gallon of wort.

 

[curtw]

To the OP: I do this all the time. I do 3 gal brews, usually using White Labs yeast. From the yeast calculator I use, no starter is usually low in cell count, but even a 1L starter is far over-pitching. So I generally make a starter, use half, and save half in the fridge (and label it with the date and approx cell count, so I can plug it into my calculator for the next use).

 

[thaefathan]

thanks guys.

I've been reading this post https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=35891&highlight=glycerine

So for my next brew day, I'm making an IPA with wyeast 3522, I'm hoping for something like the Stone Cali-Belgique. I'm planning to make a 2L starter and pull out maybe 5 vials worth of yeast cells to save.
Then in the future I can pitch one of the vials into the appropriate size starter for a 1 gal batch.
Something like that. I'll try to post any experiments I come up with.

Thanks