Yeast culturing

I just ordered some Wyeast Belgian White, and since I can't get it locally, I'd like to make a culture and pitch some off into each batch I make.

Would it work if I make a small batch(1 gal or so) of DME wort, pour the activated yeast in, let it ferment out, and then refridgerate, then pour some off into each batch I make? Wouldn't this be cleaner and easier than washing the yeast? I'm pretty much a beginner here, so if I'm out to lunch, pls tell me.

That would certainly work fine and would be clean and easy to do.

As a suggestion, I've tried making huge starters with apple juice and that seems to work fairly well too, and it's cheaper! Just pour off the fermented applejuice when fermentation stops and the yeast settles, or drink it for a cheap (but nasty yeast tasting) buzz. Or bottle it and store it for hard cider.

Great, thanks. Apple juice is interesting, I guess it's not enough to alter the taste.

Or, you could make your first 5gal batch then harvest the flocculated yeast from it. You should get a good healthy amount...enough to pitch 10 5gal batches with.

Exo said:

Or, you could make your first 5gal batch then harvest the flocculated yeast from it. You should get a good healthy amount...enough to pitch 10 5gal batches with.

Click to expand...

Nah, that's TOO easy...

Exo said:

Or, you could make your first 5gal batch then harvest the flocculated yeast from it. You should get a good healthy amount...enough to pitch 10 5gal batches with.

Click to expand...

If I did this, I would have to wash the yeast, right?


Also, approximately how much would you pitch in each batch to get a ferment going in a short time?

Thx!

I think in terms of long-term viability it's probably better to wash the yeast. I'm not saying what I just did was right, but I harvested all the yeast and slurry and trub from a prior batch and held it in a growler for a few hours. I washed my primary out (some nasty stuff around the edges) and brewed. Then I pitched the just harvested yeast/trub into my new batch. I was going to pour off the crud that accumulated on the top, but there wasn't much.

Why just pour it in? Some guys here just pour their wort right onto a prior batches yeast-cake. Yup. That's a LOT of yeast. I just took it a step further and removed the cake, cleaned the primary, etc.

Here's a link I found on another thread today regarding proper yeast pitching rates. I think I'll be doing the 1L starter into a 4L starter then pitching for my next "big" bier.
http://www.mrmalty.com/pitching.php#F

Thanks, Exo. I guess by not washing you're risking off-flavors in the beer from the prior batch? There aren't any contamination issues from this, I suppose.

Washing is mainly a matter of flavors.

Plus when you wash you are removing hops and unfermentables from the yeast which makes the yeast cleaner.