Harvesting yeast from starters

[Clonefarmer]

Does anyone have a good method for harvesting yeast from starters and storing.

 

[schweaty]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/guide-making-frozen-yeast-bank-35891/

This should help.

 

[Revvy]

And this sticky, at the top of this forum...https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

 

[Revvy]

And for bottle harvesting this thread with video is good...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pacman-yeast-starter-video-63855/

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvUnRNT3U0c]YouTube - Pacman yeast starter[/ame]

 

[flyangler18]

Have you considered either a frozen yeast bank or (my favorite) slants/plates of sterile wort media?

Since you are attempting to harvest from a starter, yeast washing (truthfully, 'rinsing' as 'washing' needs an acid solution to knock out bacteria) is irrelevant to this discussion.

If you harvest a small portion of slurry (say 10mL) from a crash-cooled starter, you can store that in a suspension of distilled water (100 mL) in refrigeration.

 

[Clonefarmer]

Have you considered either a frozen yeast bank or (my favorite) slants/plates of sterile wort media?

Since you are attempting to harvest from a starter, yeast washing (truthfully, 'rinsing' as 'washing' needs an acid solution to knock out bacteria) is irrelevant to this discussion.

If you harvest a small portion of slurry (say 10mL) from a crash-cooled starter, you can store that in a suspension of distilled water (100 mL) in refrigeration.

I have considered a frozen yeast bank & slants/plates. Ordering materials is the main obstacle for that route.

Harvesting some slurry from the starter and topping off with distilled water was exactly what I had in mind. I wasn't sure of the amount of slurry I needed or if I should use distilled water.

I'm guessing I need to let the starter ferment out completely before I crash cool.

For containers I have a few pint size mason jars I will boil to sterilize. I'm not sure how to measure slurry, should I pour about a 1/2 inch of slurry than top off with distilled water?

Any other suggestions appreciated.

 

[bad coffee]

Read the yeast washing thread. It outlines the process really well. I washed a few batches, then I switched to freezing. I don't have room in my fridge for all the strains I want...

B

 

[D-Ring]

Is there a good thread for freezing?

 

[D-Ring]

I've been wondering the same thing. I have a washed yeast in the fridge that is getting a little old.

 

[anemic]

buy a white labs yeast tube. make a starter. sterilize the tube and split the starter into the tube to save it for next time, pitch the rest of the starter into your wort / fermenter.

 

[Clonefarmer]

buy a white labs yeast tube. make a starter. sterilize the tube and split the starter into the tube to save it for next time, pitch the rest of the starter into your wort / fermenter.

This sounds like a good plan. I have been using smack packs till now and didn't even think about the white lab vials.