# STIR PLATE



## billybacardi (21/5/14)

Made a stir plate the other day and it works fine, but now i'm wondering if its worth making a yeast starter from dried yeast or should i just continue dumping the dried yeast into the wort like i've always done. Anyone made a starter from dried yeast? Are there any bennefits from doing it? :drinks:


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## LiquidGold (21/5/14)

From what I've read there is no point making a starter for dried yeast and they are used mainly for liquid yeast or culturing bottled yeast/yeast slurry form a previous batch.


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## Mainiac (21/5/14)

I agree 

I buy good liquid yeast. Make a starter 4 times bigger than I need. I split off three into mason jars and pitch the fourth.

I will repeat the process with the 3 units that way I have yeast for MANY batches. Saves a lot of money


Works great


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## billybacardi (21/5/14)

That sounds good, I've never used liquid yeast mainly because of the stupid price on it over here. Being quite new to the brewing scene i did'nt think about growing it on first, i can see now that splitting it would be quite economical, will have to look into storing it and how many times to split etc. thanks for the tip.


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## Mainiac (21/5/14)

You can split them a bunch of times. You could easily get several dozen out of one yeast packet. 
First split ( minus one used each time)
3
then
9
27
81

It gets big fast


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## billybacardi (21/5/14)

is there a certain temp to store them?


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## Mainiac (21/5/14)

I store them in the fridge. I take my slurry and put it in the jar then top of with previously boiled water put the cap on and in the fridge it goes.


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## slcmorro (21/5/14)

You can make a starter with dried yeast, if you find yourself without enough dry packs to pick the amount you want or if you suspect the yeast viability (if it's manufacture date is quite old) is suspect.

I make starters whenever I pitch W34/70 simply because a packet costs about $7 each, and I usually need to use 2 packets in any lager that I brew. Helps multiply your yeast for a lot less than buying another packet. $14 is a big outlay in comparison, considering each batch of beer mightn't even cost $30 overall to make.


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## sp0rk (21/5/14)

Mainiac said:


> I agree
> 
> I buy good liquid yeast. Make a starter 4 times bigger than I need. I split off three into mason jars and pitch the fourth.
> 
> ...


Liquid yeast is a lot more expensive here than it is in the US, and a lot of the time it's fairly old (atleast out here in the sticks it is)


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## Trevandjo (22/5/14)

Mainiac said:


> I agree
> 
> I buy good liquid yeast. Make a starter 4 times bigger than I need. I split off three into mason jars and pitch the fourth.
> 
> ...


I could probably find this info through trawling through other posts but what's the longest you keep one of the split starters in the fridge?


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## MartinOC (22/5/14)

Without resorting to being nasty & saying "DAFS", the obvious answer is "It depends".

If you do a split, do everything in a sanitary condition & keep it in optimal conditions, there's anecdotal evidence that you can store for 6-12-24 months (or more). 

It depends (there I go again!) on how you do it.

Freezing with glycerine, under RO water, pitchable quantities, step-able quantities...etc....etc.....

You choose how you want to do it, but knowing what you're doing (& want to achieve) is the first step.


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## Crusty (22/5/14)

Trevandjo said:


> I could probably find this info through trawling through other posts but what's the longest you keep one of the split starters in the fridge?


I've used one just over 12 months old. Stepped starter, 1000ml into 1600mls.
2 x 30ml wyeast 1056 vials. FG finished where expected @1.013 from 1.049.


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## Trevandjo (22/5/14)

Thanks. There's plenty of mixed messages about this ranging from 1 week on. That's why I haven't been doing it as I don't brew every week. Great info.


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## MartinOC (22/5/14)

Edjumacate yourself, sport! It makes you a better brewer...


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## stux (22/5/14)

I split a wyeast 4 ways into 25ml sterile specimen containers. Don't bust the nutrient pack. 

Store the containers in the beer fridge. 

I then spin up a stepped starter from gen 0 yeast. 

I find I can only get good results (ie no detectable infections) going from gen 0. 

I blame all the fruit trees around here 

Lowers yeast cost to 3$/ per brew (triple batches), and then the real cost is the malt (often DME) used in the starter


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## proudscum (22/5/14)

I use my stir plate to re hydrate my dry yeast when i start the cool.I should pitch the dry yeast at 38 degrees as the viabilty will be at about 70% where it drops to maybe 30-40%when rehydrated around 20 dont know why but this is what my lecturer mentioned recently.I always drop 2 packs in a brew and maybe 3 if i ever get around to doing a Lager.On a commercial scale manufactures recommend 50_80gr per hectoleter for ale and 80-200gr per hec for lager temp and gravity dependant.O2 is the big factor and thats the weak like in my homebrewing.


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