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How to propigate a sample of yeast to a pitchable size.

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  • How to propigate a sample of yeast to a pitchable size.

    I have known brewers who would grow yeast up in a nano brew, than pitch the whole thing into a larger batch. I know this can be done, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the matter? Are there any formulas or rules for growing up a batch of yeast, in this manner, to pitch into a larger batch. I can always do a cell count and figure this out with an emergency brick of dry yeast, in case if the cell count is not high enough. I would like to eliminate some of this trial and error. Suggestions?

  • #2
    I have been doing this with the small home brew yeast smack packs and it has worked well. I go from a pkg to 1l, then to 5l, and then step it up into a 5 gallon bucket. It's really easy to do.

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    • #3
      Ken Jennings Redhook

      Hi,
      Remember, when you are making yeast (propagating aerobically), you are not making beer (yeast growing anaerobically). Air is like Viagra for yeast. If you have an air source, a HEPA filter (HEPA-Cap), a corny keg, and sterile tubing into a bucket of iodine you can make your own mini propagator/inoculator. If you have an autoclave you are really in good shape. Add cold wort and yeast sterile corny keg, hook up sterile tubing to nozzel on corny keg with the wand that goes to the bottom, attach tubing to HEPA cap, attach sterile tubing to short posted corny keg nozzel leading to a bucket of weak iodine. Turn on 2 -3 psi air to HEPA filter and start bubbling away (Propagating). Wait a few days. Add this to a fermenter reversing the flow (moving the HEPA to the small nozzel of course) and now you are Inoculating your Fermenter. Keep everything sterile and you should be alright. Oxidation is not a problem in a propagator, but a big problem in a fermenter. Don't confuse making yeast with making beer....they have very different requirements.

      Here is a HEPA Cap: http://www.fishersci.com/ecomm/servl...ROD&hasPromo=0

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Ken Jennings View Post
        Is that a box of 36 of them or each?
        Mike Pensinger
        General Manager/Brewmaster
        Parkway Brewing Company
        Salem, VA

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        • #5
          Here's a more economical alternative:

          http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/s...on-system.html

          -Mike

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          • #6
            Ken Jennings Redhook

            Originally posted by MikeS View Post
            Here's a more economical alternative:

            http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/s...on-system.html

            -Mike
            Mike,
            True....but I believe that this one you suggested is "one use only" while the HEPA Cap 36 can be autoclaved over and over, as long as you don't pull beer (or yeast) through it. So my suggestion might be more economical in the long run.
            Ken
            Last edited by Ken Jennings; 03-20-2015, 02:18 PM. Reason: poor grammar and spelling

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            • #7
              According to the "Yeast" book, steps are done in steps of 10. For example if you need a pitch for a 10 Hl batch, you'd need a 1 Hl propagation. To get that, you'd need a 10 L prop. To get that you'd need a 1 L pitch. As long as you have adequate aeration, this should work well. Brewer's Friend website has a good step starter calculator that can give you an idea of how that would work. Most of the time you get a 10% volume starter prop (like 1 bbl for a 10
              Bbl batch) and pitch with about 1-2 L of a commercial propagation. Two days later you run your 9 bbls of wort on top of that 1 bbl prop and let er rip.


              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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              • #8
                Originally posted by SeattleBrewer View Post
                According to the "Yeast" book, steps are done in steps of 10. For example if you need a pitch for a 10 Hl batch, you'd need a 1 Hl propagation. To get that, you'd need a 10 L prop. To get that you'd need a 1 L pitch. As long as you have adequate aeration, this should work well. Brewer's Friend website has a good step starter calculator that can give you an idea of how that would work. Most of the time you get a 10% volume starter prop (like 1 bbl for a 10
                Bbl batch) and pitch with about 1-2 L of a commercial propagation. Two days later you run your 9 bbls of wort on top of that 1 bbl prop and let er rip.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                The 10x rule applies to starters only. The kind of growth you want in a starter is very different than that for fermenting an actual beer. Figure out what starter size you need for your beer, then work BACKWARDS using the 10x rule.

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                • #9
                  Good point MoonBrews, pitch into the beer depends on gravity as well so the 10x rule won't necessarily apply there. I was mainly referring to the basic ratio given on the wyeast site as most modest gravity beers will need a 1 bbl prop (pitched with 2-4 L of purchased yeast) for every 10 bbls of cast wort. But more precision is needed. Here is the Wyeast pitch calculator: https://www.wyeastlab.com/pitch_rate.cfm They can also help you over the phone figure out what you need.


                  Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                  • #10
                    We have 4 of these



                    Clean, sanitise, take wort off a brew. Pitch yeast (3 packs per keg), wait 48 hours and go in. We then check cell numbers, which we have never had a miss.

                    With the notes above of oxygen, reckon we could improve the performance and health. For the oxygenation, how often and how much do you push the O2 in for. Assuming you are using med grade CO2?
                    Head Brewer Rocks Brewing Co.
                    Sydney, Aust
                    scotty@rocksbrewing.com

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                    • #11
                      Also, Chris White's book "Yeast" is a must have.
                      Chief Fermentation Officer
                      Oregon Mead & Cider Co.

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