Starter for 15l kolch @ 1.060 (actually it's a bock)

[ploto]

I have a 15l St Peters fresh wort kit of their Kolch which I was planning on brewing undiluted - I won't know the OG until open it, but if it's like their other FWKs then I expect it to be 1.060 out of the cube, which seems to be within the acceptable range for this style.

I've never made a real lager-type beer before and this is the first time I'll be making a starter from a vial of liquid yeast. I've recultured coopers for ales but never worried about cell counts etc. I have a vial of WLP833 dated best before september 1, 2013.

The Mr Malty calculator is suggesting that for one vial I will need to make a 6.29l starter, which seems an awful lot for a 15l batch. I entered .15 hectolitres and moved the growth factor slide until it registered for 1 vial.

Does this seem right? If not, what am I doing wrong with Mr Malty? Apologies if I'm missing the obvious but but I want to make sure I have it right before I proceed. I have read people suggesting 4l starters for 23l batches of lager so the result threw me off.

 

[treefiddy]

What temperature will you be pitching/fermenting with?

 

[ploto]

11*C has been suggested to me. I have temp control.

 

[Mardoo]

I did a stepped 1.5 liter to 3 liter starter (stirred every 6 or so hours) using a pack of the Wyeast kolsch. There was 4 months left on the use-by date. I had a good strong ferment at 14 degrees average. Hope that helps.

 

[ploto]

Oh and I should point out that I will be making the starters in old 2l pet bottles and without a stir plate.


edit: Cheers Mardoo.

 

[Mardoo]

Oh and I should point out that I will be making the starters in old 2l pet bottles and without a stir plate.

Just give it a good swirl every few hours. This made a noticeable difference in my pre-stirplate starters.

PS: My OG on the batch I mentioned was 1.052 and FG was 1.007.

 

[treefiddy]

If you have a stir plate, 2 L is plenty.

If you don't have a stir plate, you'd need to make a 2 L starter, decant, then make another 2 L starter (if you only have a 2 L starter capacity) and pitch at high krausen.

That is to get optimal an optimal pitch according to yeastcalc.com

 

[ploto]

Yep that's what I've done with the coopers re-cultures I've done in the past.

Not sure about the temp, I was told 11*C but now I'm finding a lot of recommendations for 14 - 15*C

 

[treefiddy]

IMO make a 2 L starter and shake it when you can.
Pitch that into 14-15°C. Less faffing.

 

[ploto]

Too easy, cheers 350!

 

[ploto]

Well fark me, the FWK is a bock not a kolch! Dunno why I had that in my head. I actually went in to get a porter or stout but they had none so I got the only dark beer they had.

Does this change anything?

Sorry for the confusion, that's what running out of beer does to me. And I thought the shaking fingers was from the cold...

 

[Mardoo]

Shouldn't, but FIIK how a kolsch yeast would do in a dark beer, but I'd love to hear what others with more experience think.

 

[treefiddy]

Bock should be fermented at low temps. The same advice as above applies really.

I've never used that yeast but I'd probably just go at 14-15°C with a 2 L starter, same as before.

If you're keen for another bock type beer then reuse the yeast and you'll see if there is much difference between fermentation temps in a bock.