Beer Forum

I've re-used my last lager yeast (washed and re-pitched) with good success.

I'm really concerned about the high gravity beers I've been brewing lately (Scottish Ale - wee heavy at 1.080) and don't want to risk re-using this yeast.

I do plan on moving to a bunch of ales soon and want to save some money.

What's the negative (or has anyone done this) to taking my WL vial - using only half of it in a starter, and stepping it up to 1.5L (0.5->1.0->1.5) - that way I have two versions of yeast I know is un-mutated?

Except for the work in getting my cell count up, are there any negatives?

I think you can pull it off. But think of these things:

1. Once you crack that vial there is the risk of something getting in there and screwing things up before your next pitch.
2. You are correct and may want to make a couple starters with it to get the cell count up. 1.080 beers need a high pitch.
3. If you use 1/2 is it really 1/2 of the cells?
4. Try brewing a low gravity and low SRM beer first then step up to the big boys. You can have flavors from those transfer over. And the bigger beers could put a strain on the yeast if you under pitched.

I'm no expert on yeast, but I hope this helps.

Any time I plan to do a big beer I always plan a smaller beer first in the neighborhood of 1.050 OG.
I use a good portion of that yeast cake for the big beer (waking it up first with about a liter of starter wort) and then I will use small portions of the remaining yeast to make starters for other beers.

Last year I did this with an 1.120 OG wee heavy. I first made a Scottish 80. I used 3/4 of the yeast cake for the wee heavy. From the remainder I made a rye cream ale, a beet beer (yes, it was red), and an English pale ale. 5 beers from 1 smack pack of Wyeast 1728 is pretty much a sign of me being a cheap bastard too. Doing subsequent beers this way keeps all the beers as a second generation of the yeast. This avoids problems such as mutation and contamination.

Wayne

Yeah but I'm talking way before the yeast cake - like from the initial vial, before the starter...

Can I split that little test tube up into two - pour half of it in a .5L starter and step it up to 2L over a few days - leaving me an original, half-sized yeast in the original package?

imahokie wrote:Yeah but I'm talking way before the yeast cake - like from the initial vial, before the starter...

Can I split that little test tube up into two - pour half of it in a .5L starter and step it up to 2L over a few days - leaving me an original, half-sized yeast in the original package?

I would make the starter with the whole vial and then put some of the yeast cake from the starter back into the sanitized vial. This will give you at least as much yeast as in the original vial to use on your next beer.

Wayne

Bugeater wrote:5 beers from 1 smack pack of Wyeast 1728 is pretty much a sign of me being a cheap bastard too.

I'd say "frugal" of "thrifty".
I try to re-use as much as possible. Split it up and make starters and also do the yeast cake jobbie that Bug speaks of. I have seen some barleywine take off like rockets doing this! Right afterlab?