Building Fresh Yeast

[WBB]

So I bought some variety of yeast and would like to build and use as I need it. One of them is a WLP066 London Fog. I don’t want to brew with it right away per say but would like to build it up. Is it as easy as just putting the info into a calculator and splitting the result into mason jars?

What I mean is, I put the info in the yeast calculator and the yeast was made on Jan 22, so the viability is 50%, from what the spreadsheet says. Now if I make a 1.5L starter at 1.037 or so, on a stir plate, the calc says I built about 212 billion new cells, bringing my total to 262 (100 billion was the starting point, give or take a few billion). Does this mean at the end of the starter phase say 36 hours later, I can give it good swirl and put 750ml in one mason jar and 750ml in another and now both of those have born on dates of the day I made the starter? So at that date I have about in each jar 131 billion cells? And now it’s business as usual, like I just received a fresh pack of yeast ( just with 31 more billion cells)?

 

[OnePlate]

Yes.

After you cold crash the starter you can decant off a lot of the starter wort and store the slurry in smaller jars to save some fridge space.

 

[rhys333]

So I bought some variety of yeast and would like to build and use as I need it. One of them is a WLP066 London Fog. I don’t want to brew with it right away per say but would like to build it up. Is it as easy as just putting the info into a calculator and splitting the result into mason jars?

What I mean is, I put the info in the yeast calculator and the yeast was made on Jan 22, so the viability is 50%, from what the spreadsheet says. Now if I make a 1.5L starter at 1.037 or so, on a stir plate, the calc says I built about 212 billion new cells, bringing my total to 262 (100 billion was the starting point, give or take a few billion). Does this mean at the end of the starter phase say 36 hours later, I can give it good swirl and put 750ml in one mason jar and 750ml in another and now both of those have born on dates of the day I made the starter? So at that date I have about in each jar 131 billion cells? And now it’s business as usual, like I just received a fresh pack of yeast ( just with 31 more billion cells)?

So the theory goes. In reality, these packs contain more than enough yeast to ferment a standard batch of beer, even when 3 or 4 months old. I use the Wyeast packs, and never bother with a starter for my beers which are 5.5 gallons and 1.040 to 1.060, even when the packs are older. I have never had a problem or experienced low quality beer.

If you're brewing two batches back-to-back here, my suggestion is to make a small vitality starter and pitch the yeast into your first beer. If you're brewing again very soon, top crop the yeast off the first beer and pitch it into your second. If you're going to wait a while between batches, just let the first one ferment out and then collect the yeast slurry after packing the beer.

 

[Bigdaddyale]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but here goes anyway. I want to build a starter for BREAD yeast (Red Star Active Dry Yeast) seems there is a shortage and I think it could be a fun project. any tips? I have built starters with US-05 so I kinda know what to do. I use the shaken not stirred method. Thanks

 

[rhys333]

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post but here goes anyway. I want to build a starter for BREAD yeast (Red Star Active Dry Yeast) seems there is a shortage and I think it could be a fun project. any tips? I have built starters with US-05 so I kinda know what to do. I use the shaken not stirred method. Thanks

I recently tried making bread for the first time and I had to use beer yeast due to bread yeast being out of stock. It turned out well.

Anyway, after watching a few YouTube videos, I learned about bread yeast starters. You mix your dough as normal with the bread yeast you have, and when it has risen, pull off a walnut-sized piece and mix it in with 1 cup flour plus 1 cup water. Leave it out for a day (covered) and it'll be ready to add to your next batch of bread. Just reduce the flour and water amounts in that second batch by what's already in your starter. Repeat the process for subsequent batches.

 

[Bigdaddyale]

I recently tried making bread for the first time and I had to use beer yeast due to bread yeast being out of stock. It turned out well.

Anyway, after watching a few YouTube videos, I learned about bread yeast starters. You mix your dough as normal with the bread yeast you have, and when it has risen, pull off a walnut-sized piece and mix it in with 1 cup flour plus 1 cup water. Leave it out for a day (covered) and it'll be ready to add to your next batch of bread. Just reduce the flour and water amounts in that second batch by what's already in your starter. Repeat the process for subsequent batches.

I want to start the culture in something other than flour.

 

[rhys333]

I want to start the culture in something other than flour.

Ah. So you're making beer with bread yeast? Just make a normal starter with DME then.

 

[WBB]

So the theory goes. In reality, these packs contain more than enough yeast to ferment a standard batch of beer, even when 3 or 4 months old. I use the Wyeast packs, and never bother with a starter for my beers which are 5.5 gallons and 1.040 to 1.060, even when the packs are older. I have never had a problem or experienced low quality beer.

If you're brewing two batches back-to-back here, my suggestion is to make a small vitality starter and pitch the yeast into your first beer. If you're brewing again very soon, top crop the yeast off the first beer and pitch it into your second. If you're going to wait a while between batches, just let the first one ferment out and then collect the yeast slurry after packing the beer.

Well I think it’s more about building reserves so I don’t have to order more yeast during these times. I want to take this one pack and essentially make 3 or 4 “packets”.

 

[rhys333]

Well I think it’s more about building reserves so I don’t have to order more yeast during these times. I want to take this one pack and essentially make 3 or 4 “packets”.

I see. Some brewers do that, but many of us now just collect the slurry after fermenting a batch. There's enough yeast in that slurry to put in 4 or more Mason jars. No need for rinsing either. Just jar it up and stick in the fridge.