Start up research help: Lock down idea - A pre-made yeast starter that saves the environment

[Propper Yeast]

Hi all, great to be here. Im hoping you can help us out a bit.

My buddy is a pro-brewer and we are looking for feedback on a lockdown idea we had. Sterile Yeast Starter /Rehydrator that's also Carbon Neutral and offsets all the co2 your homebrew will produce. Is there a market for this? Would you buy this?

Lockdown has made us think a lot. We would love to combine a few things we love; brewing + a sense of environmental awareness + working together on something.

We are looking to produce 440ml can of high-concentrate sterile wort for yeast starters + rehydrating. You would pour this and 560ml of water (bottled/filtered/boiled + cooled) add your yeast and that's all.
Production costs are quite high and RRP would be around $15.00 per can/prop. Is this too high? For yeast start (DME) yes. But the price of your time (vs the traditional way), the stress (knowing that its perfect to use), and the cost of off-setting the co2 your whole operation, seem to all roll into a fair price.

Being nutrient rich, it means your starter, and your brew, would benefit as a whole. Some ideas/selling points we were throwing around:
- Better yeast health/better fermentation: High yeast cell count. Stronger fermentation. Healthier yeast.
- No diacetyl: Nutrients included mean both the starter and your brew are 95% less likely to produce any diacetyl at all.
- Carbon off set production of the product, delivery, your brew, and your kegging/bottling set up.

Thoughts welcome. We are very aware you could just buy DME and do it yourself - we are wanting to make it easier, more accessible, with less stress, and with an emphasis on (at least) not damaging, and giving back to, the environment.

Cheers and beers,

Thomas & Niko

 

[The Mack]

It's not something I would be likely to use but can see the appeal for some, cost might be a stumbling block- once you add in liquid yeast its nearly $30 to build the yeast numbers.

One can is good for a starter of how many litres?

Good luck on the venture though, and well done for having a crack.

 

[Propper Yeast]

It's not something I would be likely to use but can see the appeal for some, cost might be a stumbling block- once you add in liquid yeast its nearly $30 to build the yeast numbers.

One can is good for a starter of how many litres?

Good luck on the venture though, and well done for having a crack.

Thanks mate. We plan to have enough to make 1L at 1.040 after dilution.

We are weary about the cost too.... production costs are quite high at the start up phase. Do you think $30 to build yeast numbers and off-set all co2/enviromental impact is worth it? We think so but not every homebrewer might care about the environment as much as we do.

 

[huez]

You can get the same thing, with even the same name, in the USA for $5 a can. I'd seriously consider a name change...
I like the idea and I would use it as it would be a massive time saver, but not at $15 a can, would have to be half that price.

 

[MontPel]

Thanks mate. We plan to have enough to make 1L at 1.040 after dilution.

We are weary about the cost too.... production costs are quite high at the start up phase. Do you think $30 to build yeast numbers and off-set all co2/enviromental impact is worth it? We think so but not every homebrewer might care about the environment as much as we do.

How are you offsetting co2?

 

[sp0rk]

When I can pay $15 for a stupidly overhopped neipa that's like 9% ABV, I feel the same amount for unfermented unhopped wort is probably a tad high

 

[golfandbrew]

I think your idea is better suited for maximizing output than it is a start up. If your mate's brewery already has a canning line then it makes sense to make and can wort for yeast starters if down time in production allows. Or contract to a brewery that has the capacity rather than build from the ground up.

Also would be keen to hear more about how this offsets CO2 and is better for the environment than me making my own starter.

Keep in mind a 1 kg of DME is generally less than $15 and would make 10 X 1 litre starters.

I think the idea is a good one. Different companies have been doing the same in the US for years. The price point seems high and the environmental part doesn't fit for me.

There are home brewers that will pay for convenience but 10x is a lot to ask.

 

[duncbrewer]

I have found that a couple of litres of boiling water thru the grains after my boil volume is collected can collect a high enough gravity to use as a starter base.
I stick it in the freezer in a sanitised bottle and then defrost and boil for the starter.

Even a 20 litre fresh wort kit costs 50 dollars divided up between a couple of brewers and frozen in bottles is going to be cheaper than the
" You can Start it " ( you saw the name here first ).

 

[sp0rk]

We think so but not every homebrewer might care about the environment as much as we do.

Seems like a bit of a petty ***, imho

 

[Tony121]

Seems like a bit of a crock of ****, imho

 

[fdsaasdf]

Seems like a bit of a petty ***, imho

Dunno what you mean. Surely homebrewers are doing everything they can to find more single-use packaged products to "save the environment"

This product by itself is probably double the cost of yeast for the average batch, close to triple if brewers are buying yeast in bulk.

 

[KegLand-com-au]

I have found that a couple of litres of boiling water thru the grains after my boil volume is collected can collect a high enough gravity to use as a starter base.
I stick it in the freezer in a sanitised bottle and then defrost and boil for the starter.

Even a 20 litre fresh wort kit costs 50 dollars divided up between a couple of brewers and frozen in bottles is going to be cheaper than the
" You can Start it " ( you saw the name here first ).

Yeah I was going to say the same thing. We sell Fresh wort for as low as $31.95 for 15L (without any dry hops or yeast). I think it's not a bad product but I would have thought the price would need to be quite a bit cheaper than $15.

I should also say that aluminium cans are ideally suited to carbonated beverages but for just still wort you could probably more efficiently package in heat resistant bag so you can seal up the bag then heat the bag to ensure aceptic conditions.

 

[duncbrewer]

I should also say that aluminium cans are ideally suited to carbonated beverages but for just still wort you could probably more efficiently package in heat resistant bag so you can seal up the bag then heat the bag to ensure aceptic conditions.

Well I suppose you could pasteurise the sealed can pretty easily after filling, but that's putting more energy into a product that's meant to save CO2.

 

[Tony121]

How are you offsetting co2?

Still waiting to hear this

 

[duncbrewer]

Still waiting to hear this

Holding your breath saves a bit of CO2 temporarily!!

 

[Tony121]

Holding your breath saves a bit of CO2 temporarily!!

I choose to save the trees by fermenting beer

It will be interesting to see if they have any substance behind that claim or if it is just the usual BS that so many people try to flog.

 

[Nullnvoid]

$15 for a 440ml can or wort?

"Tell him he's dreaming!"

I didn't realise it was that hard to create a starter!

 

[Tony121]

You obviously don’t respect the environment like they do

 

[Nullnvoid]

You obviously don’t respect the environment like they do

Apparently not!

 

[BrewLizard]

Need to know the embodied energy of each can, the embodied CO2 and how you're offsetting it.

Also needs a strong selling point to justify it being $14.25 more expensive than my starters currently, which have no disposable packaging (until the DME bag runs out, then it is recycled).

Edit: Using new yeast without starter would be $5 per batch (dry) or $13ish (wet).