Storing Unused Liquid Yeast

[BykerBrewer]

I searched for a while for an answer to this question, but could not locate it so sorry if this has already been answered... I brew one gallon batches every week and have been using about a 1/3 of a dry yeast pack each time, rehydrated. However, I want to try a few liquid yeasts.

Mr. Malty recommends a .4 to .5 vial of liquid yeast, depending on OG of course. Can I use .4-.5 of the vial one week, cap and refrigerate the rest of the vial, and then use the rest the next week?

Cheers!

 

[flars]

Yes, you can do this as long as your sanitation is very good. Reseal the vial well. Refrigerators do harbor bacteria.

 

[JB_Brewing2]

I searched for a while for an answer to this question, but could not locate it so sorry if this has already been answered... I brew one gallon batches every week and have been using about a 1/3 of a dry yeast pack each time, rehydrated. However, I want to try a few liquid yeasts.

Mr. Malty recommends a .4 to .5 vial of liquid yeast, depending on OG of course. Can I use .4-.5 of the vial one week, cap and refrigerate the rest of the vial, and then use the rest the next week?

Cheers!

Sounds viable to me. Make sure the yeast vial is thoroughly mixed to ensure suspension of all yeast cells prior to pitching and follow proper sanitation of the vial. I've done this with mason jars of saved yeast with no ill effects.

 

[flars]

Forgot this. Crack the seal slightly before you shake the vial to suspend all the yeast. This will allow some CO2 to escape. Otherwise the yeast may erupt from the vial when it is opened.

 

[MagicMatt]

Also, remember that those calculators are suggesting 40-50% of a fully viable package. Unless you're getting some incredibly fresh yeast, it's likely that the viability will already be substantially lower than 100%. Make sure you plug in your yeast's MFG date into the calculator to gauge the viability. If it's 60% or lower, you should just pitch the entire volume of it, as it already is the correct size for your batch.

 

[BykerBrewer]

Great, I'll be sure to check on the production dates and crack the seal slightly to avoid that haha. Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

You can still make starters from the vial, pouch or smack pack, then split them over a few small jars. That way you keep a virtually unlimited supply of fresh yeast around, ready to pitch. Before you run out, make another starter from one jar to replenish your supply. 4oz jelly jars are great and don't take up much space.