Free Yeast or Free Beer, take your pick

[Clarke]

I am as cheap as they come and always looking to save.

With liquid yeast costing 7-9 dollars, I realized that this is about the same price as a 4-6 pack of quality beer. So far I have only harvested yeast from my own homebrew and pinched droplets of yeast from friends when hanging around them when they brew, with great success. Now I am starting to make a list of commercial beers to harvest from and save a buck or two and not be limited to only what I or my friends are brewing at that time.

This not new to some but for me I feel like I just won something.

 

[BBL_Brewer]

Sounds great. I've been known to pinch a few pennies myself. It's amazing how cheap quality yeast can be if you put in a little effort.

 

[jeffcosgrove]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/commercial-beer-yeast-harvest-list-262713/

 

[Clarke]

Awesome Jeff, thank you

 

[Phunhog]

I am pretty cheap too. So remember this....time is money! I think of this everytime I am growing up yeast into a pitchable amount.

 

[Clarke]

I am pretty cheap too. So remember this....time is money! I think of this everytime I am growing up yeast into a pitchable amount.

This is not my job, only a hobby.

 

[BlackJaqueJanaviac]

I agree with Clarke. Once I figure in my time it takes all the fun out of it. Then I'd have to spend all my time at the office 'cuz I make more there... Ugh what a low way to spend life.

 

[signpost]

I have harvested yeast from my own fermenters, but I've never grown anything up from a bottle.

I figure if I get 3 or 4 batches out of one smackpack of Wyeast or vial of White Labs, then it's only costing me about $1.50 or so per batch.

As far as 'hidden' costs, I agree that it is silly to count time in the equation. Unless you would be actually making money during that time that you spent brewing, it is just silly. For me, during the time that I spend brewing or doing brewing related things, I would otherwise only be sitting around relaxing and hanging out with my family and friends. So, that time has nothing to do with money. That time is only about enjoying life.

But one cost I often forget about, although it isn't that big, is the cost of DME for the yeast starters. Don't forget to add that into your calculations. Like I said, it isn't a big cost, but it is a cost that is easy to forget about.

 

[Clarke]

What I love about being a home brewer is that, it is not one dimensional. Harvesting yeast is just as much a hobby as brewing the beer.

 

[dpatrickv]

Eh, I wash yeasts for a couple generations then buy new stuff. If money was that much of a concern then I probably wouldn't have gotten into this hobby.

Just my opinion.

 

[Braufessor]

But one cost I often forget about, although it isn't that big, is the cost of DME for the yeast starters. Don't forget to add that into your calculations. Like I said, it isn't a big cost, but it is a cost that is easy to forget about.

This^^^^ is a good point.

I have grown yeast up from commercial beers too...... But, I think the above is something that can offset some of the savings in this process. DME is EXPENSIVE. It takes more of it to grow up a culture.

Maybe one thing to do to offset that is using extra wort from your boil kettle to get starters going. Basically, brew beer as normal, boil, chill, transfer to fermenter - but, any wort that is left behind (or make an extra .25 gallons) you could use to get a starter or two going for the next brew you are thinking of.

Personally, I like to just use a smack pack and either harvest yeast if it is a low hopped beer, or start additional starters off the first starter if I know it is going into a beer full of hops that is going to make harvesting yeast a PITA. If I get 2-4 beers out of a pack of yeast, that is pretty good return on investment IMO.

 

[progmac]

So remember this....time is money!

if i lived by that advice, i wouldn't brew at all

 

[Braufessor]

I am pretty cheap too. So remember this....time is money! I think of this everytime I am growing up yeast into a pitchable amount.

I agree with Phunhog's sentiment..... although I don't worry so much about the "money" part of it. Like others have mentioned - no one would brew if we were having to account for our time as an expenditure.

But....... time is time...... and there are only 24 hours in a day. In that sense, there are other areas that I would rather use that time than growing up yeast.

One thing though, I think all homebrewers find different areas of the hobby that they enjoy. Sometimes, I think brewers enjoy building stuff more than brewing, or yeast-ranching more than brewing, or creating recipes more than brewing...... I spend time sending beers into competitions - I am sure many would think that is a waste of time. As long it is a fun part of the hobby for that individual - what the hell. Enjoy that aspect of it.

 

[Clarke]

Eh, I wash yeasts for a couple generations then buy new stuff. If money was that much of a concern then I probably wouldn't have gotten into this hobby.

Just my opinion.

I agree, if money or time was truly a concern I wouldn't brew or drink beer at all.

 

[Clarke]

Maybe one thing to do to offset that is using extra wort from your boil kettle to get starters going. Basically, brew beer as normal, boil, chill, transfer to fermenter - but, any wort that is left behind (or make an extra .25 gallons) you could use to get a starter or two going for the next brew you are thinking of.

Bam... I have just been enlightened... :rockin:

 

[Weezy]

Yeah, you can only go so far. Do as much as your time, patience, and interest allows. I dont mind harvesting yeast and growing starters, but I hit a road block on keeping/storing live cultures, including bottle dregs with bugs. It was a hassle feeding and caring for them. Meh. I've already got a wife, two kids, dogs....i dont need a couple more billion dependents.

 

[Phunhog]

I agree with Phunhog's sentiment..... although I don't worry so much about the "money" part of it. Like others have mentioned - no one would brew if we were having to account for our time as an expenditure.

But....... time is time...... and there are only 24 hours in a day. In that sense, there are other areas that I would rather use that time than growing up yeast.

One thing though, I think all homebrewers find different areas of the hobby that they enjoy. Sometimes, I think brewers enjoy building stuff more than brewing, or yeast-ranching more than brewing, or creating recipes more than brewing...... I spend time sending beers into competitions - I am sure many would think that is a waste of time. As long it is a fun part of the hobby for that individual - what the hell. Enjoy that aspect of it.

That's more what I meant. Sometimes I feel like I need to plan weeks in advance to grow up my yeast for a particular beer. Plus DME isn't free. If I have to spend 2.00 bucks in DME plus time to grow a culture up to 100B cells vs. buying a vial for 6.50? How much money am I really saving?? The OP was talking about saving money by culturing yeast. Agree that if you enjoy growing yeast time is basically irrelevant.

 

[eastoak]

check with your local craft brewer they may be willing to give you some of the yeast that they would otherwise dump.

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i pressure cook some jars and, bam! yeast for 8 or so batches.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

But one cost I often forget about, although it isn't that big, is the cost of DME for the yeast starters. Don't forget to add that into your calculations. Like I said, it isn't a big cost, but it is a cost that is easy to forget about.

This bugged me too, so I picked up a cheapie 2 gallon cooler at St. Vinnies for 5 bucks, had a plastic spigot to plug into it, grabbed a paint strainer bag, and started mashing my starter wort. I can it, though, so still have to buy lids for each batch...

 

[Clarke]

That's more what I meant. Sometimes I feel like I need to plan weeks in advance to grow up my yeast for a particular beer. Plus DME isn't free. If I have to spend 2.00 bucks in DME plus time to grow a culture up to 100B cells vs. buying a vial for 6.50? How much money am I really saving?? The OP was talking about saving money by culturing yeast. Agree that if you enjoy growing yeast time is basically irrelevant.

Your saving $4.50, so your next 1lb of DME is now .50cents plus tax and over the course of time I guess time does = money saved, or you could just take that 4.50 and put it towards a pack of beer and harvest the yeast...

But you will probably get more than one harvest from one pound of DME so you are saving more than you think...

 

[AlCophile]

Has anyone tried to substitute some (cheaper) yeast nutrient for the DME; after all, DME has sugars in it, so why not get cheaper, bulk dextrose instead, add nutrient, and, oilas!
Or, ask if you can get a price cut on out-of-date LME. The yeast can't taste the dif....no tongue.
And, if you make a HUGE, fresh starter, rinse yeast cake in 25% glycerine, make 10 little bottles, freeze them and propagate each into 4 generations, that's 40 starters for the price of one. It works, been doing it with 1728 for 18 months.

 

[cjgenever]

Draw off runnings after you fill your kettle. I usually get 1020 -1030 from it. Use this for starters. Be sure to decant it and you don't need to worry about the tannins, so sparge away. Free starter wort!

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[cjgenever]

Has anyone tried to substitute some (cheaper) yeast nutrient for the DME; after all, DME has sugars in it, so why not get cheaper, bulk dextrose instead, add nutrient, and, oilas!
Or, ask if you can get a price cut on out-of-date LME. The yeast can't taste the dif....no tongue.
And, if you make a HUGE, fresh starter, rinse yeast cake in 25% glycerine, make 10 little bottles, freeze them and propagate each into 4 generations, that's 40 starters for the price of one. It works, been doing it with 1728 for 18 months.

The yeast need to produce enzymes to metabolize the maltose. They don't need to for corn or cane sugar. A starter from dextrose will be less conditioned to metabolize the more complex maltose in the wort and is unadvisable. This is paraphrased from Zainasheff or white on brew strong, can't remember which.

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[Clarke]

Draw off runnings after you fill your kettle. I usually get 1020 -1030 from it. Use this for starters. Be sure to decant it and you don't need to worry about the tannins, so sparge away. Free starter wort!

Sent from my SCH-R970 using Home Brew mobile app

I will try this,

I also like the ideas of going to the local brew house and getting the throw away yeast..

You guys are sharing some great ideas, thanks

 

[ChefRex]

It's not cheap it's frugal.

 

[waterskj]

Look into the Tattler reusable canning lids - I just bought a sample pack 12 regular/12 wide mouth

They are "pricey" compared to basic lids but after several uses are "free"

 

[Black Island Brewer]

Look into the Tattler reusable canning lids - I just bought a sample pack 12 regular/12 wide mouth

They are "pricey" compared to basic lids but after several uses are "free"

I'll check them out! Thanks!