Pacman starter\reuse question

[shuf]

I picked up a Wyeast PacMan smackpack from my lhbs, and I wanted to offset the cost by using the yeast for at least two separate batches in the next month, IIPA with OG of ~1.070 and Porter with OG of ~1.045, and hopefully more to come. I’ve washed and reused my safale dry yeast before and read up on how to make a starter but I’m not sure if I should:

1. Make a large starter from the smackpack to handle both batches
-or-
2. Brew the lower OG, wash the yeast, and reuse.

Making a starter to handle both the batches seems like the best bet, but looking over MrMalty I’ll have to end up with a gallon of starter. Just to be clear, I was planning on making a starter for option 2, but a much smaller one. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[permo]

Option two

 

[suprchunk]

Or, as blasphemous as it seems to say around these parts, pitch on the yeast cake. It will start fermenting very fast. Or if you want to spend some extra time, wash it then pitch it.

 

[BBKing]

Agree with Permo.

Option 2

 

[fretsforlife]

I washed my pacman yeast a couple months back and now have several mason jars of the stuff that works great for starters. If I were you, I'd brew the porter, and wash. Then you'll have plenty to make your IPA and any other beers you wanna make down the road.

 

[Brew-boy]

#2 Should get better each time you wash it.

 

[Pleepleus]

I know I've heard several people recommend not washing yeast from really hoppy or high gravity beers. You may want to brew the porter, wash, then pitch half of what you washed into the IIPA, and jar the rest.

 

[shuf]

Thanks for the help, much appreciated. Can anyone explain or share out links on why #2, "Brew the lower OG, wash the yeast, and reuse", is preferred? This is my first time using liquid yeast with a starter, and I want to educate myself on yeast procedures.

-Stephen

 

[Pleepleus]

There's an episode of Brewstrong (thebrewingnetwork.com), about reusing yeast. They talk about the yeast getting stressed in higher gravity beers, and also about how yeast strains tend to get better with each generation. One of their more interesting and informative, you can download it from iTunes.

 

[Pleepleus]

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/543

There's the episode, and you can download the MP3 directly from that link.