Yeast Washing or Slants?

Ive been doing some research lately, My main goal is to be able to re-use yeast and save me from spending 5.50 per vial each time I brew. I would eventualy like to have a nice collection of yeasts in my fridge.

My main issue is if I continue my reserach in yeast washing or yeast cultivating and slants? What are the big differences between the two, not in the process, but in the use, or are they pretty much just 2 different ways to accomplish the same thing?

Slants seem easy enough, get 3-4 small vials from each batch, washing seems easy enough...get some mason jars from each yeast cake, and flyGuy's method of making a frozen yeast bank ALSO seems easy enough. I guess Im just looking for some dirrection here.

I get 4-5 vials from each washing. I have about 40-50 vials in my fridge right now and more that I could fill.

If you read the following you will have a good understanding about yeast handling. It takes effort but if you stay with it you will have plenty of good yeast.

Look Here.......
Wyeast Laboratories : Commercial : Breweries : Technical Information : Yeast Harvesting

MB Raines, Ph.D. - Guide to Yeast Culturing for Homebrewers - Maltose Falcons Home Brewing Society (Los Angeles Homebrewing)

Making Plates Slants - German Brewing Techniques

I've gone the slant route as my "normal" routine. Each time I buy a tube or smack pack, I save three innoculated slant tubes. My reasoning? It was to have yeast for each brew, that was as close as possible to the original package yeast population.

I've harvested as well, but only for a single use. We've all heard variations of the old wive's (Brewer's?) tale of yeast mutating after re-use over the course of X number of batches. How true is it and how big of an efffect does it have? I haven't seen much concrete on it. Does anyone have some good references?

Lots of good reading here, I think Ill stick with the slants before pitching my starter.

raceskier said:

I've gone the slant route as my "normal" routine. Each time I buy a tube or smack pack, I save three innoculated slant tubes. My reasoning? It was to have yeast for each brew, that was as close as possible to the original package yeast population.

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This is my procedure as well, and for the same reason (although I've been making 5-10 each since I've already got all the gear out).