# Hag Yeast Slant Library



## schooey (23/7/08)

In light of all the recent slant threads, I decided I might give this a run. I ordered my vials today and they should be here tomorrow to get me started. I'm just curious if there is anyone else amongst the HAG group making slants and any interest in starting a library to post here what slants you have made i.e. strain type and quantity, so that maybe we can swap strains, contact someone in case of emergency etc etc

If there's no interest, I guess the thread will just die a natural death


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## Tony (23/7/08)

Definatly will be in this but not till i am sorted brewing wise.

Definatly count me in shortly though.

cheers


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## pokolbinguy (23/7/08)

Hey I dont have any at the moment but would love to be involved. Currently posting under the influenceso i will leave any serious talk till later.


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## goatherder (23/7/08)

I have a stash of vials which I'm happy to swap or offer up for those in need. Some are a bit old (maybe up to 2 years) but they seem to fire up OK. Caveat Emptor.

I've never done slants but I'm happy to accept them in a swap.

My current collection includes:

(all wyeast)

1007
1318
1388
1469
2206
3436


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## braufrau (23/7/08)

Don't forget the yeast slant registry on the wiki!

linky link


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## ~MikE (23/7/08)

i'm up for this, perhaps users location should also be included?


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## braufrau (23/7/08)

Ok. Done! I've added location to the instructions and to the first two who added themselves.


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## onescooter (23/7/08)

Great idea, 
Just put down some slants around two weeks ago of Wyeast 2124 ( Bohemian Pils ).
Would be happy to bring a couple to the case swap on the weekend if anyone is interested.
Cheers,
Scott.


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## MHB (24/7/08)

Schooey
Interesting timing, I just brought a couple of hundred Pyrex Screw Cap Test Tubes.

I have been planning to get some Agar, Nutrient and Malt all mixed.
Had in mind a packet like a cuppa soup, but it makes 100 mL of ready to use instant media, just add boiling water.

Sounds like I better get the finger out and get the testing finished.

MHB


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## Benniee (24/7/08)

I'm still gearing up and gaining experience in slants, but....

In short order I hope to have the following wyeast strains

1099 Whitbread Ale
2308 Munich Lager

The plan is to do a handful of slants from each wyeast pack on the way into a starter.

If anyone has any empty tubes they'd like to "donate" it would be helpful - otherwise I'll be ordering some from proscitech.

Benniee


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## Weizguy (24/7/08)

I'll be happy to participate, but only after I sort out some slants.

I have some varieties that are quite uncommon. e.g. 2 Yeastlab var. (which may be similar to the other commercial brands), King&Barnes ale, Matilda Bay Real Ale yeast.


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## goatherder (24/7/08)

It's great that our South Australian friends want to be involved but I think this might work best if we keep it a face to face local thing. Saves involving the postal system. Thoughts anyone?


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## schooey (24/7/08)

GH, I started it in the HAG thread for that very reason. I just thought it would be convenient to know what other locals are doing. Not that I'm not for doing a similar thing an AHB wide, just thought it would be simpler this way to kick off the HAGs and also to find out if anyone else local was doing or had an interest in doing slants.

Not meaning to shun others here, just a convenience thing.

Mark: That sounds cool, would make things simpler if it works.


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## SJW (24/7/08)

I am in! Don't know much about SLANTS but have lots of vials of 1st gen 2124 Wyeast.

Steve


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## Tony (24/7/08)

anyone got a recomendation on the best ones to get?

http://www.proscitech.com.au/cataloguex/online.asp?page=l9

cheers


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## schooey (24/7/08)

.. I ordered 50 of the LP9025 UU just yesterday...


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## goatherder (24/7/08)

The ones I've got Tony are code LP9025-UU - I think I gave you one a while back with yeast in it. 30ml freestanding V bottom PP with PP lid.


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## Tony (24/7/08)

Ahhh yes i forgot about that one 

Whats the difference between Poly Propoline and Poly Carbonate (i asume thats what they stand for)

cheers


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## schooey (24/7/08)

See here

I just noticed that autoclaving wasn't such a great thing for PC, so I went for the PP


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## goatherder (24/7/08)

Yep, that's the reason. I pressure cook mine before use so that's why I went with the PP.


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## Benniee (24/7/08)

That a good page of info on plastics. I learnt a fair bit about the different poly's on there.

I also like the look of the LP9025-UU, but I need one of their thermometers to come back in stock before I can place an order. It keeps telling me it's going to be 4 weeks!  

Benniee


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## Tony (24/7/08)

Should we try and standardise the vessel for this.

I plan to build a tast tube holder that tilts up and locks for when they cool.

Would be a bugger if we swapped and others tubes didnt fit!

cheers


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## Tony (24/7/08)

one other thing........... where can we get this agar agar stuff in the valley?

cheers

PS.......... im excited about this....... been meaning to start slants for a while now but never really had the motivation

cheers


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## Benniee (24/7/08)

Tony said:


> one other thing........... where can we get this agar agar stuff in the valley?



I've read a couple of other links that reckon you can use gelatin without a problem.

I made up a test "slant" in an old baby food jar using gelatin and the thing set up nicely at room temp and is looking good after a couple of days.

edit: here is one of the links


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## schooey (24/7/08)

Seems you can get it at any health food kinda store, Tony. I'm going to do a bit of investigating into this tomorrow and see if I can acquire some, I'll let you know.

As for making those the standard vessel, it sounds like a good idea to me, they're cheap enough. Even if you only buy 50 at express post its only $0.54 each


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## onescooter (24/7/08)

Did mine using edible gelatin from woolies and they worked fine.


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## Tony (24/7/08)

mine came out at around the $30 mark with postage for 50.

I dont plan to have hundreds of them.......... i want room in the fridge for beer too  

I looked at teh supermarket but no good.

Was thinking of tracking down a health food store of sorts but im not sure where there would be one in the maitland area.

mmmmm might try the yellow pages 

cheers


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## Weizguy (24/7/08)

Tony said:


> mine came out at around the $30 mark with postage for 50.
> 
> I dont plan to have hundreds of them.......... i want room in the fridge for beer too
> 
> ...


Tony, would you like me to check for some Agar at the local health food shop tomorrow?

How much do you want?


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## gap (24/7/08)

agar agar can be obtained from most Indian or Asian stores which sell spices etc.

Regards


Graeme


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## schooey (24/7/08)

Does anyone know the Asian name for it though. I went to the Asian grocery and asked for it and got "Hurrh, wasshyoowann?" Figure it would help if I had the conversion


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## emash (24/7/08)

Hi schooey

Best place I have found so far to Buy Agar in Newcastle is at the Asian grocers in Hunter Street Newcastle (I think it is just down from the old Empire Hotel). It is called Agar-Agar Powder and it sells for approx $2.30 for 25grammes. You can also buy it from the Asian Grocers at Stockland Jesmond 90cents for 7 grammes but it is flavoured and it is crap to work with it foams and spits all over the place when heated. The Agar-Agar powder from the Asian Grocer in Hunter Street is very easy to work with it is plain and not flavoured. 

The current formulae I use from the above is 300 mL Water, 20g malt extract, and 4-5g Agar and a pinch of yeast nutrient. I place the water and malt extract and yeast nutrient in an erlenmeyer flask and swirl to mix then gradually add agar till it soaks in for a few minutes. When it is thoroughly wet raise the heat slowly to dissolve it completely . Bring to boil carefully and boil for a few minutes. Then place in vials then pressure cook. I am still playing around with the mixtures but the above seems to work okay.

Cheers 
Glenn


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## tynian (25/7/08)

Hey Guys,

I was talking to MHB yesterday about this and said I would respond.

I would be happy to trade any of my slants, I currently have:

wlp001
wlp023
wyeast 2001
wyeast 1968
wyeast 3068
wyeast 3944

Also, does anyone have a good method for innoculating from slant to slant?

Cheers
Rob


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## Benniee (25/7/08)

Does anyone see a big problem with using gelatin instead of agar-agar? Gelatin is readily available from the supermarket compared to agar. As far as I can tell the only difference is the agar "sets" at a higher temperature.

As I posted before I made up a blank slant with gelatin and it's been sitting at room temp for 3 days now and looks fine. I made this up for 2 reasons. Firstly to test that my methods are good enough to produce "clean" blank slants. Secondly to see how the gelatin would perform.

Benniee


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## tynian (25/7/08)

Benniee said:


> Does anyone see a big problem with using gelatin instead of agar-agar? Gelatin is readily available from the supermarket compared to agar. As far as I can tell the only difference is the agar "sets" at a higher temperature.
> 
> As I posted before I made up a blank slant with gelatin and it's been sitting at room temp for 3 days now and looks fine. I made this up for 2 reasons. Firstly to test that my methods are good enough to produce "clean" blank slants. Secondly to see how the gelatin would perform.
> 
> Benniee




Hey Benniee,

Gelatin will work fine. I have used this myself and have experienced no issues. If you can get your hands on some Agar, I would suggest using it first, but if your only option is gelatin, then go for it.


Rob


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## Weizguy (25/7/08)

Benniee said:


> Does anyone see a big problem with using gelatin instead of agar-agar? Gelatin is readily available from the supermarket compared to agar. As far as I can tell the only difference is the agar "sets" at a higher temperature.
> 
> As I posted before I made up a blank slant with gelatin and it's been sitting at room temp for 3 days now and looks fine. I made this up for 2 reasons. Firstly to test that my methods are good enough to produce "clean" blank slants. Secondly to see how the gelatin would perform.
> 
> Benniee


From here:

Agar, in contrast with gelatin, is a carbohydrate. Like gelatin, however, agar is a reversible colloid. It soaks up in cold water, dissolves in hot water after a long boiling to a tasteless and odorless clear solution, and solidifies upon cooling to a more or less opaque jelly.

The colloidal properties of agar are not destroyed by a long-continued heating at a high temperature, nor by the action of ordinary microorganisms as are those of gelatin. One per cent agar is much more easily soluble under equal conditions than a higher per cent. One and one half per cent is the amount used in ordinary agar media, giving a somewhat stiffer and thus more desirable jelly. Agar is not a food for microorganisms in general, i.e., it is not affected by the digestive enzymes of most bacteria, as is gelatin.
Agar is of special use in bacteriological work in which the cultivation of microorganisms must be conducted at a temperature above the melting-point of gelatin.

Les


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## Benniee (25/7/08)

Thanks Les - I've been looking for that sort of a breakdown.

I wonder if yeast are "ordinary microorganisms" and will somehow alter the gelatin (other than grow on it  )

Also a good point on working with things at higher temps - where agar would be the only real option.

Benniee


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## mikelinz (25/7/08)

Tony said:


> anyone got a recomendation on the best ones to get?
> 
> http://www.proscitech.com.au/cataloguex/online.asp?page=l9
> 
> cheers



LP9025-UL Vee bottom containers, PP, PP screw cap, 30mL AUD22.00 /pk/50 10% DISCOUNT FOR 10 

These work well for several reasons

1 Can stand up
2 30ml less fiddly than smaller ones
3 Lid and container can be boiled/autoclaved (read pressure cooked) with lid screwed on and won't collapse on cooling


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## schooey (25/7/08)

gc45 said:


> Best place I have found so far to Buy Agar in Newcastle is at the Asian grocers in Hunter Street Newcastle (I think it is just down from the old Empire Hotel). It is called Agar-Agar Powder and it sells for approx $2.30 for 25grammes.



.. Cheers, Glenn. I got some from her this morning, exactly as you described. Might have went overboard with 4 packets though, I didnt think about it until I was driving home, but that will be enough to make up about 260 slants... :blink:


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## Benniee (25/7/08)

tynian said:


> Also, does anyone have a good method for innoculating from slant to slant?



I managed to dig this one up - link

Look on pages 189-190. Sounds fairly similar to going from a liquid to a slant.

Benniee


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## n00ch (25/7/08)

I've been thinking about doing this for some time so I'm keen to get in on it also.

Oh and Tony have you tried the health food shop in Pender Place in Maitland?

Cheers


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## goatherder (25/7/08)

I'm keen to be a part of this but I'm not going down the agar road.

I've found a yeast slurry can live for months (years even) in a well sanitised tube in my fridge. Sometimes they take a few days to fire up but they do nonetheless.

It sounds like we are mostly talking about sharing the commonly available yeast strains so I'm comfortable with simply tipping some clean starter into a clean tube and sharing this around.

I know agar has some advantages over this method but is anyone violently opposed to it?


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## Tony (25/7/08)

Mate i tend to agree. that tube of yeast i got from you was what 1 1/2 yeast old........... more.

I put it in a starter and 24 hrs later it was climbing out the airlock.

I have always just stuck some in the old white labs tubes of a sterile jam jar and they keep for ages. Jam jars arnt so good with their steel lids but the sealed tubes are great.

Might do the same. LEave a bit in the starter, add some cooled boiled water and fill the test tubes.

Another problem is i dont have a pressure cooker......... more cost. I just spent my spare hundred bucks on an electric mincer/sausage maker 

Mmmmmm.... Bhut Jolokia pork sausages this summer for anyone keen 

back on topic.............. may give both a go and see which i prefer.

Schooey.......... i will buy a bit off you to try if you have got to much.

cheers


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## MHB (27/7/08)

Hi all anyone thinking of making slants, this is one of the best easy to follow guides I have found.

MHB


Yeast handling and Storage


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## Sammus (27/7/08)

Just incase it hadn't been mentioned too frequently yet, every asian grocery store I've ever been into sells agar-agar, and in my experience (3 different stores, one in newcastle next to dominos which is now closed - havent tried to new better one in hunter st yet) they are all this packet:






And you only need sweet FA.

And for this local trading business, do we have to do it on slants? I like what this site reckons about storing under distilled water - agar is too messy and annoying to clean out of stuff  I use agar to plate and select the colony (based on nothing in particular, just to make sure its a clean specimen), but like to store under distilled.


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## schooey (27/7/08)

The shop next to Dominos is open again, but they don't carry it. The one around the corner on Hunter St does though, as mentioned above


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## Sammus (28/7/08)

schooey said:


> The shop next to Dominos is open again, but they don't carry it. The one around the corner on Hunter St does though, as mentioned above



Weird, I've bought it from there a bunch of times before they shut. Maybe different owners now or something. Oh well, its still not far away


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## braufrau (28/7/08)

Ok ... not wanting to hijack your HAG slant fest .. but I just want to share ... here are the blanks I made on the weekend with the same agar as Sammus






Looks like someone sneezed in the vial doesn't it?


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## schooey (4/8/08)

Innoculated my first 3 slants with Wyeast 1388 tonight, will let you all know how it goes..... :unsure:


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## goatherder (4/8/08)

Is anyone interested in some bugs? I saved the dregs out of my Lindemans Gueuze Cuve Ren. Should I culture up a few vials?


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## Tony (4/8/08)

What did they taste like first?


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## goatherder (4/8/08)

Super funky horse blanket. Sour as hell. Awesome.


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## schooey (4/8/08)

Yeah i'll have a crack, Scotty. Any suggestions on a recipe?


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## goatherder (4/8/08)

Not sure there Schooey. You could go the whole hog lambic route - turbid mash, debittered hops, ferment it for a year or three then blend or add fruit. I haven't really got the motivation to do that just yet.

I was thinking something a bit simpler - maybe make a Belgian Strong Golden (or dark for that matter) and add the bugs to secondary along with some wine-soaked oak chips. Bottle it after 3-6 months and see what happens. Or maybe use it to sour up a small batch of stout or porter and blend it back into an unsoured beer for just a hint of funk.


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## schooey (4/8/08)

goatherder said:


> You could go the whole hog lambic route - turbid mash, debittered hops, ferment it for a year or three then blend or add fruit.



I might nick some off you and give it a rip, Scotty. I have a great big (54L) glass fermenter and a spot under the house that I can forget about for a long looooooooooong time, why the hell not.... I also have a mix half empty packets each of B Saaz, POR, NZ Cascade and Pacific Hallertau that I can use for the hops that have been kicking around in my fridge not really being looked after for the last 12 months, could be interesting.... :blink:


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## Weizguy (4/8/08)

goatherder said:


> Is anyone interested in some bugs? I saved the dregs out of my Lindemans Gueuze Cuve Ren. Should I culture up a few vials?


yum...aromas of faeces will be absent.
"Super funky horse blanket", what is that? an oldwave funk band?

I believe that all recipes should include raw or rolled wheat. turbid mash, too.
Unfired oak barrel.

Get motivated now, and by the time you can appreciate it, you'll have it there for your appreciation.
A small outlay for an aged project ale, paying off dividends for your tastebuds.

I've been aging some HallertauCascade plugs. They have been plucked apart, and are losing their aroma. They have scenting my beerspace for some time; although much less successfully lately.

We could innoculate the barrel with oak staves, for everyone to take home. Anyone? Bueller? Trent?

Can I hear a "yeah" inna house?

Les the beer evangelist


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## goatherder (5/8/08)

Sounds like a plan. I'll culture them up. I'll also do the dregs from the bottle of Cantillon Bio Gueuze which is waiting to be drunk.


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## Benniee (5/8/08)

My tubes arrived from ProSciTech yesterday so I'll be aiming to get some slants happenning shortly. I'm getting 4 wisdom teeth ripped out tomorrow so it probably won't be for a week or so though.

Back on topic - I inoculated my "test" slant in a baby food jar with some US-05 slurry collected. Before I get posts about "why bother - it's a dry yeast", it was just to test my methods and get a little familiar with the process. 

With the cooler weather at the moment is has been slowly forming a nice white growth where I've streaked the slant - and toward the end of the streaks there are some single white dots, which I believe are isolated colonys of yeast. So to my untrained eye it seems to be going well.

I will try and post up a pic tonight when I get home.

Benniee


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## MHB (7/8/08)

This topic is generating enough chatter that I thought it might be a good idea to get together and sort the bugs out.

We will be running a *slant workshop *on the 23rd of this month at the shop, start about 2:30 PM (yes that’s a Saturday afternoon).

Les the Weizguy has been dragooned into doing most of the work, in case you weren’t aware Les did his degree in microbiology (among other things, but mostly biolgical studies: Les note / edit) so what he has to say should be worth listening to.

Hopefully there will be some freebees for those who attend as well as a good opportunity to improve your skills and hear what other brewers have to say on the subject.

I will make sure there is some beer on hand and some snacks, please let me know if you are coming.

MHB


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## schooey (8/8/08)

Sounds good to me, always willing to learn when there's beer included...  

My first slants seem to have worked ok, it's not really that much of a long winded process, just a lot of cleanliness care needed.


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## pokolbinguy (8/8/08)

Oooo that sounds like a good offer there Mark. I shall keep you posted. Would be good to hear about it from someone who really understands the chemistry behind it.


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## Benniee (9/8/08)

I'm keen to attend as well - I've got some family things on that day as well but I'll do my best to juggle things around so I can make it.

Will get back with a definite answer sometime in the next week.

Benniee


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## Benniee (22/8/08)

This topic has been very quiet of late - is there still a get together happening tomorrow?

Benniee


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## Benniee (3/9/08)

Looks like I take out the hat-trick of posts in keeping this thread going  

I finally have some slants available for the swap pool...

Wyeast 1099 Whitbread Ale - Inoculated directly from activator pack on 31/08/2008. They're looking pretty good, some nice fine yeast growth on the surface so I'm hoping it'll fill out over the next day or so.

If anyone is interested in this strain just let me know.

What I'd like to get a hold of is some hefe yeast - Wyeast 3068 would be my first choice.

Benniee


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## Weizguy (3/9/08)

Benniee said:


> Looks like I take out the hat-trick of posts in keeping this thread going
> 
> I finally have some slants available for the swap pool...
> 
> ...


I'll get back to you re W3068. I need to get some bits before I start my slant library.


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## Benniee (3/9/08)

No worries Les. 

It took me a while to get my stuff together, and then I did a couple of test runs to get comfortable with the process.

In the end I found it pretty enjoyable - can certainly see why some people call it a hobby within the hobby.

Benniee


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## Benniee (15/9/08)

Ok - well I've done my first "swap".

Tynian had a spare slant of the Wyeast 3068, so I did a swap for some Wyeast 1099.

Sorry Les - I hope you weren't getting anything organised especially for me.

I've still got some 1099 slants, as well as some Wy 2308 slants going at the moment. If anyone is interested just give me a yell.

Benniee


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## schooey (18/2/09)

Just adding what I've built up in slants since kicking this off;

WY3056
WY3638
WY2124
WY2308
WY1318
WY1028
WY2565
WY1056
WY1728
WY1388
WLP009
WLP833

Be interested to swap for WLP001 or WLP500


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## schooey (6/3/09)

Just an update...

WY3056
WY3638
WY2124
WY2308
WY1318
WY1028
WY2565
WY1056
WY1728
WY1388
WLP009
WLP833
WY3787
WY3522
WY2487
WY4184


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