Growing fresh yeast packs and splitting them

[Paul7189]

Hi,

I've never used "fresh" yeast before and I'm looking at options to save a bit of money. A friend (who has never brewed) wants to try to brew a NEIPA so we are going to make one but Wyeast London Ale III 1318 works out about £14 when you include delivery. I've heard mixed stories about recovering yeast from heavily dry hopped beers like this so was going to make a starter, wait for it to ferment out for a few days and then split the yeast. Then I was hoping i could get away with just making another starter and using say 1/3rd of the old starter batch of yeast.

Has anyone done this before or is it not worth trying?

Cheers

 

[Nottsbeer]

Hi Paul, can't help with your Q directly...but you can get cheap dry yeast from Cross My Loof (free P&P). I think they also do liquid yeasts. From memory my last yeast was around £2.50...naturally prices vary due to which yeast you buy. Good luck.

 

[Alastair70]

Yes, and you're right (in fact I'm just about to do it again tonight). Your best option is to overbuild and split a starter. I like the Brew United calculator. Basically, buy one pouch and 'grow' 500bn cells. Put 200bn into each of your brews and keep 100bn back for the next time (should be good for 3 months in the fridge in a kilner jar).

 

[chrisb8]

I would second having a look at crossmyloof. They have a range of liquid yeasts suitable for a neipa and much cheaper than what you quoted including postage.

 

[crowcrow]

Long dead thread - but I'm doing exactly this currently - made a 1.6l starter 24 hours ago on the stir plate - I'll take off 500ml today and pitch the rest, then next weekend I'll get a lager brewing and build the 500ml up again on the stir plate. (I do no chill, and draw off a litre or so of wort as soon as it is up to boil, cool that in a sink and then start my starters off then - 24 hours later when my main (and hopped) wort has cooled, the starter is ready to go in.

 

[Clarence]

Long dead thread - but I'm doing exactly this currently - made a 1.6l starter 24 hours ago on the stir plate - I'll take off 500ml today and pitch the rest, then next weekend I'll get a lager brewing and build the 500ml up again on the stir plate. (I do no chill, and draw off a litre or so of wort as soon as it is up to boil, cool that in a sink and then start my starters off then - 24 hours later when my main (and hopped) wort has cooled, the starter is ready to go in.

If I were doing that, I'd pitch the lot and then pitch the second beer with the dregs of the first.
Then, I'd keep half a dozen bottles of the beer to reculture the yeast from as required. I've reculture from bottles well over a year old without a hitch.

 

[crowcrow]

Certainly would be any option, but only got the brew on yesterday and I want to brew my lager on Saturday (pitching on Sunday) so not enough time to use the yeast cake, I let my beer ferment at least 10 days - if not more (unless pressure fermenting).

I'll continue to let this settle in the fridge then pour off the top wort.

I have every confidence that when I throw this on the stir place with a litre and half of fresh wort, it will build up nice and fast.