Splitting White Labs Yeast

[Koda]

I'm making a transition to doing small batches of 'brew in a bag' (BIAB) rather than huge 5 gallon batches. While I'm such a newbie I'd like to be able to brew more often and have less mediocre beer to drink as I get my feet on the ground.

One problem I still haven't worked out is how to manage my yeast. I really like the White Labs wet yeast vials, if for no other reason than the extended selection they have compared to dry.

My question though is what storage options do I have once the vial is opened? If I'm brewing a 2 gallon batch is it possible I can pit about 1/3 of the vial and put it back into the fridge to pitch the rest later? Or is that asking for contamination? If it can be done... how long will it keep?

Do I need to pitch a starter for the leftovers so that it will keep longer? That seems like a good option except I have no idea how to then measure the yeast count of the starter for later pitching. I'm assuming if I pitch the leftovers to a starter the count will rise so it's probably a little more complicated than using 1/3 in my first 2 gallons and then half of my starter for each of the next 2 batches...

I realize I'm probably not even asking the right questions, but if anyone can point me towards some resources about managing yeast I'd really appreciate some guidance.

 

[duboman]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/yeast-harvesting-novel-approach.html

Even though you're reducing batch size, gravity and yeast viability will still dictate pitch rate so even with one vial you may be under/over pitching.

The link above is an easy way to make starters and harvest yeast. If you are always measuring out the same amount from the starter www.mrmalty.com will help calculate, just select from slurry


Sent from the Commune

 

[Airplanedoc]

Sounds to me like you need a stir plate, flask, and some jars. Grow up a starter and use a small amount for your small batches and freeze the rest with a label for a later date. When you want to use it just thaw, grow a starter and repeat.

 

[andy6026]

I don't think you can freeze yeast without it being inside some special liquid that stops the cell walls from bursting or dying in some more accurate fashion. Although perhaps that's what the liquid is inside those vials - it would make sense, but I'd double check before doing it.

While I understand your motivation for moving to smaller batches, why don't you post your brewing process in detail and perhaps the community can help you turn your mediocre beer into outstanding beer. I'm only a year into brewing and recently my brewing has gotten a lot better thanks to various tips and suggestions from ppl on this forum. I'd now like to move up to 10 gallon batches so I can get more beer out of nearly the same amount of work/time.


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[mtnagel]

I also save a portion of my starter for future batches. Works really well.

If you are brewing more often, also look into reusing a portion of the yeast cake. When I can plan my brews to be within a couple weeks of each other and am using the same yeast back to back, I save a portion of the yeast cake and then pitch a portion of that.

Here's a great thread to get you started.

 

[CountryGravy]

I'm in the same boat as you (just stopped doing 5 gallon partial boil extracts in my 5G kettle, and now I do 2.5-3G BIAB). My last two brew days, I split a Wyeast Smack pack by doing the following:

I made a 1.5 quart 1.060 starter (a little high, as I added some sucrose to replicate the pitching conditions for a Tripel). I let this sit in a growler covered with foil for two days at my anticipated ferm temp.

I made another 1.5 quart batch @ 1.060, and poured the original starter into a larger jar. I mixed the starter and the new wort together, gave it a good shake, and then split it between two growlers covered with foil.

I let these sit for 2 days, then pitched one into a Tripel. I put the other covered into the refridgerator, then pulled it out a week later and let it come to room temperature before pitching into an experimental Belgian IPA.

Both have fermented well, and tasted fine when I gook a gravity reading a couple of days ago. Time will tell, but I have found the method to work well.

I know some people disagree with using simple sugar and/or growlers when making a starter, but you can do without those in your situation and still use this process to split a batch. I don't know how long the second starter would remain viable in the 'fridge, but I've read of people on these forums keeping them with no problems for one and even two months.

I hope this helps! Good luck!

Edit P.S. - Sanitation, Sanitation, Sanitation.

 

[Koda]

Thanks everyone there's some great advice in here. It seems like there is some room to play around in this department and find what works for me.

I went back and reread the "How to Brew" chapter on yeast so I could get a little bit more familiar with starters and yeast management. He mentions a technique for harvesting from the bottom of the primary and keeping yeast hibernated in preboiled water for several months.

I think next time I buy a vial of white labs for a small batch I'll pitch half then drop the other half into a starter wort. That way I can experiment with harvesting from the primary and compare it to use a starter to store the yeast for later use.

Really if I can get 2 or 3 pitches of a vial I'm happy. I just hated the idea of 1/2 my batch cost coming for my yeast vial every single time I brew.

 

[Koda]

While I understand your motivation for moving to smaller batches, why don't you post your brewing process in detail and perhaps the community can help you turn your mediocre beer into outstanding beer. I'm only a year into brewing and recently my brewing has gotten a lot better thanks to various tips and suggestions from ppl on this forum. I'd now like to move up to 10 gallon batches so I can get more beer out of nearly the same amount of work/time.

I hear what you're saying but I really just want to brew more often right now. For one, I enjoy the process but it's also just good practice I think at the stage I'm at right now. This was only my second batch and I've yet to even crack a bottle of my first.

It's become quickly apparent though that 5 gallons is just an impractical amount of beer for the amount of storage space I have, and the speed at which I'll drink it.

Running through 5 gallons of a stellar beer might be easy but right now I have a feeling getting friends and family to drink my beer is going to be somewhat akin to asking them to come see my off-Broadway one man show. They might do it to be polite, but now one is really going to be enjoying themselves...

For now I just want to brew, and learn. When I think I can push out 5 gallons of something awesome I have the equipment waiting for me in my closet to do so.

 

[dyqik]

BTW, for many medium to moderately high gravity ales, say around 1.050 OG, a single White Labs vial (100 billion cells if fresh, ~75 billion at 6 weeks after production) is just about the right amount of yeast for a 2 to 2.5gal batch.

If you want to save on yeast, you can then reuse a portion of your yeast cake.

 

[CountryGravy]

I went back and reread the "How to Brew" chapter on yeast so I could get a little bit more familiar with starters and yeast management.

I had the book next to me the whole time I did this, constantly double-checking to make sure I didn't mess it up

Looks like you've done your research and developed a plan. I hope it works well for you!

I also have similar motivations to you. I brew the amount I brew for four reasons:
1) I love to experiment and brew often.
2) I don't have a lot of friends where I live to share with, so I'm drinking most of my own beer. I'm not a heavy drinker, so a 2.5 or 3 gallon batch lasts me two to three weeks, and I brew every two weeks or so, so it keeps a constant flow of fun stuff with enough left over to keep some variety.
3) I'm working on perfecting my technique before I invest on new hardware or make other changes.
4) I have a family, my career is in no way money focused, and I live on a budget. This is my one true "selfish" hobby that serves no purpose other than my enjoyment of God's creation (though I find that to be noble in itself!). Therefore, I don't feel the need, or have the resources for, the equipment needed to produce large amounts of beer. It simply serves no purpose for me.

Enjoy your small batches, and get that technique nailed down so you can make great beer with repeatable results!

 

[Koda]

BTW, for many medium to moderately high gravity ales, say around 1.050 OG, a single White Labs vial (100 billion cells if fresh, ~75 billion at 6 weeks after production) is just about the right amount of yeast for a 2 to 2.5gal batch.

If you want to save on yeast, you can then reuse a portion of your yeast cake.

That surprises me actually, the vials say on them they're suitable for up to 6 gallons and I wouldn't have expected 1.050 to be a high enough gravity that you'd have to worry about a more aggressive pitch. Maybe there's some difference between the manufacturer deems suitable, and what the average homebrewer deems optimal.

I'll keep this in mind as well, maybe I'm oversensitive about the risk of over-pitching?

 

[Koda]

I also have similar motivations to you. I brew the amount I brew for four reasons:
1) I love to experiment and brew often.

That first point is really where it begins and ends for me (although the fact that 5 gallons of beer is about 1 year's supply for my own drinking plays a part as well...)

There's so much to be read and learn, and that's great. But reading, while helpful, is hard to internalize. I want to brew a small batch, try it, and be able to tweak it and brew it again in short order. If have to drink my way through 5 gallons first it's really going to cut into the amount of brewing I get to do. And so far I just really like the brewing! So the hours worked/beers returned ratio just doesn't seem that important right now.

 

[mtnagel]

That surprises me actually, the vials say on them they're suitable for up to 6 gallons and I wouldn't have expected 1.050 to be a high enough gravity that you'd have to worry about a more aggressive pitch. Maybe there's some difference between the manufacturer deems suitable, and what the average homebrewer deems optimal.

I'll keep this in mind as well, maybe I'm oversensitive about the risk of over-pitching?

Over pitching is much less of a concern than under pitching. I would believe the online pitching rate calculators over what the yeast manufacturers say.

That first point is really where it begins and ends for me (although the fact that 5 gallons of beer is about 1 year's supply for my own drinking plays a part as well...)

There's so much to be read and learn, and that's great. But reading, while helpful, is hard to internalize. I want to brew a small batch, try it, and be able to tweak it and brew it again in short order. If have to drink my way through 5 gallons first it's really going to cut into the amount of brewing I get to do. And so far I just really like the brewing! So the hours worked/beers returned ratio just doesn't seem that important right now.

That's where I'm at too. I will do 5 gal of a pale ale or IPA, but I'm usually brewing 2.5-4 gal of other beers to avoid having too much.