Brew with the same yeast?

Anyone who has been brewing for a while ended up just reusing the same yeast for majority of their brews? I've been using notty for the past 10 batches and they've all turned out great. I know it's a deviation from the recipes and styles, but it cuts about $4 or so out of each batch cost while i'm still learning.

TLDR

Anyone use the same yeast for several generations as they experiments with beer types?

too many generations may over stress the yeast, but if it's working for you, don't listen to me

also there are limits on ABV & IBU for reusing yeast, but "washing" the yeast may get you by some of those limits.

think there's a sticky in the yeast section on storing/reusing yeast

I have done 2 or 3 batches with the same yeast but if it sits too long in my fridge I just get some fresh yeast.

In use harvested Bell's yeast for most of my beers. I make oversized starters and usually get four Ball jelly jars' worth to use with starters in the future. I've left jars in the fridge for 8-10 months with no noticeable negative effects.

That said, I'm making a kölsch tomorrow or Saturday, but I'll be using 2565 for it. If it's a yeast-particular beer, then I'll find the right yeast for it, but otherwise it's Bell's.

I usually dump on top of half of the yeast cake and watch it roll. I do regular sunday brews, i have a house full of people and friends who will help kick 5 gallons pretty quickly

I tend to reuse the same yeast. Nothing wrong with creating a house strain.

Besides I'm getting old and some yeast strains don't agree with internal system.

I like Fort George beers but they give me gas. Took some experimenting to figure that out.

I overbuild all my starters that use common yeast by about 100m cells and then store the yeast with the amount of decanted "beer" on top of it in mason jars. Write the date on the bottle and use that as the "born" date for future starters. This method elements having to wash the yeast.

I have conicals and could probably easily save yeast if I am going to do the same style beer again right after racking... but I don't like leaving all the trub in the fermenter for the next batch.

I overbuild starters. I've taken some lagers about 10 generations from a single pack. However, I do change strains every so often because I don't like all of my beers tasting so similar.

I make oversized starters every time and I'm on gen six or seven of my wlp090. I am going to try a fresh vial vs my harvested next go around to see how the generations have impacted flavor

I have 3 or 4 different strains that I use. I purchase a new pitch maybe once a year. I've found that some yeasts work very differently at different temperatures. So using the same yeast for different styles sometimes works well. Take WLP320 American Hefeweizen, if you ferment it in the 62-64*F range, it has no banana or clove. But ferment it at 68-72*F and you get lots of them.

I usually have 3 strains running at the same time; a clean American, an English yeast, and a Belgian/Saison. All get re-used several times before I change to a new strain.

When I first use a yeast, I'll make a big starter like others and save some. When used in a subsequent brew, I use slurry. The stored starter yeast will keep for a couple of years, and is used when I want to re-start the strain again. I probably buy 1 yeast pack/vial a year, and brew somewhere between 15 to 20 times. I also harvest some commercial yeasts; probably one a year too.

I've gotten over 20 uses from a number of yeasts, and some of them are still going. Others only last a few beers because I'm not impressed. I think I'm up to 35 uses on one yeast and still going.

GrogNerd said:

also there are limits on ABV & IBU for reusing yeast, but "washing" the yeast may get you by some of those limits.[/URL]

Click to expand...

And where did you get this information. I think this is incorrect.

IBUs and yeast have almost no relationship.

As for other traits; the way we pitch, ferment, and harvest yeast (and it is different for everyone) we unwittingly select certain traits of the yeast, and over a number of batches (maybe 10, maybe more), could see a difference in how it performs. ABV limit is not one I have ever heard people talk about, but I could see instances where we could end up reducing the abv potential, but I could also see where we could increase the abv potential, unless you are making Barey Wines every brew, this would not be a concern.

Yeast washing would have an additive effect on selection of yeast traits, and not 'correct' any selection bias. Yeast washing is just another process that selects certain cells over others.

I've heard there are some yeast strains that can't tolerate a certain level of ABV, but that's pretty much it. I don't know if it applies.

As long as the general yeast style is met (english/american ale, saison, trappist, lager) I don't tend to care much.
Of course, I'm currently conditioning a comparison of 8 different trappist/belgian yeasts in the same wort, so I do have some interest in strain differences...

I re-used Nottingham out to four generations. The last one, I only used one of two pitches I had, as it took 68 hours before the very first signs of fermentation showed. After it took off, everything was normal, and I know I pitched a large amount of yeast, but it still took forever. Every generation took successively longer to start fermentation, so I gave up on the long-term yeast saving. I will use half a pack on a batch (I make 2.5G batches) and then split the yeast up from that beer and use half on a batch each of beer afterward, but then I just rinse it out afterward. No more. I learned.