Splitting liquid yeast

[standpoint]

I am wondering if this will work, or if anyone else has done this:

I have a single smack pack of Wyeast 1010 - I am planning on smacking and letting sit for about 6 hours, then splitting into 5 small sanitized vials. I will store in my fridge until ready to use, then take one vial and make a starter of about 1/2 gallon and letting it sit for 18-24 hours.

Do you think I would get enough viable yeast for a 5ish gallon batch this way? I realize that a single smack pack is typical for this volume batch, but I am an eternal cheapskate and would love to make this work.

I don't plan on brewing this batch of beer frequent enough to direct pitch the next batch into the primary after moving a batch to secondary.

Any thoughts?

 

[TheHopfather]

It should work. What is with the 1/2 gallon starter you plan on making? I don't get that part. You can use Mr. Malty to tell you what sized starter you need to make, a 1/2 gallon for a 5 gallon batch will be under pitching. I like to make a starter just a little bigger than I need. I transfer some starter/yeast into as many separate containers as I want right before I cold crash the main starter (that one ends up in a batch of beer, the rest goes into my fridge for future starters).

 

[standpoint]

The 1/2 gallon starter is based on the container I plan to use for the starter

So, you think I will be underpitching then?

 

[MagicMatt]

I have one better for you. Instead of splitting the smack pack (~100 billion cells, minus the dead ones since MFG date) into vials now, just overbuild your starter for your next brew with this yeast.

For example, let's say you're going to brew this coming weekend. Make a starter that overbuilds the yeast count by 100 billion. You then separate this fraction of it prior to pitching the rest, and you basically have a fresh smack pack's worth. You can save this into a single vial, and then next time you want to use this yeast, do the same thing. That way you're always replenishing your supply with a fresher MFG date (and thus longer viability). You can perpetuate this for eternity. I do this, and never have to buy a strain of yeast more than once. Saves a nice chunk of change on each brew.

Here are some links to give more in depth info:
http://brulosophy.com/methods/yeast-harvesting/

http://www.homebrewdad.com/index.php?blogid=100


And a nice yeast calculator that includes an "overbuild by" input:
http://www.homebrewdad.com/yeast_calculator.php

You can use your favorite yeast calculator and manually up the count by 100B, but the one linked also will tell you the total volume to separate prior to pitching, which helps.

I bought a bunch of these (http://amzn.com/B00FGDUNRG) that I eventually condense the saved portion of the starter into and freeze with a glycerol solution to keep vitality relatively constant for up for a year or more.

 

[Egs21eric]

I am wondering if this will work, or if anyone else has done this:

I have a single smack pack of Wyeast 1010 - I am planning on smacking and letting sit for about 6 hours, then splitting into 5 small sanitized vials. I will store in my fridge until ready to use, then take one vial and make a starter of about 1/2 gallon and letting it sit for 18-24 hours.

Do you think I would get enough viable yeast for a 5ish gallon batch this way? I realize that a single smack pack is typical for this volume batch, but I am an eternal cheapskate and would love to make this work.

I don't plan on brewing this batch of beer frequent enough to direct pitch the next batch into the primary after moving a batch to secondary.

Any thoughts?

I had one pack of Kolsch 2565 2 weeks ago, and made a nice big starter for it. I split it into three mason jars and brewed three separate beers with them. I washed the yeast from each batch and have plenty for the 10 gallon batch i want to do this weekend. Worked well for me and saved lots of money.

 

[TheHappyHopper]

A 1/2 gallon starter is not necessarily under-pitching. It all depends on the OG of the beer you are going to make. For an ale in the 1.050-ish range, a 1/2 gallon starter is about right based on the Mr. Malty calculator.

 

[brewprint]

Similar to what others have said; I would just make a large starter and then split it into the 5 vessels.

If you just used the smack pack and split it, you may not have a very viable starter each time you use one...but you may and probably will.

I always make a 1.25 liter starter and pour some into a pint mason jar. I usually don't even fill it all the way; maybe 2/3. That's what I use for the next batch. I then throw the rest into the beer; no matter what the beer is.

I also believe yeast calculators are worthless and nonsense. I know most don't hold that view but whatever.

 

[TheHopfather]

Yes, ignore my comment about a 1/2 gal being an under pitch. I'm a metric brewer, my brain translated a 1/2 gal to a 1/2 L, there is a big difference. The 1/2 gal sounds pretty standard.

 

[standpoint]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I will definitely make the large starter and split into 5 containers and store - then at time of need, take 1 container and build it up and then pitch.

 

[MagicMatt]

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. I will definitely make the large starter and split into 5 containers and store - then at time of need, take 1 container and build it up and then pitch.

How often are you intending to brew? The yeast you reserve will typically only have a shelf life of 4-5 months.....and even then at 4 or 5 months you'll likely only have 5-10% viability remaining.

So unless you intend to brew every 2-3 weeks, you'll be saving those extra 4 jars of yeast for naught.

 

[TheHopfather]

For myself I find that one jar of yeast is lots. I've now got 3 strains saved in the fridge and that works for my brewing schedule. Keep in mind that each time you create a starter you are "refreshing" the yeast and the viability clock resets. I figure that one smack pack should end up lasting me at least a year at which point I can always just buy another one if I'm worried my yeast is too many generations old. To each their own but you are going to have to brew a LOT to make saving 5 containers of one strain worth the effort. I have a feeling you'll end up tossing most of it out if you have that much.

And just think. Each time you make a new starter you can create 5 more containers from that generation. Your yeast supply can grow exponentially.

 

[standpoint]

Got it. I do plan on brewing every 2 or 3 weeks, but best is to keep one container and rebuild each time.

 

[brewprint]

Got it. I do plan on brewing every 2 or 3 weeks, but best is to keep one container and rebuild each time.

That's what I do. I have 5 or 6 different strains and that's probably about all I really need. There's even one or two that I may just dump.