Freezing Yeast for Long Term Storage 

Thanks. I am glad it helps! Yeast can be complicated.

Great. Glad it helped. I have enjoyed this workflow. I only buy yeast once every couple years now.

Hello, the process works with any yeast. Freezing straight from the package is the cleanest way.

Thanks! I brew 5 gallon batches. Will update the info to reflect the batch size.

Thanks for the video. I know it’s difficult to determine but do you have an estimate of the number of cells generated once completed?

@@k-daddy5598 Thanks. I do not have a way to measure the amount of yeast. I would say it looks similar to when I make a 2L starter from a White Labs package.

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 Thanks. I would imagine there would be enough cells for 5.5 gallons of wort up to the mid 1.060’s OG.

@@k-daddy5598 Yes. That is how I think of it. One vial for 5'ish gallons of normal strength ale and two vials for a normal strength lager.

Yes. My understanding is you want to limit yeast activity as much as possible and keep them in a sleep state. Some think a gradual move down in temp somehow protects the yeast, but Chris White said in a presentation that it does not harm the yeast to freeze quickly. I might update this video, so if it disappears from your link, you might want to find it on the channel again. Thanks.

Thanks Matt. I appreciate you pointing out the missteps in the video. I will probably upload a new version as I do not want to create any confusion. My pressure canner/cooker has both written on the side, so I just have always referred to it as a cooker. But I agree with you that the combination of pressure and canning is important in this instance. So if your comment disappears with the new video upload I apologize as I do not think RU-vid allows the exchanging of a video and keeping the same URL. The two ice packs are to even out the temperature fluctuations of freezers. Especially with defrost cycles. You want to keep the cooler open for the cold air, but also want to maintain the temps if the freezer goes through a defrost cycle and raises the temps to melt any ice etc...

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 No worries at all on the disappearing comment. I thought it was a really great video, good quality both in audio and video. Content was great and it was put together really well. I sort of thought that's what the icepacks were for when I saw you put it in a fridge/freezer combo but wanted to make sure. So if I have a deep freeze that doesn't have freeze/thaw cycles they icepacks aren't necessary correct?

@@mattb6124 I would guess so. As I understand it, temperature stability is the goal.

Hi James. Thanks! Starters are all about growing yeast cells. Yeast need oxygen to reproduce/duplicate. So feeding them plenty of oxygen helps grow biomass in your starters. Some yeast labs continuously add oxygen through their production to get as any cells as possible. If you want a lot of healthy yeast and great fermentation performance, add plenty of pure O2.

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 well I always use O2 before pitching yeast into my wort, but I guess what I was getting at was It was my scientific understanding that the stair plate constantly introduces oxygen into the wort, is that not the case?

@@jamesp1979 The stir plate does introduce some oxygen but its primary role is to release CO2 from the starter wort. Surface transfer of oxygen can not compare or compete with pure O2 being blasted in.

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 what advantage does releasing co2 from the starter wort have?

@@jamesp1979 CO2 vs O2. When it comes to yeast, they are opposed. When you want to grow yeast, you want as much oxygen as they can take in. CO2 has the opposite effect, so you want to drive off the CO2. The opposite is in play when you store yeast. You want a 100% CO2 environment so they pretty much go to sleep. Any oxygen will make them perk up and use up their reserves.

Yes. I brew 5 gallon batches.

Thank you. My approach has been to buy fresh yeast and split that yeast into frozen vials. That gives my around 4-5 brews on one purchase. One could then make the decision to purchase more fresh yeast when depleted or gran slurry from each batch. While grabbing slurry can be forever, it is easier just to buy fresh. This avoids any risk of sanitation or mutation but on the flip side, keeps everything 1st generation which some think is not getting the best out of yeast. That is the beauty of this method. There are many ways to go about it. I might be remaking/updating this video, so if it disappears, it will be on my channel under a different link.

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 Yes there is no reason to buy fresh yeast every single time, at least for a few generations. Perhaps only for the freedom of choice to match the particular style. But freezing yeast is always handy regardless of how it's been propagated through generations or if it's single colonies picked on a plate etc. I will try your method of freezing soon in combination with an overbuilt starter on the first generation. I like experiments, so I am curious how one strain can adapt or mutate over subsequent brews of a similar recipe. I might try brewing with it and reuse it a few times, then after a few generations do a split fermentation from the same wort with both the original and the reharvested one to really get an idea how it has adapted.

@@mrknaldhat That is a good use of the frozen vials. Sort of a control to gauge how much the yeast flavor changes over generations.

I use an oxygen tank with a carbonation stone wand.

Hello, The ascorbic acid is for some antioxidant protection.

The product purchased from Amazon is Vegetable Glycerin. I apologize for not meeting your production standards when I mistakenly referred to the Vegetable Glycerin as gelatin in the VO. Is a little bit of civility too much to ask?

@@integrityhomebrewing7202 You not only erred but also responded to somebody who pointed it out, again with no correction. That makes you unworthy of civility.

@@peterweeds4682 I don't know how much you know about making YT videos but I need to re-record and upload a new video killing this link in order to fix the current video. I have not had the time to do the changes. As if I need to explain or justify any of this to an entitled internet personality as you appear to be. These videos are made to help and share knowledge. I am happy to make them, even for you. Rudeness withstanding... BTW, being civil is more about yourself than others. This will be my last reply to you as I do not care to have this kind of stuff ruining my channel. Peace.

Time spent with a cat is never wasted. - Sigmund Freud

You are welcome. Thanks for the advice. I agree and things are always being improved. Sometimes what is shown in videos is not the complete normal practice as the video making process is drawn out etc... But I can not deny that I am a homebrewer so some of my practices are going to be geared towards convenience. Your point is valid though and I will take notice of conditions more going forward. Maybe get a burner someday as well.

I see a cat but no car. I imagine the car fumes wouldn't be too good for a brew but unless he's shaking a cat into his starter or trying to use lab standards for his yeast I think he's okay. I've been brewing for a decade and I've never had a batch go off. My kid has even sneezed in a brew as I pitched yeast in when she was sick and it turned out fine. If my sick toddler can full on spit in my beer, I think his cat being nearby is okay. Thanks for the content good sir, ignore the crap talkers.