Propagating bakers yeast

[METALHEAD81]

I have 3 small packs of bakers yeast on hand. I know yeast can be propagated for bread using flour and water. Is there a way to do something similar that will work for fermentation rather than buying it in bulk every time?

[Swbrewers]

Hmmm, just answered this question on another post. I've never propagated bakers yeast for long term storage, only to increase the number of cells for pitching in a current batch. It probably can be propagated like all of the other types of yeast.

Boil up a batch of DME to a S.G. of about 1.030. I make 1 litre. Pour into sterilized wine bottle, one 250 ml and the other one full. Stopper the full one and place in refrigerator. Place an airlock on the other one and allow to cool. When cool, add your yeast.

Let the yeast work until no more bubbles are going through the airlock. At this point, you can stopper it and place it in the refrigerator for later use.

Too immediately increase the amount of yeast, pull the full bottle out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Sanitize the mouths of both bottles. Pour most of the liquid out of the yeast bottle, keeping all of the yeast at the bottom. Add half of the wort from the full bottle, add airlock.

This can be done an infinite amount of times until the desired amount of yeast is obtained. Keep in refrigerator until ready to use. When ready, make another starter, let the yeast work for a while and then pitch, keeping a little to keep your starter going.

[METALHEAD81]

Interesting. I don’t have DME but I do have corn sugar and DAP handy. Should conceivable work as well no?

[Swbrewers]

I haven't used corn sugar for over 30 years. If I remember, something wasn't right with it. DME always comes through, no other additives needed. Heck try it, won't cost you much, maybe $1 between the yeast and the sugar.

[greggn]

You want the easiest way ... cook up a batch and use what you have on hand. The yeast will bud and reproduce and, when done, will flocullate and compact on the bottom of the fermenter. Collect and reuse in your next batch. You can repeat that for many, many generations.

[METALHEAD81]

You want the easiest way ... cook up a batch and use what you have on hand. The yeast will bud and reproduce and, when done, will flocullate and compact on the bottom of the fermenter. Collect and reuse in your next batch. You can repeat that for many, many generations.

The amount I have is so far off from the recipes I’m looking at I was concerned it wouldn’t be enough. 6 Tspn vs 1/4 cup I figured if grew a decent batch first, the wash would have a better chance and I’d always have it on hand. Normally I wouldn’t care and just head to the store but being on lockdown for 3 weeks now has me on full prepper mode, self sustaining as much as possible.

[Swbrewers]

As cheap as bakers yeast is, I'd just buy 500 grams of it and make a starter and pitch. When you start getting into specialty yeast and big ferments, propagating is the way to go.

[The Baker]

As cheap as bakers yeast is, I'd just buy 500 grams of it and make a starter and pitch. When you start getting into specialty yeast and big ferments, propagating is the way to go.

In the present corona virus emergency, yeast can be in short supply.

Geoff

[METALHEAD81]

I pitched one package in 1.03 dextrose/dap mix in a mason jar with an airlock and it’s bubbling fine. I reserved some sugar water as suggested and I’ll build up a colony. This should work fine for my next batch. It’s this or a package of turbo that I would really like to not use.

[Corsaire]

As cheap as bakers yeast is, I'd just buy 500 grams of it and make a starter and pitch. When you start getting into specialty yeast and big ferments, propagating is the way to go.

In the present corona virus emergency, yeast can be in short supply.

Geoff

At my local supermarket all fresh bakers yeast is sold out. They limit to 2 cubes per customer. Go to the next aisle and there are heaps of 500g packs of dried yeast. Go figure.

[jonnys_spirit]

I’ve got a few wine bottles of different yeast in the fridge using this method. I don’t use DME or LME though. Instead i’ll use whatever i’m fermenting in my starter and i’ll start it up a day or three before pitch date and have a healthy colony for pitching. It’s very easy to cook up a small pot of corn on the stove and add a small handful of malt or enzyme at appropriate temp and use that in my starter. You can use glycerine as your storage medium and freeze the yeast too for long term storage if needed. You do want to keep it sanitary and pre-boil water and mash you use in your colony and starters to prevent corrupting your culture. A single pack of yeast can easily last a years worth of ferments in my shed. I have not done this with bakers yeast but it’s basically the same.

Cheers!
-jonny

[Yummyrum]

Ok .. this my experience so far with Bakers yeast .

Now I gotta say ... up until this corona thing , I never worried about yeast ... Bakers yeast was always there.

In abundance, .... but shit ... its no longer on the shelves...WTF

So I done a Sugar wash with Bakers . Thought I would dump
Im some more sugar and water and cash in on the old yeast ..... but no...
It all turned to shit


Slow.......Slow......Slow.....Temp diving ..... ferment diving.... slow .....slow
Temp diving ..... ferment diving



Aun’t nothing like a fresh
Batch of Backers Yeast to get thIngs Crackalac’n
N

Bakers
Needs heat to get it going ...and to keep
it going p

[danwbrews]

It all depends on how high the ABV of your wash is.
To really get a good generation to generation you shouldn't go too high. Maybe 6% or so ABV
If you are growing yeast, the proper gravity is between 1.020 and 1.040 .
You should use 2 liters per 5 grams of dry yeast or pouch of liquid in that range to double the volume of yeast.
If you are using the yeast for an All Grain Wash use Malt Extract.
For sugar use molasses or sugar with some nutrients.
I have a stir plate and get an additional 20% volume of yeast.
For dried yeast you need to rehydrate the yeast first before adding it to the Yeast Starter. I've found that using Go Ferm by Scott Labs really gets the dry yeast going during rehydration. The yeast just comes ALIVE !!!!! I believe it will work on any yeast strain we use (haven't tried it on bread yeast but it is a cerevisiae yeast).
While bread yeast is available, it's cheap just add it in quantity and forget about it. If your options are use the last of your 500 gr to make the last batch and growing a stash, this is the way to go, use half of what you need and build them up. one for the current run and one for the next run. Feed it like a sour dough bread starter, well sorta.
Danwbrews, out...….

[Saltbush Bill]

ou want the easiest way ... cook up a batch and use what you have on hand. The yeast will bud and reproduce and, when done, will flocullate and compact on the bottom of the fermenter. Collect and reuse in your next batch. You can repeat that for many, many generations

This is really the easiest way.....I've just put down my 3rd sugar wash using the yeast bed from the 2 previous washes.

[Brew]

You can propagate any yeast to increase its cell count. 1.020 to 1.040 gravity malt based extract is a good food source. For a gallon starter at that gravity, pitch a packet of yeast. That starter can be stored and will have strong vitality (performance) and viability (number of living cells) for a month or two in a cold fridge. I wouldn't use if older preferably, vitality (performance) drops a lot. It will be viable for six months or more but may not work as well as vitality drops (stuck fermentation) or may produce poor flavors when it is used after that long of storage. Old yeast = equals asking grandma to run a marathon.

I would never reuse a yeast after it ferments above 8% alcohol. You could as it will be viable (alive), but vitality will likely suffer dramatically. It may not work as well (stuck fermentation) or may produce poor flavors when it is used after that high alcohol fermentation. Yeast is stressed in high alcohol solutions. Yeast after a high alcohol fermentation = equals yeast that has just run ten marathons on a broken leg and permanently harms itself (high mutation count) to finish; it's done.

[HDNB]

so talking to a guy that makes yeast on a pro basis, he sez that the biggest thing about preserving yeast (dried or wet) is to keep the oxygen out.

[contrahead]

Rather than create a net thread, I thought I'd just add to this one. I've accidentally discovered a video titled “HOW TO COLLECT YEAST TO USE AGAIN”. Basically the guy cold crashes just the trub or lees from a vessel and separates the yeast from the trash you don't want. Might prove to be a real handy skill in a serious pandemic or depression where packages of dry yeast become difficult to acquire.

[Saltbush Bill]

God hes everywhere, is there no escape.
This is the same man that suggests in another of his videos that bakers yeast is " unreliable" there for its better to use other types of yeast........no doubt the yeasts that he sells through his buisness.

[NZChris]

He should have his licence to post on the internet revoked.

[Durhommer]

Back to yeast guys lol so I'm gonna try dady on some pugi rum wife made bread with my last bakers it's been used to make 3 runs now

[dieselduo]

Back to yeast guys lol so I'm gonna try dady on some pugi rum wife made bread with my last bakers it's been used to make 3 runs now

You should try some hornidal kveik for your rum . It produces some nice fruity esters

[seabass]

You should try some hornidal kveik for your rum . It produces some nice fruity esters

Did you have any issues with it? I've read that some of them don't like low nutrient ferments and can stall. I've only used kveik with AG and it's a fast violent ferment.

[dieselduo]

I use wyeast nutrients and have never had a stall with the right pH.

[Durhommer]

Its working fine I split the batch 30 gallon in one fermenter and 6 in another.the 6 got the used yeast and is rolling the 30 got a half cup new dady and is going crazy

[CoogeeBoy]

Can I throw a left field question into the ring?

Here are my thoughts. Having had a little to do with growing microscopic organisms and having a very basic insight into why they use fruit flies in biology etc (they reproduce very quickly) I was wondering if yeast itself, which propagates very quickly, might change itself to suit its conditions.

"Why would I ask that?" I hear you thinking. Well, my thoughts are that bakers yeast is probably not perfectly suited for all ferments, for example, as the alcohol content rises during the ferment, this may inhibit the growth of the yeast and possibly lead to a stalled ferment. There are answers for this of course including using more yeast than in necessary or more nutrients etc etc and i know this may spark a lot of input but the key question for me is:

"Would a second generation bakers yeast be a better yeast to use on 2nd runs than 1st generation bakers yeast?" Would they require less nutrients and would they perform better in higher alcohol solutions?
What would be the ramifications for distilling?
Am I over thinking this? I think I am but I do understand that Champagne yeast is used as it has a tolerance for higher alcohol ferments but thought, Champagne yeast had to come from somewhere. Much the same way as sourdough yeast comes from natural yeast or second/3rd generation and so on bakers yeast.

Anyway, just some food for thought.

[MartinCash]

@CoogeeBoy, this is maybe one of the reasons why there are a few successful recipes such as Uncle Jessies Simple Sour Mash which use the same yeast bed over and over... there is probably some adaptation to your local conditions going on regardless of which yeast you started with (as well as addition of lacto and wild yeasts from the grain). It's pretty similar to how you'd start a sourdough culture.

[The Baker]

A related thought I have is that it makes sense to use the natural yeast (from the skins) of fruit for fermenting that fruit.
It has had hundreds of years (often) to adapt.

Geoff

[MartinCash]

This is similar to what some rum distilleries have done, isolating and testing strains isolated from cane juice, and they are well adapted to fermenting the substrate they came from, but not necessarily in a distillery situation. The fermentation characteristics in a wash that consists of many gallons of liquid is different to a small amount of fruit, so there are other considerations at play as to whether the yeast will perform ok or not.

[The Baker]

I was using a large amount of fruit, with just enough water to make it a bit liquid, and just enough sugar to give it the merest touch of sweetness.
High tech,

Geoff

[CoogeeBoy]

Thanks Gents, all good food for thought. I am going to run a couple of ferments using 2nd generation then 3rd generation bakers yeast and see what comes of it. One thing I do see an issue with is that the amount of yeast will vary, presuming the Bakers Yeast has propogated. I will see if I can work out a way to monitor it maybe using the same collection vessels or similar.

Other problem I have at present is it is a bit cool here so getting constant temp conditions in the background is going to be tricky.

Anyway, as you can tell, it is more of an academic interest, I am sure with the help of all the contributors here on the forum I will muddle my way through to a fine finished product!