Measuring yeast for small batches

SteveH · Dec 10, 2018

Hi all,

I'm brewing half batches due to the constraints of doing BIAB on my kitchen hob, I'm getting about 10 litres into the FV.

I'm unsure on how to best deal with yeast in this setup - I'm currently using dry yeast and the last two batches I've just sprinkled one whole sachet (about 12g) on top then sealed the lid.

I'm aware this is probably over-pitching substantially, but I'm paranoid about pitching too little or introducing infection e.g via measuring with a teaspoon or whatever. So I just sanitised the packet/scissors and tip the lot in. aunsure....

Other than being a bit wasteful, are there problems with this approach? And if so, how do other folks handle this?

The beer seems to have turned out OK, but if anyone has any tips on how to do this better, that would be appreciated! acheers.

Drunkula · Dec 10, 2018

I used to estimate how many scoops of this little spoon I've got were in the sachet, then put the appropriate number of those in. Then I bought a 1/100th of a gram scale and use that. It was dirt cheap from aliexpress.

MmmmCitra · Dec 10, 2018

I usually use Us-05 and do about 12l BiaB batches.............there's 11.5 g in the yeast so I just half it as best I can using scales, be easier if it was 12 g then obviously i'd use 6 g each batch but I just use 6 g with 1 batch and then refrigerate the rest and use 5.5 g for the next brew.......never had any problem at all.

SteveH · Dec 10, 2018

Sounds like I need some more accurate scales - so far I've been using some digital kitchen ones which is fine for grain, but definitely not ideal for accurately measuring yeast (or hops really although I've been making do).

phildo79 · Dec 10, 2018

Try and get yourself a deal on a 500 gram packet of yeast. It will last for ages and will be a lot cheaper in the long run. I am not that convinced that using different strains of yeast will affect the flavour of the beer THAT much. Perhaps in a professional brewery but definitely less so as a homebrewer. I was recently chatting to a guy that was a beer taster for a UK brewery. We were talking about off flavours etc. and I asked about all the different yeasts available. His response was that it doesn't really make that much difference.

I've been using Safale 04 for all my batches over the last couple of years. It gets the job done very quickly and I have never had any issues with off flavours. When it eventually runs out, I'll be looking for another 500 gram packet.

SteveH · Dec 10, 2018

phildo79 said:
Try and get yourself a deal on a 500 gram packet of yeast. It will last for ages and will be a lot cheaper in the long run.

Interesting, how do you store it? I'd read that exposure to oxygen/moisture would spoil the yeast, but as a beginner I've got no idea how quickly that happens in practice.

Is it enough to re-seal (I've got a manual vac-pac thing for storing open bags of hops already) and put it in the fridge, even if you're keeping a large amount for months?

Drunkula · Dec 10, 2018

phildo79 said:
I asked about all the different yeasts available. His response was that it doesn't really make that much difference.

That is so much ****. I'm constantly doing split batches of the same wort with different yeasts and the differences are huge.

peebee · Dec 10, 2018

phildo79 said:
… I am not that convinced that using different strains of yeast will affect the flavour of the beer THAT much. ...

Apart from being completely wrong, that is a very rash statement! If you are going to try and defend it be prepared for an extended bout of typing. For me … well I can't be bothered going in to it just now so I'll just stick with the warning of a possible storm brewing.

phildo79 · Dec 10, 2018

Well I'm not prepared to spend more money on some fancy new yeast strain when I have hundreds of grams of yeast in my fridge. There may well be a subtle difference in taste but it doesn't warrant the extra expense IMO. Surely most of the aroma and flavour profile comes from the hops, grains and adjuncts anyway.

Drunkula · Dec 10, 2018

phildo79 said:
Well I'm not prepared to spend more money on some fancy new yeast strain when I have hundreds of grams of yeast in my fridge. There may well be a subtle difference in taste but it doesn't warrant the extra expense IMO. Surely most of the aroma and flavour profile comes from the hops, grains and adjuncts anyway.

That's absolutely fine, and what I guessed. But still, the yeast are the driving force behind flavour.

And maybe you can make some wine with those sour grapes! :laugh8:

-Bezza- · Dec 10, 2018

Drunkula said:
I used to estimate how many scoops of this little spoon I've got were in the sachet, then put the appropriate number of those in. Then I bought a 1/100th of a gram scale and use that. It was dirt cheap from aliexpress.

Every time I've thought of buying those scales, I've been put off by the "frequently bought with" being small, resealable, plastic bags...

Sadfield · Dec 10, 2018

phildo79 said:
Well I'm not prepared to spend more money on some fancy new yeast strain when I have hundreds of grams of yeast in my fridge. There may well be a subtle difference in taste but it doesn't warrant the extra expense IMO. Surely most of the aroma and flavour profile comes from the hops, grains and adjuncts anyway.

Why buy yeast in the first place? There's plenty of free yeast floating in the air, and as you say, the differences are subtle (actually I've found this to be surprisingly true).

Anyhow, back to the OP. You could hydrate your yeast in 100ml of water, then decant whatever percentage you need, into the fv.

MyQul · Dec 10, 2018

As others have said just buy some jewellers scales off ebay. Their cheap and surprisingly accurate (I tested how accurate mine were by weighing a variety of UK coins and comparing the results to what the coins were supposed to weigh according to google)
I'm also a small batch brewer. I dont usually use dry yeast I normally use my favoured Gales strain that I got out of a bottle of HSB. Normally I overpitch, quite often by some extent. The only 'negative' I've found in doing this is I sometimes get a bit of overattenuation, but not by much. Maybe 2-3 points

GerritT · Dec 11, 2018

phildo79 said:
Try and get yourself a deal on a 500 gram packet of yeast. It will last for ages and will be a lot cheaper in the long run. I am not that convinced that using different strains of yeast will affect the flavour of the beer THAT much. Perhaps in a professional brewery but definitely less so as a homebrewer. I was recently chatting to a guy that was a beer taster for a UK brewery. We were talking about off flavours etc. and I asked about all the different yeasts available. His response was that it doesn't really make that much difference.

I've been using Safale 04 for all my batches over the last couple of years. It gets the job done very quickly and I have never had any issues with off flavours. When it eventually runs out, I'll be looking for another 500 gram packet.

There's a lot of things to be said about this. One of them being that people tend to not agree...

GerritT · Dec 11, 2018

I brew 16 L and pitch the whole sachet for 23 L. At €2 a sachet I don't mind.

terrym · Dec 11, 2018

GerritT said:
There's a lot of things to be said about this. One of them being that people tend to not agree...

Or, as @Bigcol49 astutely observes, "10 homebrewers, 11 opinions"

Bigcol49 · Dec 11, 2018

terrym said:
astutely

. . . as in "pi**ed as astute?

SteveH · Dec 12, 2018

Thanks for all the input folks, my new scales arrived yesterday so I should be set for my next brew at the weekend :)

MickDundee · Dec 12, 2018

phildo79 said:
Try and get yourself a deal on a 500 gram packet of yeast. It will last for ages and I asked about all the different yeasts available. His response was that it doesn't really make that much difference.

Between different yeasts of the style perhaps (eg US05 v M44 v BRY97, or s-04 v Liberty Bell etc) but using the “wrong” yeast for the style can change the effect of the rest of the flavours. For example, some English style yeasts will mute the hops in an AIPA, Belgian and Saison beers rely on the yeast for a lot of the characteristic flavour and mouthfeel.

bobukbrewer · Dec 13, 2018

use the whole packet for batch 1 and use the yeast sediment from batch 1 for batch 2, use a whole packet for batch 3 etc etc

Measuring yeast for small batches

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