Yeast starter and reuse

[WahHooJames]

I have a few questions that I'm positive are in the 8005 posts in this leg of HBT but I want to consolidate. Simple questions but maybe not simple answers.
(FYI I brew 11 gallon batches in an all electric keggles set up in the vein of theelectricbrewery.com)

Using two vials of White Labs to start on a batch this size. To date Ive bought it new everytime and it's a waste of perfectly good yeast. Questions are here:

1) Can you mix two yeast strains to create a "custom" strain without bad results? Anyone experiment with this?

2) Best way to make a starter with liquid yeast

3) Is there a benefit of liquid vs dry yeast? What is it?

4) Best way/time to collect yeast to reuse for next batch?

5) How long/How should it be stored?

6) Anything particular that should be done to reuse it? (I see beakers on agitators a lot)

Just ready to get a micro-organic thread churning like we dump fresh fruit into our primary. Ready... Set.... Foam up!

 

[ArcaneXor]

1) Can you mix two yeast strains to create a "custom" strain without bad results? Anyone experiment with this?

Most of the info you are looking for can be found on the yeast washing thread, the beginners' stickies and a couple of other places, but I wanted to address #1 here:

1. Yes, but the results tend to be unpredictable over time, because you never quite know the relative rates of propagation between the different strains. White Labs sells pre-blended yeasts. They are not well-suited for washing and re-pitching.

 

[stevo155]

1. Yes, but the results tend to be unpredictable over time, because you never quite know the relative rates of propagation between the different strains. White Labs sells pre-blended yeasts. They are not well-suited for washing and re-pitching.

and some yeast strains are killers, and will attack other yeast strains. I think Shea Comfort, the Yeast Whisperer did a show about this on The Brewing Network once, but that was a long time and several homebrews ago.

 

[dcp27]

1) usually one of the strains will take over

2) http://www.mrmalty.com/starter_faq.htm

3) dry yeast doesnt need a starter and is cheaper, liquid yeast has more variety.

4) https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/yeast-washing-illustrated-41768/

 

[erikpete18]

1) Not really, one strain will always grow better than the other, so eventually it just overtakes the other one and you're wound up with a single strain. I've heard of the killer yeast strains as well, but I thought those were mostly wine yeasts that will killers, I might be wrong.

2) 1.040 wort with dme, pitch yeast

3) Liquid has a lot more variety, but you'll have to make a starter for most brews. Dry is easy, can double pitch for cheap, but limited variety.

4, 5, 6) These depend on how you store it. If you are washing yeast, pull it out of the primary when you move to bottle/secondary. Wash it in a few sanitized/sterilized jars and you can usually just pitch from the jar, if you store for a while you might want to make a starter.

I make glycerol stocks with mine, so I've got to step up a few times to get up to a useable level. Same would apply if you decided to do yeast slants.