My First Starter

[Cannibal Smurf]

Ok, so I decided to do a 50L brew (in my 55L pot . . . that was fun) and now I'm making my first starter (because I'm too tight to buy 2 packs of yeast, I have a stir plate and I like to make things complicated)

Now Mr.Malty pitch rate calc tells me I need 480 billion yeast cells to ferment my 50L batch of 1.052 wort from a 5.6L starter, but I can only make a 3L starter. Wyeast pitch calc tells me, starting with 5mls (0.04 pkgs) in 750ml after 2 steps up to 3L I'll have approx. 100 billion cells.... this is far from the 480 billion suggested from the 5.6L starter. Can there be that much difference or are my calcs out?

Also, Wyeast starter packs are only 100 billions cells for a 20L batch, so by that theory I'd only need 250 billion cells for 50L, not 480 billion... I am confused, can anyone clarify??

Do I keep a little of my starter and top it up with unfermented wort, or use my smack pack (which I had intended to keep for future starters)?

 

[BoilerBoy]

Just to clarify......Your making a 3L starter after you have already brewed the batch, Is it a no chill?

BB

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

Yes...cooled using cooling coil and then into fermenter where it sits waiting for yeast, should I throw in the smack pack and add the starter tomorrow or what to do?

Yeah I know I should've been better prepared and made the starter first :wacko:

 

[BoilerBoy]

Look there are better heads out there than mine, but at this stage for a 50L batch size I'd be pitching a dried yeast and preparing better next time,

Or if your using 2 fermenters put the Wyeast in one and a dried in the other.

Always as a rule get your yeast organized first then brew.

Cheers,
BB

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

No dried yeast on hand, the 5ml vial and the smack pack is all I have available :unsure:

edit: All in 1 fermenter (60L)

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

BUMP! Any other takers?

 

[marlow_coates]

I would pitch something....either one will have to do, or both.

If you have 50L prepared beer that is in a fermenter with headspace at room temp, then it is asking for infection IMHO.

I would just toss what you have in there and hope for the best. Can't see it not taking off though.

Good luck.

 

[clean brewer]

Is that all the Yeast you have??? :unsure:

If so, the 1 Smack Pack is only enough for a single batch.... Wyeast Link

Is the smack pack swelled and ready to go? Maybe you could just pitch the smack pack for now and if you can get a similar dried yeast tomoz, you could pitch that then....

You will not have anywhere near enough time to get an appropriate starter done with the smack pack or the pissy 5ml vial for this brew.. Starters need to be started a couple days before so they will be built up enough and ready to pitch....

:icon_cheers: CB

 

[Fantoman]

I would pitch the smack pack and up the temp of the brew to around 20-22c to give it a better chance of taking off... drop the temp back down to 18-20c once the krausen has formed... No time for a starter now...

 

[matt white]

Chuck em both in before its too late!

Good experiment if nothing else.

 

[glaab]

if a smack pack has 100billion cells, how do you fig=ure you have only 100billion after all that stepping up? they wyest calc says for 10million/ ml start with 2litrs[0,5 gal] then step up another 0.5 gal you should be up to 15million/ml with a stir plate.
I just did this excercise and started with a smackpack into 1.5 litre, then added 3.5 litre and that came to over 10million cells/ ml and I dont have a stir plate. What do you mean by 0.04 packages?

 

[Cannibal Smurf]

if a smack pack has 100billion cells, how do you fig=ure you have only 100billion after all that stepping up?

Because I can count... I only used 5mls I had in a vial (as previously stated) not a whole 125ml smack pack.

What do you mean by 0.04 packages?

I mean 0.04... 125ml x 0.04 (4%) = 5ml


Anyway, looks like the single pack is doing the trick...bubbling away and smelling as it should.