Saving Yeast
By Mark Tumarkin

Seems like the HBD is a never-ending source of good ideas and interesting brewing info. Here are a couple of posts with ways to save a slug o'yeast for a big, easy starter. Note: Both of these posts appeared in the HBD on the same day….. Coincidence? I think not. And by the way, is it true that Dave W's a charter member of the CBAC?

<editor's note>
The following was taken from the Homebrew Digest.
</editor's note>

Date: Fri, 5 Apr 2002 09:01:47 -0500 
From: "Barrett, Bob (R.A.)" 
Subject: Re: Saving Yeast

Nils Hedglin asks:
Is there a way to save the yeast left over after a batch is done?  

Nils, I'm sure there are many ways and some may be better than
others.  I save yeast all the time.  In fact more likely than not
when I rack from the primary to the 2ndary I will save the yeast.
The procedure I use is to leave just enough fermented beer in
the primary after racking to loosen the yeast cake from the 
bottom of the fermenter.  I use carboys as fermenters.  Then
my brewing partner, aka my wife Kim, takes a new ziploc 1 gal.
freezer bag and opens it up so I can dump the liquified slurry
from the carboy into the bag.  Kim then will get most of the air
out of the bag and seal it.  We keep the slurry in the fridge
until we are ready to make a starter for our next batch.  There 
is even a place on the bag you can use to label the bag so 
you know what kind of slurry it is and the date you collected it.
We use a freezer bag because it is much stronger than the 
normal ziploc storage bags.  We don't want the bag to split
open in the fridge.

A few things about our procedure.  I learned this from a 
fellow home brewer, Chris Frey, about 3 years ago.  Since then
I have found that many other home brewers use the same 
procedure to save yeast.  The ziploc bags do not need to be
sanitized as they come sanitized from the factory.  Just make 
sure the bag comes out of the box completely sealed .  We 
always make a starter when reusing the saved yeast.  Some
home brewers do not.  In either case we start by taking the 
bag out of the fridge and let it warm up at least two hours 
before we're ready to use it.  The way we get the slurry
out of the ziploc bag is to first sanitize the out side of the bag
by submerging the bottom half of the bag in sanitizer (we use
Star-San).  Also, sanitize a pair of scissors.  When you are 
ready to "let the yeast out of the bag", hold the bag by one
of the top corners.  This will cause the slurry to collect at one
of the bottom corners.  Take your sanitized scissors and cut 
about 1/2 inch off the other bottom corner.  Then pour the 
slurry out of the hole into your starter container or fermenter,
however you decide to use it.

Like I said there are many ways to save yeast slurry, but this
way has worked for us.  I have used the slurry after saving it 
for up to 2 months with no problems.  I'm sure there are 
others that have saved it longer than that.  Hope this helps.

We make the beer we drink!!!
Bob Barrett
Ann Arbor, Mi
(2.8, 103.6) Rennerian.  Ya, he's close.  Real close.
 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Date: Fri, 05 Apr 2002 10:27:59 -0500
From: Marc Sedam 
Subject: saving yeast

Nils,

Welcome to the Cheap Brewers of America Club (CBAC).  As
your President, I have tried many ways to get the total cost
per batch down to infinitesimal levels.  Yeast can be one of
the biggest costs per batch.  But don't despair!  The CBAC's
crack research team has been brewing cheaply for 10 years
and our collaboration with the PrimeTabs Yeast Abuse
Research Center allows us to offer you help.

1)  if you're going to brew within a month of draining off
the "sludge" then you simply need to store the yeast in a
sanitized container.  Dump it in your beer when the wort is
ready and you're good to go.

2)  If you are not going to brew that quickly, then dump a
half pint of yeast sludge in a sanitized quart Ball jar.
Add a pint of fresh wort and let it ferment out COMPLETELY.
Store in a fridge until you're ready to use the yeast.  Dump
it directly in your batch if used within two months.

3)  If you still haven't brewed with the yeast after two
months then you must perform the ritual acts of #2, decant
(in the sink or in your mouth) the fermented wort off the
yeast sediment, add a quart of fresh wort, shake like hell,
and add to your batch when you see fermentation start in the
jar.  Yeast can be revived this way for upwards of six
months.  But the original yeast sludge must be stored in a
refrigerator for the whole time.


Of course in order for any of this to work you must first
add the ritual hops to your mash.  Sprinkle across the top
of your mash while circling the tun counterclockwise and
"dropping" PrimeTabs all the while.  Your yeast will then
understand how serious you are about saving their souls from
the evil sewer.


Cheerios!
- --

Marc Sedam
Chapel Hill, NC
"Brewing like one cheap bastard since 1992"

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