Does anyone buy yeast in bulk ?

[Jban7]

I have been super curious to buy yeast in bulk. the cost savings is huge. My only question would be what do you do with it after you open it? will it keep? and how easy can it get contaminated?. if anyone has some info on this that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Toxxyc]

I buy 500g bricks, and repackage them into small ziplock bags. I sanitize the surface and tools I want to work with with an alcohol-based sanitizing spray, let it dry and then I repackage the whole brick in one go. I weighed out 12g of yeast to see how much it is (two heaped medicine measures) and then get going - two heaped medicine measures per ziplock bag. The bags are sealed and set in the fridge. Whenever I need yeast - just grab a packet. It works out to around 20% of the price of buying individual packets in store.

 

[Jban7]

Alright that makes sense. I think I'm going to give it a shot. On the more beer website there selling 500grams of the Chico strain they call it "Cali" for 69.99. Which comes to just under 2 dollars a batch. Thanks for the quick response

 

[madscientist451]

Alright that makes sense. I think I'm going to give it a shot. On the more beer website there selling 500grams of the Chico strain they call it "Cali" for 69.99. Which comes to just under 2 dollars a batch. Thanks for the quick response

You can get a pack of US05 yeast for $4, re-use the yeast cake one time or make a big starter and split it and your cost is $2/batch.
Or pitch half the starter then and add some more wort to your starter jug and you could make lots of batches.
You don't have to invest $70 to reduce your yeast costs, and also you can switch yeast strains.
https://labelpeelers.com/beer-yeast/

 

[Jban7]

You can get a pack of US05 yeast for $4, re-use the yeast cake one time or make a big starter and split it and your cost is $2/batch.
Or pitch half the starter then and add some more wort to your starter jug and you could make lots of batches.
You don't have to invest $70 to reduce your yeast costs, and also you can switch yeast strains.
https://labelpeelers.com/beer-yeast/

Yes very true and indeed that's what I'm doing already but not directly on the yeast cake. Depending on how the fermentation goes I will put it into sanitized Mason jars for the next batch. Me and my wife consistently make a batch every other week and just for my own reasons don't want to reuse us 05 more then once. I have experimented with many yeast at this point and my go to is definitely Chico. I will still be reusing for two batches. That why I was wondering if once I open that vacuum sealed pouch whats my time frame. 1 year...? 2 years?

 

[Jban7]

I buy 500g bricks, and repackage them into small ziplock bags. I sanitize the surface and tools I want to work with with an alcohol-based sanitizing spray, let it dry and then I repackage the whole brick in one go. I weighed out 12g of yeast to see how much it is (two heaped medicine measures) and then get going - two heaped medicine measures per ziplock bag. The bags are sealed and set in the fridge. Whenever I need yeast - just grab a packet. It works out to around 20% of the price of buying individual packets in store.

How long do they keep in the fridge?

 

[Toxxyc]

I have no idea. They don't last long enough. I'd expect a few months at least, though. I have to add it's not all for me, I sell wort on the side and include these packets of yeast with each sale. Never had issues, and I'm around 4kg's of yeast in.

 

[IslandLizard]

I buy 500g bricks, and repackage them into small ziplock bags.

Not sure if this is relevant or a potential problem for storing dry yeast granules. Storage time and temps surely make a difference.
Ziplock bags, being LDPE, are not very oxygen tight. LDPE has one of the highest O2 permeability rates among common packaging polymers.

That said, moisture is dry yeast's biggest enemy, so as long as you can keep that out, it's probably all fine.

 

[IslandLizard]

That said, moisture is dry yeast's biggest enemy, so as long as you can keep that out, it's probably all fine.

That said, let me add something about storing dry yeast.

I have been storing bakers yeast, in the opened, original pound-size bricks in my freezer. The yeast has been fine for many (5+) years, still counting.
I only clip a small corner of the flap and roll it back up then re-seal it with some tape and a bulldog clip. I do squeeze as much air out as possible.

 

[zacster]

Do you use the same yeast that much that you would want that large a quantity? I know I never use the same yeast more than two times in a year. As a hobbyist with this, experimentation is what it is about. Even twice in a year is too much, I think with my Pilsners I've used different yeasts every time. And with ales, they all have specific uses and I never make the same ale twice. There are so many variations.

 

[Nate R]

I have been super curious to buy yeast in bulk. the cost savings is huge. My only question would be what do you do with it after you open it? will it keep? and how easy can it get contaminated?. if anyone has some info on this that would be greatly appreciated.

I too am contemplating that 500g brick of Cali (Chico) from more beer.
This would be my method:
-only open a small corner, just enough to pour out a small stream
-measure out the amount i need each time (i.e. 12grams). This requires a high precicscion scale (like $20 or less on amazon).
-roll up the pouch and clip it. Then i would use my foodsaver vacumn sealer. A ziploc would be better than nothing.

I think keeping the original brick intact is best... but as mentioned above, there's lots of ways to use it.

I recently am moving from liquid yeast to dry yeast... it is just so much easier, cheaper, and there are more and more new strains coming out.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

If you make a batch every other week, that's about 26 per year. You re-use yeast once, so you're using 13 packets per year. Each brick is a little over 40 packets, so you'd have about a 3 year supply.

To me, it wouldn't really be worth it to save $1/batch if I had to go through the trouble of measuring and putting into smaller containers.

When I considered buying a brick last year, I was going to put it into a mason jar with a vacuum seal lid. But then I decided to just buy packets. Last time I bought from labelpeelers when they had a sale, it was $2.44/packet. I always buy a few packets when I go into my local shop, and that's about $3.45.

 

[odie]

I'm about to find out...I just bought a brick of US-05. I was motivated by a couple bad beers in a row that I can only reasonably attribute to yeast I harvested 6-9 months ago that I guess had some contamination of something get in the jars or my methods are lacking. So I dumped all my harvests...multiple types of yeast and will start from scratch.

My plan is to break the brick and divide into the smallest canning jars I can find. I think 4-6 oz jelly jars. I have a vacuum sealer so they will all be re-sealed and placed in the fridge.

I'm still gonna harvest yeasts but will reevaluate my procedures.

 

[Wayne1]

Cellar Science Cali yeast is available from Rite Brew for $2.49. Buy ten packets and the cost goes down to $2.09 per packet.
They also offer very good shipping deals.

Rite Brew Calli

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm about to find out...I just bought a brick of US-05. I was motivated by a couple bad beers in a row that I can only reasonably attribute to yeast I harvested 6-9 months ago that I guess had some contamination of something get in the jars or my methods are lacking. So I dumped all my harvests...multiple types of yeast and will start from scratch.

My plan is to break the brick and divide into the smallest canning jars I can find. I think 4-6 oz jelly jars. I have a vacuum sealer so they will all be re-sealed and placed in the fridge.

I'm still gonna harvest yeasts but will reevaluate my procedures.

4oz jelly jars are the smallest, AFAIK.
They come with lid and band usually, tray of 12. Well out of canning season I found them at ACE Hardware. They stock them year round, as they told me with a smile.
I doubt there's need for vacuum sealing them.

 

[bracconiere]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/WINE-YEAST...r-Soda-Cider-Champagne-Moonshine/333143981175
what i bought last time, lol


still going strong.....compare $30 to $200 and SAVE!

now does my beer taste like baynus? i just think it's a bit watery...but when i repitch 10 times, it starts picking up more body again.....

 

[jseyfert3]

That said, let me add something about storing dry yeast.

I have been storing bakers yeast, in the opened, original pound-size bricks in my freezer. The yeast has been fine for many (5+) years, still counting.
I only clip a small corner of the flap and roll it back up then re-seal it with some tape and a bulldog clip. I do squeeze as much air out as possible.

Very similar here. I've used 6+ year old baking yeast stored in a freezer and it worked fine. That was a little 4 oz jar that lasted me through my bachelor days. We started using a bread machine in 2019 so I got a 2-lb brick for $11 off Amazon. I store most in a ziplock bag in the chest freezer, and refill that small glass 4 oz jar which is what I actually measure from which lives in the upstairs freezer. Based on previous experience and current usage rate I expect to be using the yeast in 2029 still...but I do expect it'll still work.

 

[boilerbrad]

I keep bulk dry yeast in mason jars as well. Never had a problem with not vacuum sealing them. I keep them in a cold dark corner of the basement at about 60 F.