Pausing brewing and saving yeast

[EscapeArtistBrewing]

I've got a couple of 200B cell packs approaching their 4 month birthday. Due to situations, I won't be able to brew with them for at least another few months.
When this happens, is there a way to best preserve the yeast for that later day? Does one make a starter, then decant a certain volume, then store the cake in a media bottle? For how long maximum?

In addition, if anyone can point to a blog/paper/book on the best way to deal with keeping one's yeast, that'd be great. Thank you, and cheers!

 

[EscapeArtistBrewing]

I'm going to answer my own question; there is really a lot here to find....

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/freezing-yeast.678455/

 

[redrocker652002]

I believe there is also a thread about freezing in the yeast section sticky at the top

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/frozen-yeast-bank-procedure.733226/#post-10403100

 

[ba-brewer]

If it is only a couple more months I would leave them alone and just build a starter when you are ready to brew there will still be plenty of viable yeast. Every time you do anything with the yeast you open things up for contamination, the less messing around the better off you will be.

 

[redrocker652002]

I should add as well that I put some Bry97 in sterilized mason jars and in the fridge from a batch I had done fermenting. Just swirled the bucket to get as much in suspension as possible, sterilized the jar and poured it in. It was about 7 weeks or so when I finally got around to using it and it seems to have worked really well. I did do a starter, but I would bet it would have done fine just pouring it in. I want to say I used about 3 ounces of yeast in a liter and a half starter. I don't think I will tempt fate again, but who knows. It was fun to try and seemed to have worked.

 

[Miraculix]

I should add as well that I put some Bry97 in sterilized mason jars and in the fridge from a batch I had done fermenting. Just swirled the bucket to get as much in suspension as possible, sterilized the jar and poured it in. It was about 7 weeks or so when I finally got around to using it and it seems to have worked really well. I did do a starter, but I would bet it would have done fine just pouring it in. I want to say I used about 3 ounces of yeast in a liter and a half starter. I don't think I will tempt fate again, but who knows. It was fun to try and seemed to have worked.

This works until it doesn't. It's always a bit of Russian roulette with this method. I used to do that a lot but after losing a beer now and then due to weird things happening I've stopped it. Didn't loose any beer any more.

The starter is mandatory to minimise risks. I didn't do that.