Yeast...different question dealing with repitching

Okay, so I know there is a great sticky about washing yeast for reuse (which I read). Here is my question though...

I am making a starter wort tonight for a batch I will be making Saturday (enough time, right?). I bought the White Labs yeast in a vile and I wanted to know if I can pitch most of the yeast out and keep a little in the vile, put some yeast nutrient in there, and some malt and keep that for a batch in the future.

Rather than keep yeast from a batch I have already fermented, which would then be prone to mutation, I wanted to keep the original strain intact. Does any of this make sense to do or should I just yeast wash?

Are you planning on attaching an airlock to that vial once you add the malt extract? That just sounds like trouble to me.

My experience with repitching is that second use is pretty safe, as long as the batches are fairly similar in gravity and style. That is, I wouldn't do an imperial stout, then use the yeast for a low-gravity pale ale.

Honestly, the only time I washed yeast for reuse was when the first batch was a spiced holiday ale and I wanted to let that spicy trub settle out. Otherwise, I just pitch the new wort right on top of the yeast I just removed the previous batch from. Less chance of contamination than when you are removing yeast and messing with it during the washing process.

Greg

Greg, thanks for the reply. If I just pitched directly onto the cake, then i would need to buy a blow off tube, right? Also, I mainly wanted to keep the yeast for a later brewing. My goal is to not buy yeast every time I want to brew.

I was not planning on attaching an airlock, so adding malt won't work, right? CABOOM!

Brewme said:

Greg, thanks for the reply. If I just pitched directly onto the cake, then i would need to buy a blow off tube, right? Also, I mainly wanted to keep the yeast for a later brewing. My goal is to not buy yeast every time I want to brew.

I was not planning on attaching an airlock, so adding malt won't work, right? CABOOM!

Click to expand...

Making a blow off is actually quite easy. I took a 3 piece air lock, and fitted a tube over the center piece. Ran the tube into a pail of water and pitched away. Not my original invention, the 17 yr old at my LBHS told me how to make it. Sure there are tons of references to this technique on the boards.

Tip: Heat the tube under hot water to make it fit over the stem.