1st time reusing yeast questions

i brewed a blonde that i plan on dry hopping with 3/4oz cascade. i'd like to begin washing yeast and reusing/storing some. my question is, is it necessary to get a starter going with yeast i've washed & stored?

i thought i'd wash and store the yeast from this batch but now i'm having second thoughts----that it'd be better to brew another batch and reuse the yeast when i move the first one to secondary (this weekend) and wait on washing/storing until i build a stirplate.

and if i decide reuse the yeast that's currently in the five gallon bucket churning away, what's the best way to do so?

thanks in advance for advice.

Read the sticky on yeast washing in the yeast forum, huge amounts of info in there.

Yes, you should make a starter. No, you don't need a stirplate to do so. Or nothing wrong with pitching the second batch on the yeast cake from the current batch.

If I am using the yeast within a month, I don't use a starter. I usually have WAY more than I need so I use MrMalty.com to see how much fresh slurry I would need and guesstimate it up a little depending on how old it is. If it is going to be more than a month, I just get fresh yeast. Starters just seem like too much trouble.

Most of the time I bottle on Friday and brew on Saturday though so I just roll it along....