Storing the extras

[skelrad]

I broke down and got enough grain and "stuff" to do a couple different half batches (wife wanted to try a few different recipes instead of having one big batch next - who am I to argue?). The down side to doing this is that the recipes called for different hops, yeasts, grains, etc. I didn't plan that out very well - should have at least tried to find recipes that used similar hops and yeasts.

Anyway, the question is can I save the extra yeast and hop pellets easily, or once opened is it not advisable to save? One of the yeasts is a dry yeast and one is a liquid pack. How do I use the partial pack of liquid yeast and save the rest for a few months until I need that type again? Is it okay to open the vacuum pack hop pellets, use what I want, and then just throw them into the freezer?

I'm assuming the grain can just stay in a bag (paper or plastic?) in a dry area until I need it again.

Here goes nothin....

 

[ILuvIPA]

Grain = yes, store dry/room temp or cooler. A lot of guys use tupperware type bins or plastic buckets from the hardware store. I order 5 gallon buckets from US Plastics (bucket #3826 & gasketed lid #2287 - $5.50 a set. Shipping is insanely cheap and they are in N. Ohio - very fast.)

Hops - yes, put the open hop bag in a ziplock, press out most of the air and toss in the freezer.

Yeast - weeelllll. . .you probably want to pitch the entire yeast pack. Opened packs of yeast don't store very long.

 

[skelrad]

So if I can't reuse the yeast, do I just use half of a pack since it's for a 2.5 gallon batch, or does it not hurt to still use the entire pack as though it's a 5 gallon batch?

 

[ChshreCat]

I'd just use the whole pack. It might be overpitching, but only by a little.

And you can reuse the yeast. Just wash the yeast cake from one batch and use the yeast for more batches after that.