Using a slap pack to make a yeast bank

[madgardener]

I'm fairly new to wine-making (about 3 years) and am still exploring what recipes & yeast combinations give me the outcomes closest to my goals. I have a couple of recipes that I am really happy with that my preferred yeast is only available to me as a slap pack. This in and of itself isn't a problem but I live in Alaska; the supply chain up here can be weird even when nothing else is going on and because of the freight and handling requirements, it's relatively expensive. Would it be possible to buy a slap pack, split it up into sterilized mason jars, feed it up a bit and create a yeast bank for multiple pitches?

 

[Sammy86]

Would it be possible to buy a slap pack, split it up into sterilized mason jars, feed it up a bit and create a yeast bank for multiple pitches?

You sure can. Personally, i would make a big starter first, then split.

 

[beren]

Check out Maintaining A Healthy Yeast Bank Long Term it’s exactly what I do

 

[IslandLizard]

You sure can. Personally, i would make a big starter first, then split.

That! ^
Depending on the size of your batch and the age of your saved-out culture, you'll probably need to make a starter again, before pitching. You could overbuild that starter, to replace the one you used, and perhaps even an extra one or two.

Here's my favorite yeast pitch/starter calculator:
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php

 

[beren]

The biggest problem is that starters take up a lot of room in the refrigerator. I should know, I’m decanting four different ones so I can freeze them right now.

 

[IslandLizard]

The biggest problem is that starters take up a lot of room in the refrigerator. I should know, I’m decanting four different ones so I can freeze them right now.

After cold crashing and decanting the finished yeast starters I save the slurries (2-3 oz each) in (small) 4 oz Mason/jelly jars. They stay together inside a box on a fridge's shelf. They keep well in the fridge as is for quite a few years, but require a new starter of course. I've brewed with yeast (after making a new starter) that was stored in the fridge like that for over 8 years.

For long term storage it's best to deep freeze slurries in small centrifuge tubes in a 10% glycerol solution. That's your yeast bank.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/glycerin-water-ratio-for-freezing-yeast.215319/
The centrifuge tube yeast will need a step-up starter (4-5 steps) and 1-2 weeks to regrow to a pitchable quantity.
One such frozen vial can then easily inoculate 20 or more gallons.

 

[madgardener]

I appreciate all the responses. Still have a ton of questions, so I guess I will do some deeper research & experiment with the idea.

 

[day_trippr]

The biggest problem is that starters take up a lot of room in the refrigerator. I should know, I’m decanting four different ones so I can freeze them right now.

Nothing adding another fridge to the brewery won't solve...

Cheers!

 

[beren]

Nothing adding another fridge to the brewery won't solve...

Cheers!

Yeah there will be lots of room after my wife divorces me for all my hobbies

 

[beren]

After cold crashing and decanting the finished yeast starters I save the slurries (2-3 oz each) in (small) 4 oz Mason/jelly jars. They stay together inside a box on a fridge's shelf. They keep well in the fridge as is for quite a few years, but require a new starter of course. I've brewed with yeast (after making a new starter) that was stored in the fridge like that for over 8 years.

For long term storage it's best to deep freeze slurries in small centrifuge tubes in a 10% glycerol solution. That's your yeast bank.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/threads/glycerin-water-ratio-for-freezing-yeast.215319/
The centrifuge tube yeast will need a step-up starter (4-5 steps) and 1-2 weeks to regrow to a pitchable quantity.
One such frozen vial can then easily inoculate 20 or more gallons.

Nope. 3 days, no step up needed for a 1l starter. Look at the yeast bank link I pasted. Slants take a week or 2. You can safely do a 10x increase so if you split a 1l starter into 10, each of those can be pitched into 1l of wort. If you need a 2l starter add the 2nd liter on day2