$2.85 for a pack of yeast

[reisjdmd]

whaaaaaaaat???!!?
how can i keep the slurry on the bottom of my fermenter and use it for the next batch?? freeze or fridge orother. man, who can afford to make a home brew at $18.50 for a can of "Cerveza" type malt and light malt at $4.50 a pound and yeast at $2.85 a pack. i think i might as well poison myself and sell my soul to the infinite evil one and buy some busch lite for 30 cans at $14.00. sure it's crappy, but at least i don't have to sell a kidney to afford it. oh my god!any advice appreciated!Edited by: SB Ranch

 

[Dean]

yeast cakes can be kept in the fridge for up to 4 or 5 months in a jar with a small hole to allow out-gassing. Just bring back up to temp, and create a starter with it. Careful using yeast after 3 or 4 go-arounds though, as it can mutate and create off flavors.

 

[JimCook]

Dean,


Perhaps some kind of mutated yeast is what caused the beer picture in your avatar? That would be some happy yeast.


- Jim

 

[smurfe]

I can easilyafford it. But I don't homebrew to save money. I brew because I want to and love to. BTW I use a lot if liquid yeasts that cost close to $8.00 a vial and I use two per batch if I don't have a starter. But yes, you can save a yeast cake but I would only save one if you used a quality liquid yeast to start with. I don't have time to explain the process right now as I am getting ready to head to work. If I can remember, I will come back and explain how it works.

 

[Jackie]

I buy White Labs or Wyeast liquid yeast and pay $7-$8 a vial. I always save the slurry--I just pour it up in a sanitized mason jar with either a loosely fitting lid or rubber stopper/airlock and store in fridge. Then I make a starter before reusing it. I usually get about 6 uses out of a vial.


I don't make beer to save money and you can buy some domestic beer cheaper (some not--around here Michelob sells for $10 twelve-pack). Keep in mind you're making about 50 bottles of beerfor 5 gallon batch or 60 bottles for six-gallon batch, though.I don't likeBusch or even "better" domestics like michelob. I'm looking to make a better brew than that and I enjoy doing it.I prefer the microbrews and imported beers which sell for around $8 a sixpack here. I can definitely beat that price and have beer similar in quality.

 

[smurfe]

I couldn't remember where this thread was to follow up with re-using yeast. I got an email from a beer blog I read and it sparked my memory to search for it. Itcovers yeastwashing pretty goodin detail. Instead of typing out how I do it, here is how I do it already wrote up for me.


http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/07/25/yeast-washing-reusing-your-yeast/