Beer Forum

Starting a new thread to get some attention paid to this over-discussed and still misunderstood topic....

Got my B3-1000 this week, and I'll be brewing as soon as I get back from vacation. I'm not telling you where I live... so don't ask

Since I'll be doing 10 gallons at a time I need to get this yeast thingy straight. Also, I want to make it clear that I am asking because, as Jamil says, I want to make GREAT beer, not just beer. If I just wanted to make beer I'd fart in the carboy and save the yeast money...

1- Mr. Malty says that if you use a stir plate you can double the yeast growth. The site also states that a 2 liter starter will yield about 200 billion cells. Does that mean that in a 2000ml starter on a stir plate you'll end up with about 400 billion cells?

2 - Can I pitch one vial (or smack pack) into a 2000ml starter on a stir plate, 1.040 SG, 70f for 18 hours and get 400 billion cells?

3 - Can I then split this into the two 6.5gal carboys and get a good fermentation, or should I be doing something else for 10 gallons?

Thanks for the help folks!

Rob

Speyedr wrote:Starting a new thread to get some attention paid to this over-discussed and still misunderstood topic....

Got my B3-1000 this week, and I'll be brewing as soon as I get back from vacation. I'm not telling you where I live... so don't ask

Since I'll be doing 10 gallons at a time I need to get this yeast thingy straight. Also, I want to make it clear that I am asking because, as Jamil says, I want to make GREAT beer, not just beer. If I just wanted to make beer I'd fart in the carboy and save the yeast money...

1- Mr. Malty says that if you use a stir plate you can double the yeast growth. The site also states that a 2 liter starter will yield about 200 billion cells. Does that mean that in a 2000ml starter on a stir plate you'll end up with about 400 billion cells?

2 - Can I pitch one vial (or smack pack) into a 2000ml starter on a stir plate, 1.040 SG, 70f for 18 hours and get 400 billion cells?

3 - Can I then split this into the two 6.5gal carboys and get a good fermentation, or should I be doing something else for 10 gallons?

Thanks for the help folks!

Rob

I'll take a crack at it....

1) Yes

2) Yes

3) I make 2 starters for my 10gal batches, but take a look at what you need cells count wise. And try and figure from there.

Those are just my guess BTW.

Travis

as far as home brewing is concerned i dont beleve you can over pitch yeast, unless you drop 10 vials into a 5 gal brew.......

also remember as a home brewer we have little way of actually counting the living cells in the starter.....

I would stick to the basics and assume that a stir plate "may " increase the cell count, but by how much , who knows, for 10 gal stick to a 2000ml starter and see what happens, if it kiks off to fast, drop it down, to slow up it by 25%,


also a thing to remember, i dont beleve a stir plate will double the cell count if you pitch a fresh tube or smack pack and run it on the plate for 24 hours, i do think they make a huge differance if your starting your yeast starter from a slant

Ozbrewer wrote:for 10 gal stick to a 200ml starter and see what happens

Thanks for info Oz, but don't you mean a 2000ml starter?

ummmm.....lol...thanks dude

For 10 gallon batches, I usually make two 2000ml starters after picthing half a smack pack in each and I generally use a stir plate. I even pitch it up a couple of times. Then again, I ferment the starters out, chill and decant the spent wort which probably drops my yeast count by 10% or so. I'd rather do that than taint my beer with all that spent wort.

Danno wrote:For 10 gallon batches, I usually make two 2000ml starters after picthing half a smack pack in each and I generally use a stir plate. I even pitch it up a couple of times. Then again, I ferment the starters out, chill and decant the spent wort which probably drops my yeast count by 10% or so. I'd rather do that than taint my beer with all that spent wort.

Can you expand on ths Danno? Do you have one or two stir plates? How long do you leave each one on the plate? After you chill it, how do you reactivate?

Thanks,

Rob

Okay. I start with a smack pack that has expanded (or sometimes a WL tube). That goes into a 2L flask with about 1.5l of well oxygenated wort and then onto the stirplate.

- I believe the stir plate helps growth somewhat but that the real benefit for me is that it will generally ferment out the wort in 24 hours.

Once the fermentation is done, I'll put the flask into the fridge and let it settle overnight and decant off the spent wort. I add 1l of wort, swirl and split the wort between two flasks and then add another liter to each. I only have one stir plate so only one flask will get stirred at a time. It's likely that the first one will be done by the next day and I'll swap flasks and give the second one some time on the stir plate (although it's pretty close to done). Then back to the fridge until I can decant the spent wort again.

I repeat this until I get a chance to brew. Sometimes, it will sit for a while. I have an Irish Ale yeast that I haven't touched since pitching it up twice aboout three weeks ago.

Even though the yeast fermented out the wort in the starter and was placed in a fridge, the yeast are ready, willing and wanting to ferment for about a week. After that, I'll add more wort the night beforeI brew. Within that week, the yeast will be fermenting right away when they're pitched and I'll see strong activiy within a couple of hours.

Putting the yeast starter in the fridge doesn't hurt the yeast. It slows their activity and if they're done with the wort, they're more likely to drop to the bottom. The colder wort is more dense which also helps settle them out.