Multiple Vial Yeast Starter

[andygravity]

I'm planning on brewing my first lager for my next batch. Up to this point I have not needed to do anything beyond one 2L starter with one vial of yeast. The target OG for the recipe is 1.056, and according to Mr. Malty 2 vials and a starter vol. of 2L is required (intermittent shaking). I'm assuming this means 2 vials in 1 2L starter?

This makes me wonder at what point you reach too many vials for your starter? How big of a difference would there be between adding 2 vials to one 2L starter vs adding 2 vials to 2 individual 1L starters?

Thanks!

[andy77]

If Mr Malty says 2 vials in 2 liters, it means 2 vials dumped directly into a single 2 liter starter.

For ales, I always do a 1 liter starter on my stir plate. Sometimes that means 1 vial in a 1 liter starter, sometimes that means 4. That yeast calculator is cool, isn't it?

[Buttwidget]

Which makes the finer point, get a stir plate. I've made yeast starters with and without a stir plate. I knew I had a repeatable process with a stir plate and added variability without. Now making a yeast starter is all about getting expected results every time.

~widget

[andygravity]

Thanks for the replies! I figured this was the case judging by the "# Liters of Starter Required" statement, but I figured I'd check. I guess it would be good to learn a little more about the dynamics of a starter. The tool is cool, and I've used it in the past, but to this point I haven't done anything requiring more than 1 vial in a 2L starter.

As far as a stir plate goes, it is on my list of things to get. Fortunately I work from home, so I can walk over and shake up the starter every hour or so for the time being.

[snowcapt]

As far as a stir plate goes, it is on my list of things to get.

Or you can make one in about 15 minutes for about $15.
Pretty easy build.

[andygravity]

^^^ This is actually what I'd like to do. I mostly like building my equipment if I can. Maybe that is part of the reason I like to brew my own beer in the first place. Any good links that give examples of this build?

[andy77]

http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/stir_plate.htm

[EL TIZZO]

I used that same link and my stir plate works great...cost a whopping 20 dollars...I already had the fan, power supply (old cell phone plugs work awesome...mine is a 5V and is almost too much power), and magnet from a hard drive...radio shack sells a perfect size project box for a 2L flask that is about 5-6 bucks...add a potentiometer and your there...it looks way more intimidating than it is...just do it