Yeast bank?

[greenacarina]

Curious how many of you keep a yeast bank?
I've always thought this could be a really cool idea...good supply of "favorite" yeast strains to save on buying them each time...maybe farm some of the sludge from a bottle of a favorite commercial beer.
Those of you who do this, do you have a wide collection of strains or just a few tried and true ones? Any "secret recipe" types?

Thanks
Chris

 

[ptarmigancraft]

I keep WL001, 090, 004, and 002 on hand at all times. Just wash the cake and store in half pint mason jars. Been doing this for a few years and I love it. Bought 2 vials of each over the past year and I brew twice a week.

 

[jahdub]

I always keep a "house strain" in my fridge. For a while, it was chico ale yeast, it is now super san diego yeast and will most likely stay that way. I also have some german southern lager yeast that I'll most likely continue to save. Generally, everything is harvested from oversized starters.