First go at splitting a smack pack....info overload=confusion

[einnebcj]

Purchased a wyeast 1272 American II and thought I'd have a go at splitting the pack to get better bang for buck. Heaps of good info on the forum but this can some time be disadvantageous - so many subtle variants on how to do it and I end up a confused blithering mess in thee corner....I'm a little remedial that way.....

So simple solutions resonate with me and I found a post from the long gone Nic JD where he advocates ths method -

QUOTE - I get the smackpack and digital scales and some 300ml PET bottles that are filled with starsan. And a cool kettle of boiled water.

Snip the smackpack and put the sanitised bottle on the scales and add 25g of yeast liquid - top up with boiled water, lid on, labeled with strain and date, into fridge.

Repeat 3 more times.

Put the last 25g in the smackpack into preprepared 2L of wort with 200g of LDME. END QUOTE

seems simple enough but I still have some questions:
1) - the last 25g in the 2L becomes your starter which you would then need to stirplate/shake for a couple of days to get krausen and then either pitch or refrigerate/settle/drain and then pitch? Correct?

2) - given that this sees the pack split into 4 25g amounts - I'm guessing this is the amount to then pitch into a standard 23l batch? I'm doing 17l batches (stovetop).....should I adjust to say 5 20g bottles? Less liquid?

3) - the bottles that end up in the fridge can then sit there of a period of months(?) and when I'm ready to use one of them, I then bring it up to room temp and mix in my starter wort - stirplate etc etc?

Sorry for the newb questions that have been undoubtedly addressed in many other threads.......and I hope they make sense.

Cheers for the help in advance!

Chris

 

[timmi9191]

1- yes that is the one to use first. For me about 5 to 7 days after I've started the starter
2- no. You need to start each of the 25g samples. Starting a 25g will bring the yeast levels back up close to original pack levels.
3- in theory.. But the number of cells will diminish over time hence the original packs have a best before date. I've just started a 7 mth old kolsch sample. I'm doing a double starter to bring it back up to good health

 

[dr K]

No
No
No
Liquid yeasts are designed to have a pitchable qty of yeast suitable for 19 litres for 4-6 months depending on supplier.
They are packaged under specific conditions to maintain viability.
If you wish to reduce your yeast costs then re-use, remembering always that your harvested yeast is really only viable for a week or less.
When your yeast is older, or you wish to make a lager, make a starter, its simple and effective..bear in mind you are making yeast not beer though, same for more than a single batch.
Just a note though, a decent qty of harvested yeast, kept in a "sterile" bottle for a few months in a fridge will certainly kick off a fermentation, whether or not the yeast is viable as to its strain is unknown and unlikely.

K

 

[einnebcj]

No
No
No
Liquid yeasts are designed to have a pitchable qty of yeast suitable for 19 litres for 4-6 months depending on supplier.
They are packaged under specific conditions to maintain viability.
If you wish to reduce your yeast costs then re-use, remembering always that your harvested yeast is really only viable for a week or less.
When your yeast is older, or you wish to make a lager, make a starter, its simple and effective..bear in mind you are making yeast not beer though, same for more than a single batch.
Just a note though, a decent qty of harvested yeast, kept in a "sterile" bottle for a few months in a fridge will certainly kick off a fermentation, whether or not the yeast is viable as to its strain is unknown and unlikely.

K

Sooooooo......are you saying its a waste of time for me to split the yeast and to do so ill just end up with yeast that will ferment a cooled wort but won't be true to its strain and therefore unpredictable in its influence on the final taste flavour etc? Doesn't this go against why people seem split a yeast pack......it kinda infers that unless you intend to pitch your refrigerated yeast within a few days, you should basically ditch it?

Remember......remedial and easily confused....

 

[einnebcj]

Ok......this makes sense to me.....

http://blog.bracio.com/2012/09/splitting-liquid-yeast-packs.html