Yeast bank equipment help

[Josh C]

So I am looking into ways to try and decrease my per batch cost. I have already bulked ordered grain from UCBC at ~$2/kg and hope to do the same with hops but what is really hurting the batch cost at the moment is using liquid yeast.

After some reading I have decided to try freezing yeast in glycerine as in this guide. I have used the same principle to store bacteria at my lab at uni so the process is familiar enough to me and looks simple enough to do at home too.

Just trying to source the gear I need. The one thing I can't find is the vials. I will need around 50 I guess, they need to be autoclavable (pressure cooker) and preferably around 15ml. Does anyone know were I can get some at a reasonable price?

So far my equipment list is:

3l Erlenmeyer flask (already have for starters)

250ml Erlenmeyer flask (starters)

Magnetic stir plate (already have)

500ml beaker (to hold vials in the pressure cooker)

50ml measuring cylindor

Pressure cooker such as this

Autoclavable baster/pipette to transfer yeast (Maybe this?)

Glycerine

Vials

I have read in another post that glycerine is easy enough to get from pharmacies, can anyone confirm this? (for my peace of mind)

I was thinking of starting with about 5 strains. Does anyone else in Chch do this who would be willing to trade strains?

[Liam Callaghan]

I have vials mate hit me up with how many you want

[Josh C]

I'll message you

[Paul Fraser]

Do you have a website with the yeast stuff you sell?

[Ralph]

http://www.hopgoblin.co.nz/

[Paul Fraser]

Cheers, I knew I'd seen it before but couldn't remember it.

[Josh C]

I'll order through the website. How big are the vials? Are the cheaper ones OK for what I need? 

[Ralph]

Yep, I do this here in Chch. I have had some strains in the freezer for up to a year and a half and they are still starting up ok.

I use a 10ml pipette to transfer yeast. It was one of the old mouth sucky type ones, but I have little vacuum adapter so I dont have to do it by mouth.

Food grade glycerine/gyclerol is not too hard to come by. If you phone these guys they would probably do a cash sale of a L for what you would probably pay for a 200ml at a pharmacy. http://www.formulafoods.co.nz/ingredients/other-ingredients

I have some strains in storage and have some others on my list of ones I want to try. Drop me a line if you are keen to swap etc. Liam has good vials.

[Josh C]

Thanks for the tips, worth trying if they sell glycerine cheap. I will message you what strains I plan on starting with, I would be interested to hear some strains you want to try.

[Jess9]

UCBC? 2 bucks/kg sounds very good.

[Josh C]

University of Canterbury brew Club. Find them on Facebook. Next order is this Friday. They are ordering with gladfields and cryer. Cheapest malt is around $1.50/kg for 25kg bags.