Continual Starter?

[gypsyhead]

I pitched 1 White Labs vial of WL001 California Ale in about 1 gallon of 1.040 wort to get it ready for a pale ale I'm making.

I know you're all thinking that's a bit much, which I realized shortly after pitching.
The last batch I made had been a strong ale, about 1.100 OG, so I pitched a bit more yeast, and I guess the 2.7L starter figure stuck in my head.

My question is: can I use half the starter in this batch, re-feed the remaining starter with another 1/2 gallon of wort, and keep a yeast farm going indefinitely (ie. use half the batch each week and re-feed), or will there be issues with yeast health (other than the possible introduction of contaminants)?

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I would also be concerned about yeast mutation that will result in off-flavors.

 

[likwidbliss]

Mutated yeast? Hmmm...

I don't have a continual starter, but I have jars of sleeping yeast that I wash. I keep three varieties on hand. A San Fran lager, Notty and Windsor. I use these guys a lot. Might want to look at washing instead of a continual starter

 

[avidhomebrewer]

Mutated yeast? Hmmm...

I don't have a continual starter, but I have jars of sleeping yeast that I wash. I keep three varieties on hand. A San Fran lager, Notty and Windsor. I use these guys a lot. Might want to look at washing instead of a continual starter

Yeah, I read it somewhere, but can't remember where. I think it was something around the 7th, maybe 8th generation that mutations started occurring. I think washing the yeast would help.

 

[Wellshooter]

That is exactly how sour dough works. You take a cup out, add it to your pancakes or biscuits, then add a little flour and sugar back to your starter. You can do that for years. It may change a little over time but generally for the better. I don't see why it wouldn't work for beer yeast as well.

If you were a big time brewer you might have better facilities and a lab for support to do that. A home brewer might have a little trouble maintaining the same taste over a period of time, but does that matter?

Personally, I regularly rack and then put fresh wort in the same fermenter. I've done it as many as 5 times in a row without problems. I would have done more but I ran out of kegs.

 

[lumpher]

wash it, and keep it for another brew. don't keep it perpetually going

 

[gypsyhead]

That is exactly how sour dough works.

Exactly, but I can see how mutations would occur, and I suppose if I didn't wash it occasionally, I'd be getting some trub from the feed wort, but wouldn't you get mutations already if you kept washing down your yeast? you're still using and creating new generations each time, the only difference is that you're making sure to clean up the product a bit... right?

 

[Pick]

Who says the mutations will be bad? You might like the mutations.

 

[HI_SALENITY]

I thought it was the warming/cooling cycles from being used/washed/refrigerated that mutated the yeast (I may be wrong)

I think it may work if =
1= you brew every week
2= the yeast will at least double in cell number every week

 

[Calder]

Every time I have a new yeast, I keep about 8 ounces of the starter in a bottle. I attach an airlock and store in the fridge.

I'll wash and reuse the cake from the main batch several times, then go back to the saved starter and start again ...... step up to a big starter and keep a small amount.

You can keep a yeast going for years that way, and since you are just using a starter wort (around 1.030), you minimize the risk of mutations.