1 step yeast propagation and starter approach

[Sparger]

For my lagers, I always make a starter to get my target billions of cells (usually around 400 billion). Post-fermentation, the normal drill is yeast rinsing that avoids a starter next time, but I've always had contamination concerns of what else I was growing in those two weeks of fermentation at the bottom of my carboy, i.e., yes you can use boiled distilled water to "rinse" the carboy, but that carboy has been siting around for a couple of weeks and isn't sanitized at all anymore. My "solution" is to make about 100 billion more cells (500 billion total) than needed in the starter, pour off a 100 billion into a sanitized glass jar and chill as a new 100 billion starter. The remainder yeast (400 billion) gets pitched. I feel like I have the starter stir plate process down pretty good to avoid contamination and enjoy making starters more than rinsing slurry. A new starter also tells me whether my 100 billion starter "worked" instead of keeping my fingers crossed with re-pitched slurry. Question - am I really getting less potential contamination with this approach over yeast rinsing? I haven't heard of anyone using this "solution" so maybe there's no benefit here.

 

[LLBeanJ]

Definitely the way to go. I've been doing this for nearly 5 years and there are many members of this forum who do it the same way.

And there's this...
http://brulosophy.com/methods/yeast-harvesting/

 

[day_trippr]

[...] I haven't heard of anyone using this "solution" so maybe there's no benefit here.

Generally referred to as an "over-built starter", tons of folks do it.
And for pretty much the same reasons: avoiding the re-use of possibly stressed yeast, avoiding the propagation of infection...and because it's dead simple to do...

Cheers!

 

[kh54s10]

I would differ and say that in pouring off your 100 billion cells into a sanitized jar is not really much different that yeast that has been in a beer for a couple of weeks. I would do it a little differently and just use a portion of the yeast cake in the next batch and probably just toss the remainder. No yeast washing.

I make my oversized starter then freeze 4 vials of 5 ml yeast, 5ml glycerin and 10 ml water. I have made new stepped up starters from vials saved for over 2 years.

 

[alane1]

I just started using this method after developing off flavors from harvested yeast slurry. Obviously there's always a risk of infection with any transfer but I think the starter method is a better way to insure young, viable yeast. Like you pointed out earlier it's also a better way to estimate cell count. I'd say go for it.