Reddit reviews SPL 50ml Conical Centrifuge Tube PP/HDPE with PP Racks, Sterile,Non - pyrogenic, Non - cytotoxic, DNase/RNase - Free, Human DNA - Free (1 Rack (25 Tubes))

I've got 14 different strains right now by my last count. Just stepped up a frozen Imperial Juice last night and I'm stepping back up a frozen Bell's House yeast as I type this.

I use these but it doesn't seem they're for sale anymore. In any case, any 50ml vial will probably work.

My normal routine is to make a 1.5L starter in a 2L flask and decant off most of the supernatant after the fermentation is complete. I try to swirl in a little just to make sure that the yeast isn't too thick and can actually pour. A semi-thick starter like this, for me, will usually fill 6-8 50ml flasks up to the 25ml mark.

Starter calculators are a wild guess at best in terms of actual cell counts, but if I can suppose that I have close to 30-40b cells per vial I'm usually okay with that amount.

For glycerin, I use a 10% mix total (20% mix into the vial). Usually 1 cup of distilled water and 1/4 cup of glycerin will be plenty for my fills. I'll take this mix and stir it together in my instant pot. I cook the mix for like 3 minutes on high pressure and then release it. I'll take the pot out of the instant pot and let it cool with the lid on.

Once my glycerin is cool and my yeast is decanted I'll fill as many 50ml vials as I an with a 50/50 mix of each slurry and glycerin. I'll label them with what the yeast is, date it, and add what generation it is. I haven't gone beyond 3rd generation, I figure if I can get something like 15-20 pitches out of a pack of yeast I can leave it at that. I'll also label the cap of the vial too so I can identify them easily when looking at them from above.

Once they're all full I stick them in the fridge for 24 hours to cool. After that I'll take them down to my freezer and shake them all up again before sticking them into a styrofoam container that I keep in my chest freezer. The styrofoam helps protect the yeast from freeze / thaw cycles.

When I want to make a starter I try to plan it a few days in advance. I prefer to thaw the yeast vials in the fridge for a day, but soaking them in a bowl of water for an hour has seemed to work just fine as well. I make a mix of .1g per ml starter wort depending on my needs (usually back up to 140g in 1400ml or so) and pitch the thawed yeast. It's usually about done in 18-24 hours! That gives me enough time to cold crash it a bit so I can pour of the supernantant for my actual pitch into my wort.

You're welcome -- glad I could help!

If you decide to go with large tubes, these are similar to the tubes I use, but there are cheaper options: 1, 2, 3, etc. It's important to look for tubes that are listed as either "sterile" or "autoclavable." I like the pre-sterilized packs because that's less work for me.

There are a lot of techniques out there, so sometimes it helps to list them out into categories with a few details underneath each. With a list like that, you can go through it all at a glance and decide what aligns with your budget, material availability, and level of effort/interest.

Let us know what you end up deciding to do and how it works out for you. I'm sure a lot of folks around here would like to see it!

I make a starter for every yeast that I buy and then save a little bit in 50ml vials. If I ever want to use a yeast that I have I just create a starter 3 days ahead of brew time. I used to use mason jars, the 1/4 pint ones (4oz I think) but found out that these take up way less space.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M04HGPJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also found these. Complete with a rack, and a spot on the vial to write on.