Our First Ag Yeast Slurry

[Burchman82]

Hey guys,
My bro and i just finished kegging our 1st ag brew that we did a few weeks back and we would like to start hanging onto the yeasts that we use (bloody expensive after all).

I have done a bit of reading on here about growing the yeasts from the packet and dividing them up into bottles etc for use. However, what we have done is just put some clean water in the bottom of the fermenter, sloshed it about to get the yeast off the bottom and then put it into some clean 2L apple juice bottles.

The yeast is a DCL US-05. so its a pretty basic one to start with, but i figure we should just start out on that before we go into the liquid yeasts.

The 2x 2L bottles are now in the fridge just chilling, what should we do with them now to use them in the future?
Thanks guys
B-Man

 

[flattop]

I too use 2 liter bottles but after 2 days in the fridge i pour off the excess liquid and bottle in stubbies....
Consider keeping an original strain to re-use and culture rather than pitching 2md 3rd 4th generations...
Build starters from your first bottle, pour a small amount into a pet, feed it a little dex and water each day and it will take off...

 

[Sammus]

Except use dry malt extract instead of dex

 

[flattop]

Fair call Sammus, i use dex as i have a lot left over....

 

[Sammus]

Yeah it still works, apparently if you grow the yeasties up on dex then feed them malt extract they don't like it quite as much as if you bring them up on malt extract as well.

 

[flattop]

Breast fed bottle fed..... it's the old arguement.... i was bottle fed.... love breasts now, i think its the famine leading to feast

Dex works fine, in fact on lazy days i have fed my yeastie beasties cane sugar, too lazy to get the dex out, DME or LME is optimal but probably the most important thing is to keep them active, i have tipped in a teaspoon of dex and seen it go off like a pond of piranhas on a side of beef... literally....

 

[Burchman82]

ok, so ill take a bit of water off the top and then divvy it up into a few more bottles, then feed them some dme. then can i just pitch em straight in?

 

[Trent]

Do not use dex or cane sugar for starters. Maybe I could be wrong, but seriously, why take the chance? Yeast has evolved to do well in maltose, so give it what it wants. My opinion only, of course.
T.

 

[flattop]

Yes you are right, i am lazy.... Dme or Lme is better, but dex still works... i've done it...

 

[drsmurto]

ok, so ill take a bit of water off the top and then divvy it up into a few more bottles, then feed them some dme. then can i just pitch em straight in?

Few questions B-Man

What beer did the yeast cake come from? Light, dark, malty, hoppy?

How long will it spend in the fridge before it gets used again?

I do what you mentioned in the OP, add some boiled, cooled water to the fermenter after racking and collect the yeast slurry. I then let it sit for 15 mins which allows the trub to settle leaving the milky yeast suspension above. Decant the milky layer into sanitised bottles ready for either direct pitching into another beer if within a few days or storing to be used for starters later on. If i store it for more than a week i then wash it (see link below)

I've not seen a yeast manufacturer recommend dex for a starter, its always extract. 100g of LDME per 1L of water to give an SG of ~1.040. Save your dex for big belgian beers etc or priming.

Have a read of Chillers Yeast Farming Guide for a good reference on this technique.

Cheers
DrSmurto