Yeast Starter, Maximiser?

[DaveDiamond]

I only have one 5 gram packet of yeast this weekend. Can I make a 'starter' with that to make it go further and use it for more than the one Fermentation? If so, how best to go about it to use in both a Cider and a Cyser or Mead?
Or would it be better to just ration it out dry?

 

[dmtaylor]

You can make a starter, but it's probably even better transfer fresh juice or must on top of the cake from a previous batch. I believe it's typically recommended to remove at least 3/4 of the cake and just use say 15-25% of the cake for each subsequent batch. This ensures enough yeast is "pitched" while also ensuring new growth. Also add nutrients at this time so that the yeast has everything they need for the next batch. If you don't want to waste yeast, you could also split the original cake 4 or 5 ways to make several new batches from the one cake, or save a jar of remaining cake for another batch a month or two down the road or whatever.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Thanks, I think that'll be the plan further down the track, but atm I don't have existing cakes unless I rack something I started last weekend and I don't think it's time yet.
I'm just impatient, my order didn't arrive today so I just have that one pack of yeast and three things I wanted to get started this weekend. A batch of Cider would be 15 litres (approx 4 gallons) and I wanted to start off a gallon of mead and a gallon of Cyser or Melomel, so I was wondering if I could start the yeast off multiplying and then split the resulting liquid 3 ways.
The yeast is turning out to be expensive due to the shipping costs, so it'd be great if that worked. I have looked into how to reuse the cake and I'll be taking your suggestion, I'm just impatient and have too many ideas I want to try!
Cheers!

 

[Maylar]

Typical inoculation rate is 1 gm per gallon, so that 5 gm packet should be good for up to 5 gallons. If you rehydrate it with go-ferm per instructions you can safely split it between batches.

 

[IslandLizard]

To propagate your dry yeast by making a starter ahead of pitching will work wonderfully, but you'll need to allow some time for it. I'd give it at least 24 hours in a warm-ish place before pitching.

If you don't have a stir plate, or shaker, the s-n-s (shaken-not-stirred) method will help to supply the yeast with a good supply of air (oxygen), to keep her in (aerobic) growth mode. Using nutrients and good sanitation is paramount.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Typical inoculation rate is 1 gm per gallon, so that 5 gm packet should be good for up to 5 gallons. If you rehydrate it with go-ferm per instructions you can safely split it between batches.

Thanks, I wasn't aware that you could use as little as one gram per gallon, all I've seen is half a pack or a whole pack depending on the volume. This will be very handy to know. I obviously used far too much last weekend, I could have had plenty left.

To propagate your dry yeast by making a starter ahead of pitching will work wonderfully, but you'll need to allow some time for it. I'd give it at least 24 hours in a warm-ish place before pitching.

If you don't have a stir plate, or shaker, the s-n-s (shaken-not-stirred) method will help to supply the yeast with a good supply of air (oxygen), to keep her in (aerobic) growth mode. Using nutrients and good sanitation is paramount.

Thanks. I looked up making starters, but generally they say to pitch them as soon as you see the yeast activate. So I thought, why not let them multiply and you'll have more, but didn't know if that was doable. So I'll do that today and pitch tomorrow.
I appreciate the advice, my experience is limited. I put bread yeast and sugar into bottles of supermarket fruit juice on the 8th of this month, racked them and started some Ciders in a Coopers craft beer fermenter and some 3 litre carafes with S04 yeast last weekend. Now I have a new fermenter and one gallon jars, nutrient, but only the one pack of yeast and I'd like to get as much going this weekend as possible.
Thanks for the replies.

 

[IslandLizard]

Thanks. I looked up making starters, but generally they say to pitch them as soon as you see the yeast activate.

Pitching actively fermenting "starters" is always good practice, it helps to kickstart your upcoming fermentation.

But beyond that, if you allow the starter to grow larger over a couple or more days (yeast mass can double every 6-12 hours), you can grow much larger amounts of yeast, for multiple pitches. Or even store them in the fridge to use for future fermentations.

That way your 5 gram pack can make 15-30 grams of yeast mass in 2-4 days depending on starter volume and methods of incorporating air (oxygen) into the growing starter.

Here's are 2 yeast growing calculators often used for beer yeast, but the principles are similar for other fermentation yeasts.
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

So... I would make a starter with your 5 grams of yeast, and hold off the multiple fermentations for a few days until the starter has at least tripled in numbers. You can use some apple juice as your starter medium at a gravity of around 1.040 plus added nutrients.

You can use a 2-4 liter jug as your starter vessel. Look up "shaken-not-stirred" (yeast) starters.

 

[DaveDiamond]

Pitching actively fermenting "starters" is always good practice, it helps to kickstart your upcoming fermentation.

But beyond that, if you allow the starter to grow larger over a couple or more days (yeast mass can double every 6-12 hours), you can grow much larger amounts of yeast, for multiple pitches. Or even store them in the fridge to use for future fermentations.

That way your 5 gram pack can make 15-30 grams of yeast mass in 2-4 days depending on starter volume and methods of incorporating air (oxygen) into the growing starter.

Here's are 2 yeast growing calculators often used for beer yeast, but the principles are similar for other fermentation yeasts.
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

So... I would make a starter with your 5 grams of yeast, and hold off the multiple fermentations for a few days until the starter has at least tripled in numbers. You can use some apple juice as your starter medium at a gravity of around 1.040 plus added nutrients.

You can use a 2-4 liter jug as your starter vessel. Look up "shaken-not-stirred" (yeast) starters.

Thanks heaps, that sounds like great advice to me! Yeast is a bit expensive, that 5g pouch was $7.99. I can get it cheaper, but then I've got $13.99 postage so I need to make an order worthwhile and it does add up! Then you have the fact that it's about a week's wait. The other order I put in last weekend hasn't arrived yet, so no yeast! Having some in the fridge sounds like a great idea.
I did however talk to the Postie who delivered the fermenter, he makes spirits as it turns out, and apparently a local distillery (Who originated "Wine in a box"!) sells some brewing supplies, so I'll head up there Monday. I'm pretty much out of money for now though!
Thanks for being so helpful, I appreciate it.

 

[Halfakneecap]

Thanks heaps, that sounds like great advice to me! Yeast is a bit expensive, that 5g pouch was $7.99. I can get it cheaper, but then I've got $13.99 postage so I need to make an order worthwhile and it does add up! Then you have the fact that it's about a week's wait. The other order I put in last weekend hasn't arrived yet, so no yeast! Having some in the fridge sounds like a great idea.
I did however talk to the Postie who delivered the fermenter, he makes spirits as it turns out, and apparently a local distillery (Who originated "Wine in a box"!) sells some brewing supplies, so I'll head up there Monday. I'm pretty much out of money for now though!
Thanks for being so helpful, I appreciate it.

Try "cheap yeast dot com" ( yes he's in australia ). He does cheap shipping for 7 sachet's of yeast. Its pretty good i think. Unless you are really rural, then all shipping will be expensive i suppose

 

[DaveDiamond]

Try "cheap yeast dot com" ( yes he's in australia ). He does cheap shipping for 7 sachet's of yeast. Its pretty good i think. Unless you are really rural, then all shipping will be expensive i suppose

Thanks! I'm about 400 kms from Adelaide, but it's "Regional" more than truly rural, I get packages all the time so there won't be a problem, it just takes a few days extra because it has to go to Adelaide first. Thanks, I hadn't found that one. Mostly I looked at Fermenters online or Googled a specific yeast product's 'number'. All the equipment I need for now has been bought one way or another, so it should be mostly yeast and nutrient for a while now, although another Fermenter is on the cards! Thanks mate!

Edit - It looks like a great way to go. Comparable prices to Kegland, some slightly over, some slightly under, but a lot cheaper than any other free postage deals I've seen. Cheers!

 

[VikeMan]

Thanks. I looked up making starters, but generally they say to pitch them as soon as you see the yeast activate.

If by activate you mean as soon as there is visible activity, that's not the way starters work. The idea is to make make a lot of new yeast cells, and that doesn't happen right away. It sounds like you were reading about "proofing" yeast, which involves adding the yeast to a small amount of water and sugar, to find out if it is viable. A starter is adding the yeast to a relatively large volume of wort (not plain water and not a simple sugar solution), to build up the cell count over the course of a day or more.