Let's Freeze Some Yeast

[Yob]

Coopers give shit advice about yeast

 

[Yob]

Coopers' instructions say use 6 tablespoons of sugar with 600mL of water for yeast slurry from 4 bottles then pitch at active ferment. Now, assuming is dangerous, but I do assume that this is for most of their Kit and Kilo type recipes which typically end up around 1.045 or so.

So without molar calculations, I used 100g of malt for 1L of water for 5 bottles worth of yeast slurry. But the yeast is going to be pitched on a higher OG wort than 1.045 so being limited in volume, I used the same 100g of malt in 1L of water to "step-up". The big moccona jars hold that easily. And the DIY stir plate worked well and today I had a jar looking like Murray River water. I'll try to calculate the amount of yeast from the "allow the yeast to settle, then pour off the spent wort until equal amounts of yeast and wort remain. Re-suspend the yeast and measure (I'll Calculate) the volume and use the 1B cells per ml" method.

I also read that 100B cells pitched into a 1L starter on a stir plate will yield 246B cells. So that gives me a ball park to work from.

We'll see how the yeast works on the wort. And I'll find out a little about freezing yeast too.

pitching such a small amount of yeast into a large starter isnt good for them

pitching stressed, old yeast onto above 1.020 wort as a first step isnt good for them

pitching dregs onto sugar isnt good for them

**** coopers.

 

[MartinOC]

Now, assuming is dangerous
Assuming IS dangerous

So without molar calculations,
Uh-oh! We're getting into "Seriously Geeky" here......

I'll try to calculate the amount of yeast from the:

"allow the yeast to settle, then pour off the spent wort until equal amounts of yeast and wort remain. Re-suspend the yeast and measure (I'll Calculate) the volume and use the 1B cells per ml" method.

I also read that 100B cells pitched into a 1L starter on a stir plate will yield 246B cells. So that gives me a ball park to work from.

Yeah, a good ballpark. Up or down a little won't hurt.

We'll see how the yeast works on the wort. And I'll find out a little about freezing yeast too.

Good idea

Mate, I absolutely admire your quest for perfection in your beers & I share that quest with you......

Sometimes the best thing is just to experiment.......there's the fun.....

JUST MAKE BEER!!!

Edit: Yob also hit it earlier.

 

[Yob]

^^^ have fun, experiment, just make beer ^^^

well said...

may I add... have LOTS of freezer space.. and not that shitty frost free frezer space either... good old fashioned deep freeze

 

[Mattrox]

I'm using this as a dry run, so my intention was to freeze the yeast and leave it for a month or 2...... which will likely turn into 4 or 6, and see if I can make a starter that ferments and isn't smelly.

By that time I may have procured a conical flask or two.

Next time I'll use a sixer of Pale Ale on less wort at 1.020. If I treat the yeast more tenderly, they might just sleep for me and wake up rearing to go.

 

[Yob]

when you bank your yeast, you want them in as healthy a position as you can get them, its a pretty hostile environment and we arent doing them any favors doing it to them.

a small starter for your dregs, ~100ml max of 1.020 and another of 1.040 at 500ml to get good growth and vitality restoration is essential.

Think of them like bears, they need to be well fed before hibernating.

BY all means.. experiment.. (ed It's rad fun) its what got me into this too and now I have about 150 vials frozen off :lol:

 

[Mattrox]

Looks like 186B roughly. It didn't build up as much as I thought it might.

Learning curve.

 

[Yob]

So my 2 year old greenbelt on the IIIPA

1.095 fast forward 6 days.... 1.012

Almost %12 so approaching threshold I'd say.. I'd better get some dry hops in there

 

[Midnight Brew]

Beast!

 

[CmdrRyekr]

What's the go with freezing yeast blends ladies? Have a 3031PC Saison/Brett blend smackpack here I'm planning on growing up and brewing with; but as far as freezing slants goes I guess without a) knowing the ratios of the original blend and b ) without plating it out and splitting the strains, it's probably going to be a bit of a shitshow.

Thoughts?

 

[jibba02]

Don't freeze slants

 

[Yob]

In principle, I don't see why it wouldn't freeze the same as any other yeast with the process outlined in this topic. I certainly wouldn't be freezing slants though. Plating it out kinda defeats the purpose of it being such a simple process, just mix the vial well, split, add glycerine and freeze is what I'd do.

You have a deep freezer? If not there are other things you need to do.

 

[CmdrRyekr]

In principle, I don't see why it wouldn't freeze the same as any other yeast with the process outlined in this topic. I certainly wouldn't be freezing slants though.

I said slant, but not really what I meant. Vials then.

Plating it out kinda defeats the purpose of it being such a simple process, just mix the vial well, split, add glycerine and freeze is what I'd do.

I'm wondering if the strains need to be split, cultured, then frozen and re-mixed in the correct ratios to maintain the original blend - hence my other comments.

Sure I can see why you could just freeze a sample as it came out of the pack, but that doesn't account for different growth rates between sacc and brett as in this example.

You have a deep freezer? If not there are other things you need to do.

No. Isn't the whole premise here that it can be done in a regular freezer we all have at home? Put the vials in a foam box with ice packs to buffer the freeze/thaw cycle from the frost-free bullshit, meaning we don't need a deep freezer.

 

[Yob]

Im lucky in that I have a 1000lt deep freezer, but yes, youll need to insulate, and while that is an acceptable option..if I had a frost free here's what I would do.

take a suitable sized container and fill with salt/water get as many tubes as you can and fill with water and place in the salt water container and freeze, when you need to freeze off a vial, slip one of the water ones out and replace with your vial of yeast.

 

[mofox1]

I use one of these. $9 at aussie disposals.

Dare say you could make your own with a bit of spare styro and gaffa tape that would work just as well.

 

[Yob]

I use one of these. $9 at aussie disposals.

Dare say you could make your own with a bit of spare styro and gaffa tape that would work just as well.

Im suggesting that if that were filled with a salt water frozen solution it would be less prone to any temperature fluctuation from a that cycle, whereas, if the vials are in there on their own, its the surface of the vials that act as the coolant.. I know which I'd rather the warmer air be attracted to first

 

[Yob]

so Ive decided to tackle storage, my current method is a bit random and it can be hard to find a vial of something in the 55lt container.



there is a fair bit of cutting involved but its going to be ******* stirling..

15 x 11 and I can fit at least 2 layers in the tub which lives in the bottom of my 1100lt deep freezer..

this is going to be epic

 

[kcurnow]

Looks pretty epic Jesse, to save material and cutting since it's a nice snug fit in your freezer you could reduce the depth of the long pieces so they are only half the height of the shorter cross pieces. This will reduce the amount of material required and cutting. If you were worried about stability you could only reduce the height of every second row or two.

 

[Grainer]

Froze some of my yeast yesterday.. FU&%ing keg fridge got too cold.. no glycerol... 10 strains down the toilet that were getting prepped for freezing.. fml..

 

[Grainer]

so Ive decided to tackle storage, my current method is a bit random and it can be hard to find a vial of something in the 55lt container.

DSC_1881.JPG

there is a fair bit of cutting involved but its going to be ******* stirling..

15 x 11 and I can fit at least 2 layers in the tub which lives in the bottom of my 1100lt deep freezer..

this is going to be epic

Issue is .. I have those tubs and they crack really quickly in the freezer.. I am looking for new ones that will last the freezer ! but love the racking idea.. GOLD!