It's time to revisit the frozen yeast bank!
- AZ Brews
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
It's time to talk about frozen yeast banks. Yes, frozen yeast banks. Based on several factors, it seems very obvious that it's getting harder and harder to source beer yeast, particularly the liquid forms or specialty versions (ie oktoberfest, bock, etc)
Some factors include:
Homebrew Shops are disappearing
Difficult for homebrewer to source yeast directly from manufacturer without being a pro brewer
Temperatures are too warm in the summer to have liquid yeast shipped via mail
Amazon is a hit or miss option for dry yeast: no way to know how old the packets are
Even on the big online sites like MoreBeer or Northern Brewer, the availability seems more limited
As for me, I think the yeast selection is really critical for some styles and I would love to have these yeasts on hand for my brewery in a frozen state.
The Augustiner strain for German lagers
The Ayinger Bock strain
The Weihenstephaner strain for German lagers
The Oktoberfest strain
Did you notice a trend?
One way to source yeast would be to drive to the manufacturers location. For example, my brother pitched the idea of driving to White Labs with a cooler full of ice to source liquid strains. They have locations in Asheville and San Diego. Seems like a lot of effort but both places have amazing beer scenes so it would be worth the trip.
Martin Keen from Brulosophy released this video a few years ago and I thought it would be worth reviewing it again. Frozen yeast can be stored for years and give the home brewer the flexibility of having multiple strains ready after making a quick starter.
These frozen yeast strains can be stored for years - Martin Keen