Captain_Bigelow
Well-Known Member
I bought these vials. I have used them a couple of times and the lids seem to withstand the autoclave. They are only 41c each.
https://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=249
Guide to Making a Frozen Yeast Bank
- Thread starter FlyGuy
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I bought these vials. I have used them a couple of times and the lids seem to withstand the autoclave. They are only 41c each.
https://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=249
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
You can autoclave them too
Just pitched two vials of 1056 from my frozen yeast bank into a starter for a Two Hearted clone I hope to brew later this week.
Fisrt attempt at using yeast from my bank..
Fisrt attempt at using yeast from my bank..
Cool. I've re-animated 1056 lots of times, so it should go well (although that one in particular I don't do anymore since I just use S-05 dry as a replacement for it).
How big is your starter?
I successfully used the frozen 1056, fermented out nicely. Looks like I will not have to buy yeast for a long time unless I want to use something other then banked yeasts below. Pretty happy about this.
1056 California Ale
1318 London Ale III
1764 Pac Man
1450 Denny's Favorite
1056 California Ale
1318 London Ale III
1764 Pac Man
1450 Denny's Favorite
Woohoo! Nice moose.
More cowbell!
More cowbell!
Heh.
Yeah, I'm a real freakin drama king aint I?
IslandMike
Active Member
Excellent thread. I think I'm going hunting for a lab equipment store tomorrow. If not, then ebay shall prevail.
Thanks for the great info!
Mike
Thanks for the great info!
Mike
My 1056 batch came out pretty nicely, carbing it now but tasted pretty good going in.
I pitched two vials from by yeast bank of PacMan into a large starter today.
I pitched two vials from by yeast bank of PacMan into a large starter today.
this may have already been covered but what is the correct method for making starters from frozen yeast bank. Does everyone just assume with a step up of 250ml to 2L that will yield more than enough yeast to pitch?
I have done it twice and always just pitched it on to a big ass starter but I did use two vials.
I start small and step it up. I have a 4L flask, so I go 250ml to 2L then 4L.
Beer_Guy
Well-Known Member
The OP talked about using vials, but I am cheap. I stopped by my local pharmacy and asked nicely. I explained what I was doing to the head druggist and he gave me 10 of the 4oz medicine bottles. They are plastic and have worked great so fat. I have also used the small bottles the energy drinks comes in. I just remove the label and sterilize. They are solid white plastic and so I measure them, mix and then fill. I have also just used the White Labs vials. So far I have about 8 varieties in 15 bottles.
On another note, I have an old dorm fridge that when set to Max cool gets down to 20*. Plus it never does a defrost so no extra lunch bag needed.
SWMBO was very happy to get her freezer back.
On another note, I have an old dorm fridge that when set to Max cool gets down to 20*. Plus it never does a defrost so no extra lunch bag needed.
SWMBO was very happy to get her freezer back.
camiller
Well-Known Member
DakotaRules
Well-Known Member
Thank you for doing this!
Well, I finally ditched the armchair QB yeast rancher. Loved this thread and loved the new Yeast book (which includes directions for building up trehalose and using some ascorbic acid in the storage solution for -20 stocks).
Currently have 10 vials of WY1007 in the freezer.
I bought the following in addition to my flasks and stir bars from onlinesciencemall.com:
- disposable pre-sterilized plastic graduated 3ml pipettes (pack of 100 was relatively cheap and I use just one per yeast storage session)
- a couple plates and inoculation loop
- 250 ml media storage jar (stores sterilized gycerol solution in autoclavable container)
From Fisher Scientific
- 2ml capped autoclavable microfuge tubes from Fisher Scientific
And I got a medical-grade styrofoam container and freezer gel packs from SWMBO.
Overall, it's extremely easy.
Currently have 10 vials of WY1007 in the freezer.
I bought the following in addition to my flasks and stir bars from onlinesciencemall.com:
- disposable pre-sterilized plastic graduated 3ml pipettes (pack of 100 was relatively cheap and I use just one per yeast storage session)
- a couple plates and inoculation loop
- 250 ml media storage jar (stores sterilized gycerol solution in autoclavable container)
From Fisher Scientific
- 2ml capped autoclavable microfuge tubes from Fisher Scientific
And I got a medical-grade styrofoam container and freezer gel packs from SWMBO.
Overall, it's extremely easy.
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ive thought about using stuff from fisher but after I called they said nothing of theirs is food safe other than glassware. Always afraid that there would be stuff that might be bad for you. If you open up half their plasticware it smells terrible
IMO that is simply a ratings issue. There is no need for them to apply for FDA approval and go through that process if they don't sell to that market.
Aside from that, I am less than 0% concerned about 2 ml storage vials that are autoclavable and won't be in contact with any media outside of the -20 to +30 degree Celsius range. The final growth volume will be on the order of several liters of media, so that <2 ml is tiny even if there is some minor leaching.
Aside from that, I am less than 0% concerned about 2 ml storage vials that are autoclavable and won't be in contact with any media outside of the -20 to +30 degree Celsius range. The final growth volume will be on the order of several liters of media, so that <2 ml is tiny even if there is some minor leaching.
i called fisher and talked to them and they said the tubes are just polypropaline (sp) and they dont use any chemical in cleaning them so it should be fine. They wont recommend it but it shouldnt be a problem other than maybe so BPA
excellent, thanks for the confirmation! They are really great sized/built tubes, so they are perfect.
Does anyone have any thoughts as to using a pressure cooker like the Cuisinart CPC-600 for this application? As it does not have a gauge, I probably wouldn't use it for things such as canning a starter, but I would think that the low pressure setting would probably work fine for a smaller autoclave.
I had asked Santa for this without even thinking of the applications of a pressure cooker for any homebrewing purposes. That will learn me not to put other things ahead of this hobby!
I had asked Santa for this without even thinking of the applications of a pressure cooker for any homebrewing purposes. That will learn me not to put other things ahead of this hobby!
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Already have it the one I linked to. :cross: 'Twas a Christmas gift. I know a couple of people that have them just based on their cooking merits, which was what drove the decision. It will get plenty of use (and already has) for cooking.
I am sure that SWMBO won't notice another new kitchen gadget in my pantry, as I am the one that does the cooking.
Maybe I can figure out where to get some of those pressure sensors that they use on Mythbusters to see if they killed Buster every week to test...
Does anyone have any thoughts as to using a pressure cooker like the Cuisinart CPC-600 for this application? As it does not have a gauge, I probably wouldn't use it for things such as canning a starter, but I would think that the low pressure setting would probably work fine for a smaller autoclave.
I had asked Santa for this without even thinking of the applications of a pressure cooker for any homebrewing purposes. That will learn me not to put other things ahead of this hobby!
Looks to have dual pressure settings (usually 7-8 PSI and 15 psi) so you are probably good, but just double-check the documentation to be sure it is a 15 PSI setting. This will get your steam to ~250 degrees (autoclave is 252 F) and be suitable for sterilizing.
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for those that are considering using the 1ml micro centrifuge tubes for freezing down yeast what are you thinking as far a step up volumes? I know they said never go over a 4:1 ratio but that seems like overkill. Anyone got a good rule of thumb? Also with a OG of lets say 1:055 and 5.5 gal batch do you think a 1L starter would suffice or should it be bumped up to 2L? I dont have any way of counting cells and Mr. Malty calc doesnt work for this application
this is was I would like to use but its a pure guess:
1 ml frozen yeast from white labs tube - 4 ml - 20 ml - 200 ml - 2L
for a 1 L starter
1 ml - 4ml - 20 ml - 100 ml - 1L
this is was I would like to use but its a pure guess:
1 ml frozen yeast from white labs tube - 4 ml - 20 ml - 200 ml - 2L
for a 1 L starter
1 ml - 4ml - 20 ml - 100 ml - 1L
The smaller ratios apply to larger volumes moreso than smaller ones. You can use much larger ratios for the early steps, especially with stir plates being used.
My planned step-sizes are roughly as follows (which I also use when culturing dregs from a bottle)
2ml solution (has ~1ml yeast slurry, viability will vary with age) -> 150-200ml -> 1-2L and then to final volume. 3 steps in all and I will scale the aggressiveness of the steps to the final desired volume. Worked for me so far. You want the final yeast slurry to be healthy and not stressed, but that's not as significant a concern for that first step. You just want to get rapid growth and get the culture as a whole back to a viable and dense colony. Also, the more steps you use the more opportunities for contamination, so that is a consideration.
My planned step-sizes are roughly as follows (which I also use when culturing dregs from a bottle)
2ml solution (has ~1ml yeast slurry, viability will vary with age) -> 150-200ml -> 1-2L and then to final volume. 3 steps in all and I will scale the aggressiveness of the steps to the final desired volume. Worked for me so far. You want the final yeast slurry to be healthy and not stressed, but that's not as significant a concern for that first step. You just want to get rapid growth and get the culture as a whole back to a viable and dense colony. Also, the more steps you use the more opportunities for contamination, so that is a consideration.
No need to find those stickers, you can just by a 60 yd roll of autoclave tape, which will tell you if have reached correct sterilization temperature and pressure inside the autoclave.
Just another science tool to have laying around the house...
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No need to find those stickers, you can just by a 60 yd roll of autoclave tape, which will tell you if have reached correct sterilization temperature and pressure inside the autoclave.
Just another science tool to have laying around the house...
Are you sure they indicate temperature threshold? From that link, ...
"These strips confirm that the strip has been exposed to hydrogen peroxide during processing."
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ummmm...yeah don't buy those. Sorry I just did a quick search, copy, paste - rather shoddy on my part. You want the autoclave tape that will change color based on temperature during steam sterilization (usually from a beige to black).....like this one or this one
***edited in original post as well
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Beer_Guy
Well-Known Member
No question here, just a word to the wise.
I brewed a Brow Ale right before Thanksgiving and it was really nice until right after Christmas. Now it has such a wang or tart taste that I pour it, sip it and dump it.
When the flavor first began to change right after Christmas, I would drink them anyway. Soon SWMBO said my breath smelled like bad yeast whenever I had one. Now, two weeks later and it is just undrinkable.
I had used some washed and frozen yeast and did NOT make a starter. Lesson learned I guess. Oh, and since the time these were put up, 8 months ago, I have gotten a lot better at washing. This was some of the first yeast I washed and the results were way browner than they turn out now.
From now on I will make a starter, decant, cold crash and use only good yeast which is suspended in the starter.
I brewed a Brow Ale right before Thanksgiving and it was really nice until right after Christmas. Now it has such a wang or tart taste that I pour it, sip it and dump it.
When the flavor first began to change right after Christmas, I would drink them anyway. Soon SWMBO said my breath smelled like bad yeast whenever I had one. Now, two weeks later and it is just undrinkable.
I had used some washed and frozen yeast and did NOT make a starter. Lesson learned I guess. Oh, and since the time these were put up, 8 months ago, I have gotten a lot better at washing. This was some of the first yeast I washed and the results were way browner than they turn out now.
From now on I will make a starter, decant, cold crash and use only good yeast which is suspended in the starter.
If you are going to freeze yeast, why are you washing a cake as opposed to using a sample from the very first starter growth out of the commercial packet?
Sounds like you had yourself a terribly infected batch with that Brown Ale. Any live yeast left in that frozen culture was likely too late for the party by the time they woke up and got some metabolic activity going. That is epic under-pitching. You might as well have skipped the yeast altogether.
Sounds like you had yourself a terribly infected batch with that Brown Ale. Any live yeast left in that frozen culture was likely too late for the party by the time they woke up and got some metabolic activity going. That is epic under-pitching. You might as well have skipped the yeast altogether.
after cold crashing all the good yeast will drop out and pellet at the bottom. Please correct me if i am wrong but the yeast still in suspension (depending on how long you cold crash) are likely the bad yeast that lost their ability to floucuate out assuming they are not low to begin with
How do you mean "bad yeast"? Cold crashing has more to do with precipitation than flocculation. Flocculation is just the description of "clumping" that yeast exhibit during fermentation and while this does play some part in precipitating the yeast during and after fermentation at normal fermenting temps, it is not the same as forcing precipitation of the yeast via cold crashing.
As for Beer Guy's statement. I missed that originally. You want to harvest from the yeast cake itself, not the remaining media above it. The yeast left suspended in the wort after cold crashing will have very low cell counts compared to the yeast cake (talking several orders of magnitude difference in density) . You want yeast that is as dense as possible with as little remaining media (wort/beer) as possible. I don't know where you got the idea that the suspended yeast above the yeast cake is what you're trying to harvest, but that is incorrect.
for those of you on the fence about buying a pressure cooker...two notes. They frequently go on sale at amazon.com for $30-40, you can use a site such as camelcamelcamel.com to track pricing of certain product pages.
Secondly...my pressure cooker is probably my absolute favorite kitchen appliance. Want ribs, pork roast, but don't have time to deal with a slow cook in the oven or the grill? throw some water in the pressure cooker, toss in your meat...and 15 minutes after steam you're done! Depending on what you're making of course...I make some awesome curried chicken in the pressure cooker, 15 minutes after i get steam i turn it off and let it rest another 10 minutes to cool; it is literally fall apart tender, and extremely juicy! DO yourself a favor and buy one you'll love it!
anyways back on topic...thanks OP this is awesome i'll be starting my yeast bank soon!
Secondly...my pressure cooker is probably my absolute favorite kitchen appliance. Want ribs, pork roast, but don't have time to deal with a slow cook in the oven or the grill? throw some water in the pressure cooker, toss in your meat...and 15 minutes after steam you're done! Depending on what you're making of course...I make some awesome curried chicken in the pressure cooker, 15 minutes after i get steam i turn it off and let it rest another 10 minutes to cool; it is literally fall apart tender, and extremely juicy! DO yourself a favor and buy one you'll love it!
anyways back on topic...thanks OP this is awesome i'll be starting my yeast bank soon!
for those of you on the fence about buying a pressure cooker...two notes. They frequently go on sale at amazon.com for $30-40, you can use a site such as camelcamelcamel.com to track pricing of certain product pages.
Secondly...my pressure cooker is probably my absolute favorite kitchen appliance. Want ribs, pork roast, but don't have time to deal with a slow cook in the oven or the grill? throw some water in the pressure cooker, toss in your meat...and 15 minutes after steam you're done! Depending on what you're making of course...I make some awesome curried chicken in the pressure cooker, 15 minutes after i get steam i turn it off and let it rest another 10 minutes to cool; it is literally fall apart tender, and extremely juicy! DO yourself a favor and buy one you'll love it!
anyways back on topic...thanks OP this is awesome i'll be starting my yeast bank soon!
Interesting. This would be the polar opposite of sous-vide cooking.
indeed!
So i was doing a little more reading...how else can i verify my pressure cooker gets up to 15psi / 250*F ?
I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Presto-307912-6-Quart-Stainless-Pressure/dp/B00006ISG6/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1295331169&sr=1-1
and i love it...but it has no gauge on it, so no idea what the psi rating is on it. Some reviews state it does but...don't believe everything you read on the internet
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how many of those fisher microfuge tubes did you buy? That amazon link for $60 states it weighs 2 lbs...thats a lot of tiny plastic tubes, then again its a lot cheaper than the 4 Dram glass autoclavable tubes...
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indeed!
So i was doing a little more reading...how else can i verify my pressure cooker gets up to 15psi / 250*F ?
get some autoclave tape...that is exactly what it is designed for....a physical identifier of proper sterilization conditions within the vessel.
One roll (60yds) will last a long time when you only use an inch or so for each pass through the pressure cooker. Just place you tubes in a beaker, cover with tin foil, place tape on tin foil, sterilize, remove and store until needed (without removing tin foil).
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most micro centrifuge tubes come in bags of 500. $60 seems way over priced. Buy them from www.fishersci.com for a much cheaper price
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