500g dry yeast packages...where?

After my experience at a Virginia microbrewery, I've been contemplating using dry yeast for a few batches. However, it gets expensive to buy a bunch of small packets when you're brewing big batches, and I actually want to avoid making starters (imagine that...the stir plate guy avoiding starters?!). Mr. Malty's pitching rate calculator is telling me to use a ton of dry yeast...and that's exactly what I want to do!

So...does anyone know where to buy 500g "bricks" of dry yeast for a reasonable price? The only places I've found so far are outside the US.

GW Kent in Ypsilanti Michigan is the exclusive eastern US distributor of Mauribrew ale yeast, 500 gram brick listed on their website for $17. Mauribrew is an Australian product, sold in Canada and also by Kent and another California distributor.

I called GW Kent once to inquire about grain and extract, and I made the "mistake" of asking about shipping charges. They apparently realized I wanted this for "home use" instead of commercial brewing and they said, "We don't sell to homebrewers."

If you can get them to sell to you, I'll gladly buy a brick too!

That's a great price! I've never heard of the product, I may have to check it out. Anybody have any leads on Fermentis products?

You are talking what kind of volume? If you pitch a packet of dry yeast in 5 gallons, it is actually overpitching, if you'd believe that.

2 packages of dry yeast (still less $$ than 1 vial of WL), is in the pitchability range for 20 gallons.

35-50 grams at a time (3 to 5 packages per batch) for an ale. Nearly double that for a lager according to Mr. Malty.

I use the Safale 11.5 gram packs. One pack per 5 gallons. Runs me about $2 for each 10 gallon batch. That's for pitching in anything up to an OG of 1.070.

Yuri_Rage said:

...does anyone know where to buy 500g "bricks" of dry yeast for a reasonable price

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Is this for snorting or brewing? The reason I ask is the price is different fo the usage.

Actually, I now F'n idea what 'M SAYING,.....JUST TRYINT TO INJECTR HUNORR,

oH, CraP...uPperr cASe..

I wonder how much I could get if I sold a half kilo brick on the street?

What volume are you pitching in? 25 gallons, right?

Dry yeast packets (11.5g) have about 4 times the amount of viable cells vs. a vial or smack pack of liquid yest, so even with lager pitching rates the price will be reasonable without a starter. You are looking at 2 packets (for lager) per 5-6 gallons. That is what, 12 bucks? Still cheaper than 2 vials and you still don't have to make a starter.

Just my .02

15-18 gallon batches with OGs of 1.060-1.080. The numbers I'm using are straight from the pitching rate calculator at www.mrmalty.com.

Anyway...I still want to buy bulk dry yeast...so...anybody?

These folks (http://www.brewapp.com/equipment.htm) have bricks of Notingham ale and Safeale 189 lager yeast for $30. Based on the shipping weight, they're 1/2 lb bricks so that seems pretty expensive for 227 grams of yeast. At $0.13 per gram, it's not really that much cheaper than a packet.

Give these guys a try: http://www.brewingscience.com/

I've been meaning to order from them but haven't perused the site enough.

Not sure if they do bulk dry, but I'd bet they do.

Yuri_Rage said:

...After my experience at a Virginia microbrewery, I've been contemplating using dry yeast for a few batches. However, it gets expensive to buy a bunch of small packets when you're brewing big batches, and I actually want to avoid making starters...

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A little

That's why I started harvesting even my dry yeast. I have 8 beer bottles half filled with nice white Safale-56 yeast and my batches are in full swing in about 6 hours.

Yes Yuri- ASk the Phantom- I can get you the 500Gram packs- at brewer(commercial) prices-
Alt Platz Bandit!

I've purchased dry distiller's yeast in pounds, but haven't seen anything else. Even Steinbart's, which caters to the craft industry, doesn't carry anything except packets. Distiller's yeast can actually do a good job, but you need to keep the temperature down during the fermentation.

If you get those 500g packs of dried yeast, what's the best way to keep it sterile? I've had one before and after opening just kept it tightly wrapped in a sealable sandwich bag at the back of the fridge without any issue. Just worried this might not be the best method.

There are no liquid yeasts available where I live, nor breweries, so dried is the only option.

dazsnow said:

If you get those 500g packs of dried yeast, what's the best way to keep it sterile? I've had one before and after opening just kept it tightly wrapped in a sealable sandwich bag at the back of the fridge without any issue. Just worried this might not be the best method.

There are no liquid yeasts available where I live, nor breweries, so dried is the only option.

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I was thinking the same thing, or maybe put that sandwich bag into other vessel and store it. what do you think?

Dude said:

You are talking what kind of volume? If you pitch a packet of dry yeast in 5 gallons, it is actually overpitching, if you'd believe that.

2 packages of dry yeast (still less $$ than 1 vial of WL), is in the pitchability range for 20 gallons.

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Wow how times have changed. He's saying $2 for 2 packs of dry yeast? thats $1 per pack. They are like $4-5 a packet now. Sheesh inflation don't account for that much.