Yeast Ranching / Multiplying

[np3]

Hi all,

I am new here, and a new homebrewer. After making a few batches I started thinking about ways to save on yeast costs. I've read about different techniques, but I was wondering if anyone has tried creating a gallon starter and then saving the result in several containers to be used as future starters, and how it went. I couldn't find anything on this type of procedure, but if its out there a link would be great.

I boiled 3.5 quarts of water, added 1.75 cups of light DME, boiled a little longer then chilled to 70F. Then I poured it in to an empty 1 gallon glass apple juice jug, aerated it and pitched 1 vial of WLP001. I put a stopper and airlock on and let it run its course. when it was through bubbling ~48 hours, I poured off most of the liquid, mixed up the yeast and divided it evenly in to four sanitized beer bottles and capped yeilding 1/2- 3/4 inch yeast sediment in each bottle.

I intend to use three of those four bottles of yeast to make a standard starter for future 5 gallon batches. and maybe use the last one to repeat the procedure. I probably wouldn't repeat it more than once or twice.

Has anyone had any success doing something like this? or run in to any problems?

Right now I have an IPA in secondary fermentation using a starter made from the first of the 4 bottles of multiplied yeast. The fermentation was probably more vigorous than a standard starter from a WL vial, but I'll update when I get a chance to taste the product.

Thanks

 

[JoePro]

I see nothing wrong with this procedure whatsoever besides the small chance a room mate mistakes one of those yeast cultures for a beer =)

 

[Clementine]

room mate mistakes one of those yeast cultures for a beer =)

That will keep you insides cleaned out!

back to the subject at hand

The only problem I see is how long do you intend to store the yeast like this. Typically if I have a lot of yeast (saved from a cake) I store it under sterilized water. Bacteria and other yeasts can eat more of the different types of sugars that our yeast cannot that remain in the used wort that the yeast are under and hence you run the chance over an extended storage period that some nasties get into your store and eat the sugar building up their strength to take over your next brew, or at least make it taste funky.

If you want to ranch slanting in the way the pros do it, the way most of the yeast ranching homebrewers do it and the way I do it. It is easy and the only thing you need is a pressure cooker, some agar and some glassware off the internet. Check out the sticky at the top of this forum page it has great photos and everything you need to know about slanting.

Clem

 

[np3]

I see nothing wrong with this procedure whatsoever besides the small chance a room mate mistakes one of those yeast cultures for a beer =)

haha, yea I put them in clear bottles so I could see if they change color. no roomate surprises.

 

[np3]

That will keep you insides cleaned out!

back to the subject at hand

The only problem I see is how long do you intend to store the yeast like this. Typically if I have a lot of yeast (saved from a cake) I store it under sterilized water. Bacteria and other yeasts can eat more of the different types of sugars that our yeast cannot that remain in the used wort that the yeast are under and hence you run the chance over an extended storage period that some nasties get into your store and eat the sugar building up their strength to take over your next brew, or at least make it taste funky.

If you want to ranch slanting in the way the pros do it, the way most of the yeast ranching homebrewers do it and the way I do it. It is easy and the only thing you need is a pressure cooker, some agar and some glassware off the internet. Check out the sticky at the top of this forum page it has great photos and everything you need to know about slanting.

Clem

thanks for the reference to the slant instructions. at some point I will definitely do that