Storage of yeast-freeze - refrigerate ???

The Baron · Oct 7, 2024

I have obviously been a CMl customer for years and with the imminent retirement of the owner I like many other brewers am thinking of buying enough yeast to last hopefully years.
So is it ok to freeze dried yeast to extend its life longer then the use by date and hence I can buy a larger then normal amount to store for future.
Many different opinions on the net

Agentgonzo · Oct 7, 2024

The Baron said:
I have obviously been a CMl customer for years and with the imminent retirement of the owner I like many other brewers am thinking of buying enough yeast to last hopefully years.
So is it ok to freeze dried yeast to extend its life longer then the use by date and hence I can buy a larger then normal amount to store for future.
Many different opinions on the net

You could try it.
If there is going to be damage done, it'll likely be on the first 1 day/week. You could chuck a sacrificial sachet in the freezer and open it again in a week's time and see how viable it is. If you want to be even cheaper, you could try with bread yeast. Easy to do and verify it for yourself rather than relying on heresay on the internet

The Baron · Oct 7, 2024

Think I may try that with bread yeast of course(Yorkshireman)

Agentgonzo · Oct 7, 2024

My microbiologist wife can't think of much of a benefit in freezing dried yeast. Bring dried it's already put into a dormant state. Cooling it helps a bit, but she can't see that you'll get much benefit freezing it instead of keeping it in the back of the fridge.

And if there is a bit of moisture in the dried yeast, then freezing it will lyce the cells.

But again, I'm all for experimenting and learning by doing! Let us know how you get on

starseeker · Oct 7, 2024

I have been keeping my packets of yeast in the freezer alongside my hops for the past 18 months and it does it no harm at all ,performs as intended .

An Ankoù · Oct 7, 2024

On the other hand, I've used dried yeasts that are 3 or even 5 years beyond their "best by" date and theyre as good as new. This was when I used to keep them in a box on the shelf. Now I keep the in an airtight box in the hop fridge. No idea if it makes any difference, though.

MashBag · Oct 7, 2024

I have vac pac refrigerated yeast from years ago.. Used the last of a 2014 bbe up in 2022.

Get a good vac pac.

Dazzelknight · Oct 8, 2024

I usually buy in bulk when there’s a bargain to be had (Also a Yorkshire man) !. Iv used yeast up to three years outta date and it’s just been stored at room temperature with no problems

MashBag · Oct 8, 2024

I have also had some success, bottling the slurry (at bottling time) and refrigerating that.

MashBag · Oct 8, 2024

Dazzelknight said:
I usually buy in bulk when there’s a bargain to be had (Also a Yorkshire man) !. Iv used yeast up to three years outta date and it’s just been stored at room temperature with no problems

Yup my bread yeast sits in a jar in the kitchen for 3 - 4 months after opening. Half a bulk pack (250g)

My inner-Yorkshireman won't allow me to to buy little packs in the supermarket.

MashBag · Oct 19, 2024

Used a few now, quite a convert to bottling slurry.

And I do mean slurry, I am now using everthing. I now label the bottles with the generation and the date. Not had a failure.

After a few days in the fridge, they settle. Pitch is as simple as open, gentle swirl, and don't tip the sediment. Yesterdays was straight from the fridge onto 23c wort. Getting it out the day before would be good

I don't think I will go past generation 3. But I could get 64 brews out of one sachet.

@Agentgonzo this is much better and easier than freezing.

Lallemand Verdant makes good bread too

@tondy79. I am still using your original slurry! Thank you.

Sourdough beer anyone

Agentgonzo · Oct 19, 2024

How long do/can you store it for?

tondy79 · Oct 19, 2024

I've not kept it past the 4 week mark, though it seems quite happy sat there sealed in under a bit of beer. I don't tend to keep the slurry if I've made a really hoppy beer, and I generally only use the slurry in this way when the destination brew is a similar style to the original.

I follow the method in this video more or less but I don't bother consolidating the jars (and I've started bottling like Mashbag rather than using jars, as I tend to have bottles more readily available, and I'm in the practice of sanitising them and so on).

Twostage · Oct 19, 2024

I buy my bread yeast in 500g bags and store it in the freezer. I transfer about 50g into a little jam jar which I keep in the fridge to use when I'm making bread. When the jam jar us empty I top it back up from the freezer.

I store beer yeast in the freezer too. I think my record is 4 years past BB. Worked as expected.

Agentgonzo · Oct 19, 2024

Twostage said:
I buy my bread yeast in 500g bags and store it in the freezer. I transfer about 50g into a little jam jar which I keep in the fridge to use when I'm making bread. When the jam jar us empty I top it back up from the freezer.

I store beer yeast in the freezer too. I think my record is 4 years past BB. Worked as expected.

For the extra quid every so often, I'm happy to just buy 11g sachets whenever needed

MashBag · Oct 19, 2024

Twostage said:
I buy my bread yeast in 500g bags and store it in the freezer. I transfer about 50g into a little jam jar which I keep in the fridge to use when I'm making bread. When the jam jar us empty I top it back up from the freezer.

I store beer yeast in the freezer too. I think my record is 4 years past BB. Worked as expected.

Vac packed yeast keeps in a fridge for years. (8 at least, I used bbe 2014 last year) .

I used fermipan 500g bread yeast, also stable in a ambient jar for weeks.

Twostage · Oct 20, 2024

MashBag said:
Vac packed yeast keeps in a fridge for years. (8 at least, I used bbe 2014 last year) .

I used fermipan 500g bread yeast, also stable in a ambient jar for weeks.

Yep, fermipan for me too (it sometimes gets substituted with instaferm I think).

MashBag · Oct 20, 2024

Twostage said:
Yep, fermipan for me too (it sometimes gets substituted with instaferm I think).

I bake once a week, so I put ½ pack in a jar on the shelf and vac&fridge the other. Never gone orf yet.

Storage of yeast-freeze - refrigerate ???

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