how do they make yeast?

[debtman7]

Just my curiousity for the day... The general rule seems to be not to use re-use yeast more than 4 times. So, how do wyeast and the other guys 'make' yeast? I would imagine they just keep breeding it from the yeast they already have, but there's no way you could sustain that without going way past 4 generations... Unless they do something like cryo freezer first generation yeast in the millions and then breed more batches from one cell at a time...

Anyone know?

 

[the_bird]

Well, for homebrewers the rule of thumb is to only use three or four generations because of the level of sanitiation that is possible for a homebrewer to achieve. Wyeast, et al, can effectively maintain what is effectively a sterile environment, which mininizes the risk of contamination (the real issue). I'm sure there's a lot more to it than that, but that strikes me as the core answer.

 

[aekdbbop]

kinda was wondering the same thing... i was thinking maybe yeast has been passed down from the begining of time and the strain we use now is an ancestor of what we started with.. haha

 

[Evan!]

aekdbbop,

It's obvious that an intelligent designer made the yeast strains we have today, as is, with no changes through evolution. One day, the creator came down and said, I hereby make Wyeast 1333, it shall be done!

I bet FSM is responsible...

 

[Capt. Awesomest]

“He waived his noodley appendage and then there was yeast. For the yeast was needed to supply pirates with mead”

 

[debtman7]

Hmmm, Flying Spaghetti Monster Ale.

Has a nice ring to it.

 

[david_42]

Real simple, they have prime cultures in storage. When they want to make a batch of, say Pacman, they take a single cell out of the the prime culture and grow it under very tightly controlled conditions until they have enough to test. They verify the culture is true & had it over to production.

The problem for a homebrewer is we have no way of testing to see if a batch of yeast is contaminated or has mutated or eaten too many ghosts.

There are techniques for long-term yeast storage that any (really fanatical) homebrewer can use to mainain cultures.

I suspect Wyeast, White Labs, etc. will be using genetic markers to monitor yeasts, if they aren't already.

FSMA - Is this a stout? FSMPA? What goes best with meatball goodness?

 

[Pumbaa]

“He waived his noodley appendage and then there was yeast. For the yeast was needed to supply pirates with mead”

Pirates with mead?!?!?!