Yeast Harvesting

[Mike Neilson]

Ok I have just ordered and picked up all the parts I need for my stir plate and 15 test tubes. My thinking is I should start Harvesting Yeast. Is my thinking correct about harvesting yeast? If I have a wyeast smack pack, can I split these up into say 5 equal test tubes and seal them off, when I am ready to make a starter, I just start with a five hundred mls starter, then after 24 hrs increase this by adding an additional 500mls to the flask and then so on untill I hit my desired yeast count as per say Mr Malty? Did I even make sense? what do you guys do to make your Wyeast go alittle further than 1 batch?

[Ged]

I am all ears mate and keen to hear how it goes...We've talked about setting up a South Island yeast bank but I have zero clue where to start. Your post has got me googling...

[denimglen]

This is what I've been doing, seems to be working well. I've got like 5 yeast strains farmed, bout 8 vials of each. A little technical and you feel like a crack-head in a p-lab with all the gear.

All the gear is easy to get, except for the autoclavable vials which I couldn't find in NZ so brought over from the states. Instead of using a pipette I transfer to a 250mL beaker, near an alcohol lamp to reduce chance of infection, and use a sterile syringe from the pharmacy to pull up the yeast and transfer to vial.

[Mike Neilson]

Sounds brilliant, I think this is going to affirm my neighbours assumptions that I am a P cook. Where do you get the glycerine from? and whats the website for the autoclavable vials? also At jay car the guy was trying to sell me an ultrasonic cleaner anyone used one of these?

[denimglen]

Haven't used an ultrasonic cleaner. $40 pressure cooker from trademe is what I'm using.

Glycerine can be bought from the pharmacy, they keep it behind the counter for some reason, no idea why but there's no dramas getting it.

Cole-Parmer for the vials, a little pricey but were the only ones I could find that had what I wanted that would send overseas. I bought a case, 200pc, 16mL vials, P/N EW-08923-14. Might be worth shopping around as the dollar was a lot better when I ordered.

[Mike Neilson]

Wow not cheap!! was that 200 vials? do you need that many?

[James P]

A cheaper alternative is these: Polypropylene plastic tubes.

They have an adequate temperature range for both fridge and freezer storage. I ended up buying the 50ml ones so I could move around in the tube a little without hitting the sides!

Just need to buy another flame source and I'll be ready to go again!

[denimglen]

Nah, you don't need 200, but it feels balla having a whole case. They should be reusable for a few rounds. I got them a while ago when the dollar was at it's best so the cost wasn't too sore.

Might just wanna double check with the seller on the polyprop ones and what the caps are made of. I bought 'polypropylene vials with caps'. Turns out the caps were polyethylene and melted in the autoclave, major bummer. If the caps are polyprop as well then all good.

How well do they seal James? Looks like there's no rubber or anything in the cap?

[Nick]

They keep the Glycerine behind the counter because you can easily make high explosives with it.

[Mike Neilson]

You dont need Glycerine to make Bottle Bombs, just bad practice!! In saying that Im yet to create one yet........

[James P]

Haven't created a bottle bomb from beer, but did manage a pipe bomb using glycerine at high school. The interweb is facinating.

[Mike Neilson]

Does that going under What are you Brewing, or a new thread?

[Steve Baker]

That looks way easier than messing about with slants and petri dishes. I think I'll give it a go.