Test Tubes

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 12:19 am

I dont suppose anyone knows where i can find some cheap glass test tubes? I want to keep portions of some Wyeast smackpacks so that I can really get the maximum value out of them.

yardglass · Post by **yardglass** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 12:27 am

i havn't even used liquid yeasts, but arn't they kept in PET bottles ?
(the starters).
could be wrong though.

cheers
yardy

Dogger Dan · Post by **Dogger Dan** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 1:51 am

NT,

Anytime you bring scientific equipment into play the price goes up. I am pretty sure you can't use cheap and test tube in the same sentence.

I use 500 ml Grolsh bottles with air lock and bung. I have seen folks use Mason Jars (Canning jars) with a hole in the seal and an airlock and bung. I recently found 75 ml jars with lids that would likely suit the need. Take a look around

Oh and I am in no way an expert in yeast. Someone here told me how to propogate yeast and it has worked sweet for me. Prior to that it just wasn't nice

Yard, I use White Labs yeast and it comes in plastic vials.

Dogger

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 5:32 am

The Wyeast smackpacks are just simple sealed foil bags, once opened they have no further function. Its a foil bag within a foil bag, you simply 'smack' it to break open the inner, shake it around and leave it for 1-2 days. Boom, instant starter.

Using a bottle to hold my small yeast samples would be overkill, both in size and in the fridge space they would take up. The idea of using test tubes was to collect maybe half a tubes worth, then store it in the fridge. When i want to use it, pour off a little into a bottle and go about making a normal starter. Then when it runs low, beef its numbers up out of the fridge with a little malt.

I found a set of 10x 150mm 25ml glass test tubes on ebay for $16 including delivery, but was hoping to avoid it.

kurtz · Post by **kurtz** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 10:20 am

If you are buying "glass" test tubes just make sure that they are borosilicate (pyrex, duran etc). An alternative is to buy very cheap "disposable" test tubes with screw on lids (they are sealed and gamma ray sterilised).
The best way to keep yeast is on a "slant" or petrie dish. This way you can visually check the health of your colonies before you start them up. Needs a very high degree of cleanliness though !!
For clarification the Wyeast packs do not have a foil pack inside they have some form of plastic, the outer pack is an alumininium coated oxygen barrier polymer.
I think that Whitelabs use a polycarbonate tube.

Kurtz

grabman · Post by **grabman** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 12:51 pm

NT,

I make up a starter in a 5L glass demijohn from the smackpack, then divide into sanitised 500ml bottles and store in fridge until ready to use.

NOt sure but I think if you just try to divide from the smackpack you may not get a very even distribution of yeast in your samples.

Just my thoughts!

Grabman

yardglass · Post by **yardglass** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 1:48 pm

a bit off topic,(sorry NT) anyone had any probs with mail ordering (long dist) liquid yeasts?

i spose the next step in improving my beers after grain, temp control is using the best yeast i can get.

Grab,

whats a demijohn? Is it like the jars DD mentioned

cheers

NTRabbit · Post by **NTRabbit** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 1:53 pm

I dont have room to store multiple 500ml bottles from multiple different yeasts in my fridge, I barely have enough space for CC'ing my lagers.

The test tubes I found on ebay were heavy sided borosilicate glass

grabman · Post by **grabman** » Tuesday Dec 27, 2005 2:36 pm

Yardie,
a demijohn is a 5L glass bottle. most HBS will have them. I use mine for making up starter batches from liquid yeasts. Although I am thing of using it for a small batch of a special brew, just not sure what as yet.

Grab